How to make bread homepage
All the steps you need to get started and perfect your first bread. Follow the beginners recipe and use the articles below to improve your skills and knowledge. Watch your baking skills improve along this journey and make bread to impress!
Visit my recommended equipment page to see the best baking tools to make bread at home!
An Introduction to Bread Baking
Learn The Basics Of Making Bread Before You Get Started. This Is A Simple Introduction To Bread Baking At Home.
The stages of bread making
Are you looking to learn how to make bread? With the vast amounts of information available on Internet forums I know it can sound like a hard task sometimes. Especially if you’re hearing about temperature, rest time, over spring, autolyse etc for the first time……Baking bread can easily sound like a minefield that’s best left for the professionals.
But while there is an element of chemistry to baking, fantastic bread can be made without having to know everything. Learning a simple bread recipe is easy. After you have cracked recipe number one, then two, then three, you may want to learn the advanced stuff.
Read this if you’ve never made bread before! It explains the basics on bread baking so you know what happens when you make bread at home.
How to use this page
To use the page, start of with the introduction to bread baking and the stages of of making bread articles at the top of the page. Once you’ve read these, you can move through all of the posts. Alternatively, select a subject you wish to explore in detail as and when you feel you need to.
7 Baking Tips You’re (Probably) Getting Wrong
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Selecting a levain
How A Levain Works to Make Bread Rise
This post explains how yeast, sourdough and other levains work to make bread dough rise and create different texture in breads.
What Types of Yeast Are There And How To Convert Them?
What is the difference between types of yeasts that are available. Which one is right for your bread and what is the real difference between yeast types
Autolyse
The Autolyse Process For Bread Bakers
Autolyse Is A Popular Baking Process, That’s Commonly Used By Home Bakers. Learn to use it in sourdough, baguette, pizza and basic doughs improve your bread.
The Differences Between a Soaker and Autolyse Explained
Soakers share many of the same attributes as autolyse, but what is the difference between the two and how and when should you use them?
How to knead dough
Why Won’t My Dough Pass The Windowpane Test?
Tips To Improve The Effectiveness Of Kneading Dough. Whether Hand Kneading Or Using A Dough Mixer, This Guide Will Help You To Pass The Windowpane Test.
Why Knead Bread? What is the point?
Why Do Bread Bakers Knead Bread Dough? What Does It Do And Is It Essential Every Time? Visit The Homepage Of Kneading Dough.
The Windowpane Test – Know When Dough is Kneaded Enough
How To Pass The Windowpane Test? This guide explains what the windowpane test is and how to use it when making bread.
Desired Dough Temperature – How To Calculate and Reach it
How To Work Out The Desired (final) Dough Temperature To Make The Best Proofing Conditions For Baking Bread, Why It’s Important And How To Work It Out.
How To Make An Oil Slick To Make Kneading Easier
Here Is How To Make An Oil Slick And Why You Should. There are a great way to work with dough on a table.
How to Knead Dough Like a Pro! – 7 Kneading Methods Rated
Here Are The Best Hand Knead Dough Techniques For Bread. Don’t listen to Mum. Here are the best ways to knead bread dough!
Bulk Fermentation
Why does dough need to be covered? What’s the point?
Discover how covering your dough can help you perfect your bread. Learn why covering dough is important and what you can do to keep it moist.
Oxygenation in Bread
An Explanation On Oxygenation In Bread Dough. This article also explains why over-oxygenation is something we should try to avoid.
Bulk Fermentation (First Rise) Explained
Understand what happens during The Bulk Fermentation Stage Also known As The First Rise. Learn What Happens And How It Improves The Bread Making Process.
How The Dough Fermentation Process Works – FULL GUIDE!!
Take A Deep Dive On The Power Of The Yeast Fermentation Process. Understand The Power And Effects Of Fermentation To Make Better Bread.
Using Dough Improvers To Assist Fermentation
Dough Improvers Such As Ascorbic Acid, Malt Flour And Bean Flour Are Often Added To The Bread We Buy In The Supermarkets. Here’s A few You Can Use At Home.
