My Bakers Blog
A selection of articles about bread that were fun to write, hopefully you’ll enjoy reading them just as much! Learn about the difference in bread cultures and how the industry is changing across the world. For exclusively sourdough baking, view the sourdough homepage.
Latest articles:
Baking Best practices
If you are new to bread baking, or just want to brush up on a few skills? Here are plenty of “How To” articles to help you make great bread.
How Long Can Dough Sit Out?
Not Sure How Long To Leave Your Dough Out For? Here is your answer to the question of “How long does my dough need to rise.”
What to do with Stale Bread and How to Prevent Bread Staling
In This Post, I Explain What To Do With Stale Bread, How to Make Bread Crusty Again and How to Stop Bread Becoming Stale or Mouldy.
How to Increase The Batch Size Of A Bread Recipe
How To Change A Dough Recipe To Make Larger Or Smaller Amounts Of Dough. In this article, I’ll explain the baker’s formula and the common issues bakers find.
The Way To Add Seeds, Cheese, Olives, Fruit (& more) To Dough
I’m Sharing “The Easiest Way To Add Extra Ingredients To Bread Dough” So you can fill Your Bread with Cheese, Seeds, Nuts, Olives and plenty more additions!
How Do You Make Bread?
I often get asked, how do you make bread, so I have created a detailed guide on the stages of baking bread just for beginners.
Is Adding Extra Flour Bad For The Bread Dough?
Is it a good idea to add extra flour when baking bread? It’s a trick I was taught when I was learning to bake, but is it a good thing to do?
Improve bread quality
Baking is a science, so in order to be able to make better bread understanding the fundamentals of chemistry at work is no doubt advantageous for bakers. These articles help readers to solve baking issues and make more consistent quality bread.
7 Baking Tips You’re (Probably) Getting Wrong
Sign up to learn the 7 Baking Tips You’re (Probably) Getting Wrong email course today
Can I Use Bread Flour To Make A Cake?
Is It Possible To Use Bread Flour To Make A Cake? The answer is yes, but it should be diluted for best results. Find out how in this article!
Should I Sift Flour For Bread?
Is It Necessary To Sieve Flour For Bread Making? No is the short answer, but visit this page to find out when we should sieve flour for bread.
How to Fix Bread Burning on the Bottom
Bread Burning On The Bottom Is A Common Problem Many Home Bakers Encounter. Read these tips from Gareth to fix burnt bottomed bread.
How to Make Bread Less Chewy and Why Is Bread Chewy Anyway?
Why Is My Bread So Chewy? Learn how to make homemade soft, fluffy bread. Includes tips and tricks on kneading, proofing and baking bread!
What Does Changing the Water Content of a Bread Recipe do?
A Look At How The Hydration Ratio Of A Bread Recipe Changes The Qualities Of The Bread. How adjusting the amount of water improves a loaf.
How To Make Bread Soft
I Reveal The Secret In How To Make Bread Soft And Fluffy. It’s a question I hear from many bakers family members, so let’s cover how it’s done!
Equipment recommendations
If you are looking for help in selecting equipment to buy, you may find it my baking equipment list. Also included in this section are guides for using various baking equipment properly.
12 Best Gifts for Bread Bakers They Will Love!
Need A Present For A Bread Baker? Well it’s good news, click this link to reveal the best gifts for bread bakers! These are presents a baker will love!
What is a Great Proofing Basket Substitute?
What Can You Use As A Proofing Basket Substitute? Here are 8 great alternatives to use for proofing if you don’t have a proofing basket.
What is the Best Knife for Cutting Sourdough Bread?
Looking For Even Slices When Cutting Sourdough Bread? Here’s how to select the best knife for cutting sourdough bread and how to cut with ease!
The 12 Best Bread Baking Books You Should Get
Here Is My Run-Down Of The Top 12 Best Bread Baking Books I’ve Read. Discover which bread book I rated at number 1 and my best bread baking book for beginners!
How to Select and Use a Banneton Proofing Basket for Bread
How To Use A Banneton Or Bread Proofing Basket Guide For The Bread Making Process At Home And Pro Bakeries. A Banneton Is An Important Tool In Artisan Baking.
Is A Stand Mixer Suitable To Knead Dough?
