Is all salt created equal? Can I reduce or increase the salt in a recipe? Does it matter what kind of salt I use in a recipe?
If you’ve ever asked these questions – you’re on the right page. Let’s break it all down.
It’s easy to think of salt as the thing that makes food salty. But in baking, it’s much more than that. It strengthens gluten, balances sweetness, deepens flavor, and even helps your cookies brown beautifully. In other words: salt doesn’t just season your food… it shapes it.
Let’s go through where and why salt matters, and which ones are my favorite to use in baking…
Roles of Salt
1. Strengthens
Salt plays a crucial part in the gluten development process, forming and tightening gluten protein bonds that makes dough more elastic and gives your baked good structure. This is especially important in yeast breads, where too little salt can lead to sticky dough and a weak crumb (which we don’t want!).
Example: In sourdough or sandwich bread, salt helps the dough hold its shape and rise evenly. Without it, your loaf can not only just taste flat, but could lead to overproofing and collapse.
2. Preserves
These days, the word “preservative” has an evil connotation, but natural preservatives have been around since the beginning of time, are good for you, and help protect our food in a natural way. Salt is a natural preservative.
Salt doesn’t just make baked goods taste better; it helps them stay yummier, longer. By drawing out moisture and creating an environment that inhibits bacterial growth, salt slows spoilage and mold development. ALSO, did you know salt NEVER EXPIRES?? COOL, right?!
Example: In yeast breads or bagels, the salt helps extend freshness by keeping the interior soft while preventing the crust from going stale too quickly. Even in cookies or muffins, a touch of salt can subtly lengthen their shelf life, especially when stored properly.
3. Enhances Flavor
Not only does salt have flavor in itself that we enjoy, but it also helps other flavors shine brighter. In baked goods, that means:
- Chocolate tastes richer
- Vanilla tastes warmer
- Cinnamon tastes cozier
- Sugar tastes more balanced
Let’s talk about this more- in sweet recipes, salt keeps flavors from falling flat. Think of chocolate chip cookies! Without salt, they’d taste one-dimensional. Just ½ teaspoon can make the difference between “good” and “can I have the recipe?”. Even in sugar cookies or frosting, a pinch of salt balances the sweetness and keeps your flavors from feeling heavy, so don’t skip on adding that pinch of salt to your baked goods or frosting.
WARNING! Different kinds and brands of salt vary in flavor, so it’s important to be aware of what you’re using (I personally LOVE Redmond Real Salt, and I will explain that in a later section of this blog post).
Quick story – I once made a batch of my tried and true French bread recipe. I typically use Redmond Real salt (code LOSKITCHEN for 15% off) in all my baking, but I realized I somehow ran out and so I used my backup container or just generic over the counter iodized salt. I followed the recipe the same, and when I tasted the bread IMMEDIATELY knew something was different. I finally realized it almost tasted saltier…and then quickly realized it’s because I had changed salts. Because Redmond has a subtle sweeter undertone it plays off different flavors and doesn’t over salt my food. Lesson learned so fast and there’s no way I’m making that mistake again!
4. Gives color
Salt contributes to even browning by helping sugars caramelize to give our baked goods that nice golden coloring. It also draws out moisture, giving cookies and breads that beautiful, golden crust.
5. Controls Rise
Salt slows down yeast activity, preventing dough from rising too quickly; that isn’t a bad thing actually, as lengthened fermentation gives better taste and structure to our risen baked goods. This control helps develop better flavor and texture during fermentation.
Example: in bread recipes, adding salt at the right time keeps your dough from over-fermenting and developing a yeasty, off flavor.
Types of Salt
Not all salt is created equal, and using the right one can subtly (and even drastically) change your bake. Let’s talk about the major types of salt. I have physically done a taste test, and can attest there truly is a difference!
Iodized Salt
- Texture: Fine, uniform grains
- Flavor: Sharp and concentrated
- Best for: Recipes where salt needs to dissolve evenly, like cakes, muffins, and cookies.
- Tip: Because this salt is denser, you typically can use less than when a recipe calls for sea salt
Kosher Salt
- Texture: Coarse, flaky crystals
- Flavor: Clean, mild
- Best for: Breads, savory pastries, or recipes where you want to control the saltiness by feel
- Tip: Kosher salt is less salty by volume than table salt. If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of table salt, use 1½ to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt instead.
Sea Salt
- Texture: Varies (from fine to coarse, even flakey)
- Flavor: Often more “minerally” or complex, drastically less sharp tasting than iodized
- Best for: I use fine for baking (it dissolves and distributes better), coarse for my meats, and flakey as a topping
- Example: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of chocolate chip cookies right after baking; the pop of salt turns each bite into pure magic.
This is what I use most often and stick to Redmond Real Salt for my traditional salt as well as their flavorings, and then I use Maldon flaky sea salt as a topping for cookies and other speciality items as a “post” bake situation.