How to Stretch and Fold
Two Easy Ways To Do Stretch And Fold!! Step by step photo’s and descriptions so you can do a stretch and fold and not go wrong.
Shaping
How To Shape (and Preshape) Bread Dough For Better Oven Rise
Discover Simple And More Advanced Shaping and Preshaping Techniques For Making Bread. All Shown With Steps And Pictures So You Can Easily Follow Along.
The Final Proof
How to Proof Bread Without a Proofer – DIY Proofing Solutions!
Here’s My Guide On Proofing Bread If You Don’t Have A proofer. Can I proof bread in the oven? How can I build A DIY home proofer? All answered!
A Guide on Proofing Bread in the Oven – Does it Really Work?
By Proofing Bread In The Oven You Will Control The Proofing Environment So You Can Make Quality Bread Every Time! Here is how it works:
Bread Proofing Guide Table
A Bread Proofing Timetable To Show How The First And Second Rise Are Affected By The Other Staging In The Bread Making Process.
Proofing Bread – The Final Rise
The Home Of The Proofing Bread Topic. Here is everything about proofing bread with links to articles to explore similar subjects in detail.
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.
What is The Best Bread Proofing Temperature?
Find Out Why Bread Proofing Temperature Is so Important In Bread Baking. Learn how temperature and proofing methods can make better bread!
Scoring bread
What Knife to Use For Scoring Bread?
To score bread bakers use a lame or grignette to make the cuts and there are many designs. So which one is best for your scoring needs?
Scoring Bread – Everything you need to know
A Full Guide On How To Score Bread Like The Professionals! All Steps are Broken Down Making It Easy For You To Learn How To Cut Your Bread Effectively!
Oven Spring – Baking
Which Levain Should I Use for the Best Oven Spring?
Which Levain Should I Use To Get The Best Oven Spring How They Adapt It And What Makes Sourdough Bread Rise Differently To Yeast Bread
How to get an Ear on Bread
A Step By Step Guide To Getting An Ear On Bread. Here are the important pinch points that prevent many from achieving the elusive ear on bread!
Adding Water to an Oven to Make Steam – Best Way Explained
Discover How Adding Water To An Oven Makes The Perfect Environment For Baking. How to use steam to make crusty bread at home.
How Oven Spring Works: Best explanation on how it works
How Does Oven Spring Work? This full guide explains how oven spring works and how you should use it to your advantage to make fantastic quality bread.
Can I Save Money With A DIY Baking Stone?
Looking to make a DIY baking stone? I share my DIY baking stone struggles and reveal the do’s and don’ts of finding a suitable baking stone to bake bread
Essential tips & troubleshooting
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…
How To Master Dough Hydration
How The The Amount Of Water In A Dough Impacts The Quality Of The Bread. How To Achieve The Perfect Dough Hydration And How To Change The Amount Of Water Used.
What Happens If You Put Too Much Yeast In Bread?
What Should You Do If You Put Too Much Yeast In Bread? In this post, I’ll explain what to do if you add too much yeast in your bread, and why it works.
13 Reasons Why My Bread Didn’t Rise – Let’s Fix It FAST
Understand The 13 Reasons Why My Bread Didn’t Rise And How To Fix Them So You Can Make Totally Awesome Bread Every Time. Together, Let’s Get Bread Proofing!
Bread Too Dense? Here is How To Lighten Your Bread
Made Bread Too Dense? What causes dense bread and how to fix many common bread problems. The most likely reason for dense bread is not kneading the dough…
How Fast Can You Learn How To Bake Bread At Home
Wondering how you can pass an interview for a bread baking position? How you can find a role as a bread baker or want to learn how to bake bread at home?
Should I Put Less Yeast In My Bread & When Is There Too Much
How much yeast is right to add to a bread recipe? Is it a good idea to change the amount of yeast in my dough and should I put less yeast in my bread?
Can’t find what you are looking for? There are loads more articles in my bakers blog which might help. Alternatively, feel free to reach out.