I Created A Test To Discover If My Kenwood Stand Mixer With A Dough Hook Attachment Suitable To Knead Dough. Here’s How My Bread Came Out.
Getting the best from your oven
Full in-depth guides on sourdough bread baking, from how to get started, to how to troubleshoot any starter problems. These articles are really in-depth to give you the answer to every problem you may encounter.
How to Build Your Own Ultimate Home Baking Station!
Here Are Some Top Tips To Set Up Your Home Baking Station! What ingredients do you need? What should you make it from? All explained here!
How to Detect and Fix Heat Spots in an Oven
Is Your Oven Baking Unevenly? Do You Think There Is A Problem With Your Bake Quality? Here’s How To Determine And Fix Oven Hotspots.
How to Fix Electric Oven Temperature Problems
How To Repair Your Electric Oven Problems. Let’s look at fixing your temperature problems and how to replace an oven element.
Secrets of Baking Bread in a Home Oven
Wondering What Is The Secret To Baking Bread In A Home Oven? Here’s the best way to set up your oven and a troubleshooting guide for common bread oven issues.
What Temperature Should I Bake Bread? Fine Tune Your Recipe!
What’s The Best Temperature For Baking Bread? The perfect loaf of bread is a product of the oven temperature used to make it. Let’s find out how.
Can I Open The Oven Door When Baking Bread?
Is it a good idea to open the oven door when baking bread? Here’s the reason why it’s not and when you can!
Troubleshooting
Articles to help you set up a bakery business and why you should take the plunge.
How to Improve Bread For Beginners – 11 Baking Issues Fixed!
Here’s A Guide On How to Improve Bread. This beginners solution will help you work out what is going on and the steps you should take to fix it.
How to make Bread Soft with these Simple Tricks
Do You Want To Make Your Homemade Bread Softer? Well you are in luck! Here are my top tips for making any type of bread soft.
My Bread Collapses in the Oven, What am I Doing Wrong?
If Bread Collapses In The Oven Or Just Before, What Happened? This post explains the reasons why dough collapses and 6 tips to prevent it.
How to Increase the Amount of Water in Bread
It’s Important To Find The Right Consistency. If you are looking to increase the amount of water used in a bread recipe this guide shares the secrets.
Why is my Bread Collapsing or Shrinking after Baking?
Learn The 7 Reasons Why Your Bread Might Be Collapsing Or Shrinking After It Has Been Baked. Use these tips for successful bake every time!!
How to Fix Wet Bread Doughs
If you’ve baked bread for any period of time you’ll have no doubt encountered a sticky, wet dough. If you haven’t, you are extremely lucky. Or lying… So let’s see…
Science & Theory
What Does Egg Do in Bread? – Baking Ingredients Explained
What Is The Role Of Eggs In Baking Bread? Eggs are often added to bread to make them soft and fluffy. But how do they work?
Biga vs Poolish – Are Italian and French Preferments the same?
Want To Learn More About Preferments? In this article I explain how preferments work and settle the biga vs poolish argument!
What Can I Use As a Substitute for Oil When Baking?
If You’re Looking To Cut Out Oil From Your Diet, Or If You’ve Just Ran Out, There Are Several Substitutes For Oil That Can Be Used. Learn more ->
Flour Guide: is All-Purpose Flour the same as Plain Flour?
Asking Yourself, Is All-Purpose Flour The Same As Plain Flour? Well fear not as Gareth offers some helpful information about types of flour!
How To Use Vinegar for Baking Bread and Cakes?
Can Vinegar Be Used For Baking Bread And Cakes? Well yes it can, and it won’t destroy the flavour of your food. Here’s how it works…
How Is flour Made? A Guide to Modern Flour Production
Wondering How Is Flour Made? Well in this step by step guide discover all the stages in how flour is made from growing the wheat till the mixing bowl.
Pizza Making
What is the Perfect Pizza Baking Time?
Most Don’t Have The Same Equipment As Pizza Chefs, But We Can Still Enjoy A Fresh Pie! So what is the best pizza baking time in a home oven?
Can I use Pizza Yeast for Bread?
Are All Yeasts The Same? Or can I use pizza yeast to make bread? Here are the benefits of using pizza yeast and how to use pizza yeast for bread.
Can Pizza Dough go Bad?