Himalayan Pink Salt
- Texture: Fine or coarse
- Flavor: Slightly earthy, less harsh than table salt
- Best for: Everyday baking swaps or recipes where you want a subtle touch of salt without it overpowering other flavors.
Tips for Using Salt in Baking
- Measure by weight when possible.
If you have been following my baking for a while, you know I am a huge advocate in weighing your ingredients with a food scale when it comes to baking. It is just so much more accurate than using measuring cups and spoons. Specifically for salt, crystal sizes vary so a teaspoon of sea salt isn’t equal to a teaspoon of table salt. If you can, measure in grams for consistency. - Don’t skip the salt in sweet recipes.
Continuing on the flavor enhancing role of salt from the section above, we never want to skip or even skimp on salt in ANY baked good. For example, in sugar cookies and frosting, a pinch of salt balances the sweetness and keeps your flavors from feeling heavy and one-dimensional. For low sodium diets, I encourage you to try doing half of the amount called for. While there’s a subtle difference, you won’t destroy the quality too much on your baked good! - Mix it in early for even distribution.
Add salt with your dry ingredients, like flour, unless a recipe specifies otherwise. This ensures it’s evenly dispersed before adding the other ingredients to the mix. - Use flaky salt for visual appeal.
Think of some of your favorite bakery cookies, sometimes they have flakey salt added on the top. A sprinkle on top of cookies, brownies, or caramels adds sparkle and an irresistible crunch. I do this trick on some of my favorite cookies and cookie bars like my Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Cookies, Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars, and Millionaire Shortbread Bars. - Be mindful of salted butter.
If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the added salt slightly to keep the balance right.
Benefits of Salt Quality (Not Just Type!)
It’s easy to focus on what kind of salt you’re using (like iodized, kosher, or sea salt) but the quality of that salt can make a surprising difference too, especially in baking. Unlike cooking, where you can adjust seasoning as you go, baking depends on precision- it’s a science. The flavor, purity, and mineral content of your salt all influence how your final product tastes and behaves in the oven.
- Purity Affects Flavor: Lower-quality salts can contain anti-caking agents or additives that leave a slightly metallic or bitter taste (bleh!), something you definitely don’t want in your delicate baked goods.
- Mineral Content Adds (or Changes) Flavor Notes: Natural salts like sea salt and Himalayan pink salt contain trace minerals that give them distinct flavor profiles. While these minerals can add subtle depth, they can also change how sweet or rich your baked goods taste.
- Texture Impacts Distribution: Even if you’re using the right type of salt, inconsistent grain sizes can lead to uneven salt pockets or under-seasoned bites.
- Better Salt = Better Balance: Quality salt doesn’t just “taste salty” — it enhances sweetness, butteriness, and overall harmony. Just like you’d use real vanilla extract or good butter for the best results, using a high-quality salt ensures every flavor shines through as intended.
Redmond Real Salt: It’s the Best of Both Worlds (Type & Quality)
It’s no secret that I love Redmond Real Salt brand when it comes to salt. We use it as a table salt, in everything I bake, and most everything I cook. The reason why: INCREDIBLE QUALITY (and they have amazing clean mixed seasonings to choose from too). I also love that they mine it here locally where I live in Utah. An incredible US brand you can trust.
USE CODE LOSKITCHEN for 15% off your order!
Here’s what I use most from their line up:
- Fine Sea Salt (I use in my baking for even distribution and my kids use this most as our regular table salt. These shakers are handy, but we get this salt in bulk to refill this shaker…because salt never expires!)
- Kosher Salt (I love the level of coarseness this is. It’s not TOO coarse, but just enough that it adds a punch in the right places. I use in all my meat marinades, pickling, etc.)
- Popcorn Salt (Honestly I thought this might be silly at first, but it actually makes a difference. It helps evenly coat the popcorn and because of its fineness and “dusty” like feel, it sticks really well. Less of that random pile of salt at the bottom of the bowl!)
- Seasonings (We use the chili lime as a base for our fajita seasoning and their taco seasoning will forever be the only one I use. Unlike most seasonings at the store, their label is completely clean. No weird additives. I swapped out my old season salt for theirs because of their organic, clean label and I’ve been SO happy with every swap!
- Electrolytes (They have an impressive line of electrolytes. The ones I use most are the pre-workout and the immunity blend. We put the orange immunity blend in our daily smoothies in place of adding a bit of orange juice. It gives that balance and subtle tang that the juice used to do for us – but I feel so much better about the immunity blend!)
From bringing balance to baked goods and giving bread its strength, salt is the silent backbone of great baking.
So the next time you bake, don’t think of that pinch of salt as optional, think of it as your secret baking weapon.
Questions? Leave a comment below!
