Learn

Learn

Each page answers one question a baker actually asks, in the first two sentences, then explains why.

Techniques

Mixing, fermentation, shaping and baking, explained from the bench.

How long to bulk ferment sourdough, and how to tell when it is done

Bulk fermentation is done when the dough has grown 30 to 75 percent, domes at the edges and jiggles as one mass. At 24 to 26 °C that takes four to six hours.

Sourdough starter feeding schedule, worked back from mix time

Feed the starter so it peaks at the moment you mix. The feeding ratio and the temperature are the two timers; set them for your mix time and the schedule writes itself.

What is autolyse, and how long should it be?

Autolyse is a rest of flour and water only, 20 minutes to an hour for most doughs, before salt and leaven go in. It shortens mixing and makes dough extensible.

Ingredients

Flour, water, salt, leaven and what each one does in the dough.

Flour protein content for bread: what the number means and what to buy

Bread flour runs 11.5 to 13.5 percent protein; under 11 is pastry, over 14 suits enriched doughs and long fermentations. Protein quality matters as much as the number.

Science

The chemistry and arithmetic behind consistent bread.

Baker's percentages, explained simply

In baker's percentages, flour is always 100 and every other ingredient is a share of the flour. Water 70 means 700 g of water per kilo of flour, at any batch size.

Glossary

Short, precise definitions of the words bakers use.

Preferment: levain, biga, poolish and pâte fermentée explained

A preferment is part of the dough fermented in advance. Levain uses wild yeast; poolish, biga and pâte fermentée use baker's yeast at different hydrations.

Troubleshooting

When the loaf comes out wrong: causes, in order of likelihood.

Why is my sourdough dense? Causes in order of likelihood

Dense sourdough is usually underfermented: the levain was not at peak, or bulk was cut short in a cool room. Weak flour, too much whole grain and rough shaping come next.