: Should you add some salt to flour when baking? I was always taught to add a pinch of salt to flour when baking (mainly cakes / muffins and puddings). I have recipes that specifically mention adding salt and others that don't.

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Salt serves two primary purposes in baking:

To regulate yeast

Salt kills yeast. The addition of salt to a yeast leavened dough prevents the little beasties from growing completely out of control.

To enhance and mask specific flavors

Salt is almost a universal flavor enhancer. Virtually anything that tastes good, will taste better with salt. What typically comes as a surprise to people is that this holds true with sweet things too, particularly chocolate. The addition of even a tiny bit of salt can make a sweet dish significantly sweeter. It also serves to mask the taste of raw flour.

Update

Also according to Progressive Baker salt affects the strength and shelf life of baked goods.

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I believe salt cuts the gluten in the flour and makes it more supple and less elastic, especially when baking breads.