Techniques

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Brod and Taylor Folding Bread Proofer Review

I think it was back in May or June; I was searching for new bread “stuff” on the internet like I often do. I probably drive my husband crazy with …

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Homemade Pumpkin Puree

A few weeks back I was prepping for an upcoming class and had to go to three different stores to find a can of pumpkin puree. The only kind I could find was an organic …

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How to braid a 4 strand challah bread

Dough shaping technique – how to braid a 4 strand challah bread. 1. Divide your dough into 4 equally sized pieces and preshape them into short rough log shapes. 2. On …

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How to shape a batard or torpedo shaped loaf of bread

Dough shaping technique – how to shape a batard or torpedo shaped loaf of bread…

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Creating your own Levain

I think breads that are leavened with a wild yeast have a much more complex flavor profile than breads that just use commercial yeast. You also get a bread that is …

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The Baker’s Percentage

The baker’s percentage or formula is very important for the professional baker, but it can be very helpful for the home baker to know and understand how to use it. …

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Shaping your dough into loaves

Learning how to properly shape your dough will result in beautiful finished loaves that you can proudly show off to family and friends. The different shapes of breads are usually …

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Cooling and storing your freshly baked bread

Most people don’t realize that the final stage of baking bread is letting it cool properly. If you were to slice into a hot loaf of bread you would not …

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Baking Bread

After you have allowed your loaves to fully proof you will need to transfer them to your oven quickly and carefully. You don’t want the oven to lose too much …

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Scoring Loaves

Scores or cuts in the tops of loaves are there for a baking purpose as well as for aesthetics. Scoring controls the rise of the dough as it bakes. The …

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Turning Your Oven into a Hearth

For great rustic hearth breads that have crisp crusts and silky interiors you will need to make a hearth out of your home oven. While we can’t all have professional …

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Scaling and Benching Dough

Scaling and benching refers to the step that comes after fermentation where you divide your dough into separate loaves (if doing so), pre-shape them, and let them rest for a …

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Retarding Loaves

This is a key technique that I try to teach my bread baking students.  Refrigerating your dough at some point during the first or final rise can make bread baking …

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Proofing your shaped loaves

Proofing is the term used for the second rise of your dough, which will now be in its shaped form. Proofing times depend on different conditions such as the temperature …

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