Artisan breads rely on few ingredients—essentially flour, water, salt and yeast—each serving a critical function in the creation of a finished loaf. To produce consistent-quality breads, the baker needs to understand the role of each of these fundamental ingredients, how to select quality, how to use them in the proper way, and in the correct ratios.
Of the four, salt is perhaps the least complicated. The other basic ingredients have loads of variables to consider: the myriad types of flour with varying protein content and extraction rates, varying ratios of overall yeast and prefermented flour, the temperature of water. These factors, and the ways they may vary from bread to bread, season to season, or even bake day to bake day, need to be monitored and adjusted for on a daily basis. Salt is much more straightforward, although no less critical in producing the finished product.