Is It Possible For Pizza Dough To Go Bad? Yes it is, but we can often rescue it unless it’s mouldy, here’s how!
Pizza dough won’t stretch – Pizza Tips to improve homemade pizza
If You’re Struggling To Get Your Pizza Dough To Stretch This Guide Breaks Down Every Step. Use this post to make the perfect pizza.
Artisan Bread
Where can I Buy Artisan Bread?
All The Info On Where To Find Artisan Bread To Buy In The UK and US. Discover where and how to identify artisan bread.
How to make Artisan Bread
Discover How To Get Started Making Bread At Home With This Guide On Artisan Bread. What do you need to know? What steps do you need to take? Plus a recipe!
What Is Artisan Bread?
What Is Artisan Bread And How Is It Different From Commercially Made Bread? I explain what all the fuss is about and how you can make artisan bread at home.
British Baking
Is Tesco’s Crippling Real Bread?
We don’t really use frozen bread dough in UK bakeries. This article shares what is going on at Tesco’s and what the impact it may have on artisan bread.
Is TGBBO Good For The Baking Industry?
The Great British Bake Off Amplified The Work That Artisan Bread And Cake Bakers Were Already Doing, It Has Increased The Popularity Of Baking. Is TGBBO Go.
Worthing Food and Drink Festival Review
How was the Worthing Food and Drink Festival 2018? Here’s my guide if you are thinking of going or to the 2019 festival. I loved it!
French bread
What Is The Difference Between Patisserie And Viennoiserie?
Want To Discover The Difference Between Patisserie And Viennoiserie? Find Out About Patisserie And Viennoiserie Here. Real Examples Given!
The History Of Bread In France
This Article Covers The History Of Bread In France. How Seriously Is Bread Quality In France? Is Artisan Bread The Only Bread?…
What Makes French Bread Taste French
What is about french bread that gives it the french flavour, texture and aroma? We love French bread, find out what is special about it in this read.
The History Of The French Baguette
The French baguette is steeped in history, this article explains how it was invented and the reasons for it’s international success
Bread Trivia
Is it Cheaper to Make Your Own Bread?
Can You Make Your Own Bread And Actually Save Money? It’s certainly possible, let’s uncover the secrets to making your own bread on the cheap!
What is the Difference between Naan and Pita
What Is The Difference Between Naan and Pita? Well, there are quite a few things that make each of these breads special, here’s what…
What is the Best Bread for Stuffing?
Do You Love Homemade Stuffing? Well if you do, the choice of bread will impact how well it turns out. Read on to find out the best bread for stuffing.
How I Designed A Hand Knead Technique That Rocks
How I designed a hand kneading technique that works the best I have ever use. I love this way to knead bread, here’s how and why I came up with the idea.
French vs Italian Bread – What’s the Difference?
What’s The Difference Between Italian And French Bread? Take a look at Italian bread culture, the styles and see if it is better than French Bread Culture.
9 Things I Hate About (Some) Artisan Bread Bakers
Here’s the things that drive me mad about watching artisan bakers on YouTube, they is some great stuff but here is a guide of what to avoid (if you can!)
Health & Lifestyle
What is Millet Flour? Can I Make Bread With it?
A Quick Guide On Millet Flour And Its Uses In Making Bread. Find out everything you need to know about millet flour here.
Is Sourdough Bread Suitable for Vegans?
Being Vegan Doesn’t Mean That Bread Is Off The Menu. Learn what makes sourdough bread suitable for vegans and how to convert a dairy recipe.
Sourdough vs Whole Wheat Bread – Which Is Healthiest?
Here, We Compare Sourdough vs Whole Wheat Bread To Determine Which One Is Healthiest. Let’s discover all the health benefits together…
FrankenWheat – fact or fiction? Is FrankenWheat a Myth?
What Has Happened To Wheat Over The Years To Increase Yield. Is wheat now “FrankenWheat”, or is FrankenWheat a myth? Let’s find out…
Which Breads are Safe to Eat for Vegans?
What Breads Can You Eat on A Vegan Diet? The most popular breads are all here so you can find out what breads vegans can eat.
Should Flour be Organic for Making Bread?
Let’s Explore Whether Flour Should Be Organic For Making Bread And Discover The Difference Between Organic and Non-Organic Flour.
