Salt isn’t just a seasoning—it’s a powerful tool to enhance flavours and elevate your baking and cooking. But with different varieties, how do you know which salt to use?
Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the perfect salt for every dish or bake.
1. Fine Pink Himalayan Salt
Flavour Profile: Subtle, clean, and slightly sweet, with earthy mineral notes.
Best For: Everyday seasoning and delicate recipes where you want a mild saltiness.
- Bread: Ideal for enriched doughs like brioche and challah. Its softness complements buttery richness.
- Cakes: Use in light sponges or angel food cake, where it enhances sweetness without overpowering.
- Brownies: A light sprinkle adds a subtle contrast to caramel or fudge brownies.
- Biscuits: Perfect for shortbread, as its mildness complements buttery flavours.
2. French Fine Ground Grey Sea Salt
Flavour Profile: Briny, bold, and naturally moist, with a depth of flavour that brings an oceanic freshness.
Best For: Hearty and rustic recipes that benefit from bold flavours.
- Bread: A standout in sourdough and rye loaves, adding complexity to rustic bakes.
- Cakes: Complements spiced cakes like gingerbread or carrot cake, enhancing earthy tones.
- Brownies: Blend into the batter for a richer chocolate experience or salted caramel brownies.
- Biscuits: Perfect for savoury bakes like cheese biscuits or herb crackers.
3. Cornish Sea Salt Crystals
Flavour Profile: Bright, clean, and slightly salty, with a natural crunch that adds texture.
Best For: Finishing dishes where both flavour and presentation shine.
- Bread: Sprinkle over focaccia or pretzels for a satisfying crunch and clean saltiness.
- Cakes: Finish drizzle cakes or chocolate cakes with a few crystals for a flavour pop and textural contrast.
- Brownies: Scatter over freshly baked brownies to enhance gooey richness with a crisp, salty burst.
- Biscuits: Best for chunky cookies like oatmeal or chocolate chip, where its texture shines.
4. Flavoured Salts: A Simple Way to Add Complexity
Flavoured and herb-infused salts are an easy way to enhance your bakes and cooking with layers of taste. From rosemary or garlic salts perfect for focaccia and breadsticks to smoked salts that bring depth to savoury pies or roasted vegetables, these salts do double duty as seasoning and flavour boosters. Sprinkle them on crackers, flatbreads, or even savoury pastries to instantly elevate the flavour profile of your creations.
Quick Tips for Salt Usage
- Choose Fine Salts for Mixing: Fine Pink Himalayan or Grey Sea Salt blends evenly into doughs and batters.
- Save Crystals for Finishing: Cornish Sea Salt Crystals add a visual and textural flourish.
- Use Flavoured Salts for taste: Easily give a finishing touch to your food or to amplify their flavour, or mix them directly into doughs and batters for a subtle infusion of taste.
- Experiment: Salt is personal—try different types in your favourite recipes to find the perfect match.
Finally creating steam in the oven is crucial as I mentioned earlier, the crust will dry out without steam and you want the loaf to expand and caramelize as much as possible for the first part of the baking time.
A DeSh~Stoom oven steamer is great for creating steam straight away when baking and not using a dome. Your oven mustn't be filled with steam during the whole bake as you want those blisters to dry out and get crispy, this is why the DeSh~Stoom stops producing steam after a while allowing your loaf to crisp up.
If you are using a dome like the Challenger bread pan or the Netherton then all you need to do is add an ice cube after you have placed your dough inside and then quickly put the lid on to encapsulate the steam inside, this gives fantastic results, just make sure to use a good pair of oven gloves to avoid getting any burns from the steam whilst putting the lid on.