Autolyse is a great way to hydrate the flour. Reducing mixing time and making the dough more extensible and potentially helping with oven spring. But what do you do with the yeast and salt? Adding yeast would initiate fermentation and that is most of the time not what...
Adding fat to a dough makes is soft and fluffy and generally gives it a gentler mouth feel. That does not mean that it is better, but it has its place. I personally love enriched dough. There are certain things to consider when adding fat. Mainly the amount of fat...
Let us look at how sugar affects yeast and subsequently bread. Why you should and why you should not use sugar. Sugar is hygroscopic meaning that it attracts water. Salt is also hygroscopic. Yeast needs water to be active. We all know that salt slows down fermentation...
Different types of dough require different kneading methods. A low hydration dough can be kneaded by pressing it into the work surface and folding it at the same time. This method is effective and convenient. A high hydration dough would not be possible to knead in...
Weighing out ingredients is the first step to any successful bake. And I should stress the word weighing. You might be used to measuring ingredients by volume, like using cups and spoons. Although it may work in some cases, mostly it is very inaccurate. Let me...
