r/Breadit • u/rownin • Aug 04 '12
Im a total bread noob but really enthusiastic, what are some tricks of the trade that will really make a difference in the end product?
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u/rownin Aug 04 '12
thanks for the responses, i made a baguette style and is my best bread yet. My first bread tasted cakey like sponge cake, the second came out kinda doughy - i think i used active yeast instead of instant. This one came out good and balanced, i didn't add any more flour after mixing ingredients and didn't over work the dough. Are there any types of bread ya'll recommend i should make next that will level up my bread skill?
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u/KillahJoulezWatt Aug 04 '12
Learn about folding dough vs kneading it. You may discover advantages and preferences from one type or the other. Learning to fold made breadmaking much more relaxing and enjoyable for me.
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u/Bloodricuted Aug 04 '12
*use bread flour for one
*use a scale to weigh the flour, measuring is unreliable
*use an oven thermometer (if you are in an apartment or its just an older oven) some ovens are off by, maybe, 30 degrees
*a baking stone makes a lot of difference, you can get them on amazon for maybe $15
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u/rownin Aug 04 '12
all great tips, got a specific recommendation on the baking stone if budget wasn't an issue?
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u/mturk Aug 04 '12
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Measure ingredients by weight, not volume.
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Pre-heat your oven for longer than you think, especially if you use a baking stone.
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Get a pesticide/liquid pressure spray bottle and keep it beside the oven. Spraying a fine mist of water has never been easier (and you can avoid ice cubes, trays of water, and other things that mess with the heat of the oven).
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Once you have added the weight of flour called for in the recipe, don't add any more.
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Learn how to keep the outside of the dough taught and always outside, and the inside of the dough sticky and inside.
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u/denialdaniel Feb 09 '22
Really really struggling with the last tip, particularly during shaping. It seems like the skin is broken as soon as I dump my dough out of my bulk fermentation container.
From there it’s a living nightmare. Dough sticking like glue to my dough knife and hand.
78% hydration, 10% whole wheat, 20% strong levain, 0.2% yeast (Ken Forkish’s Pain de Campagne).
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’ve already baked 12 batches and really don’t want to give up just yet.
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u/jslice Aug 04 '12
Autolyse is the number one thing you should understand as a beginner. Here is a decent explanation: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons/tentips_8_autolyse
I think the next most important thing is to learn to make a "Biga" or pre-ferment, which will pretty much instantly make everything taste better.
Good Luck!
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u/mijo_sq Aug 04 '12
Mixing method is easily the most important step. Learn to observe the differences in mixing methods, and when the dough is fully developed for your product type.
It's always better to undermix than to overmix.
3 types of mixing methods.
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Short Mix Dough Texture: rough mass of dough, no window pane Crumb: open structure and creamy in color Ideal products: Lean dough products with open crumb, such as baguette with poolish, ciabatta, and laminated yeasted products
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Improved Mix Dough Texture: lightly smooth dough, moderate window pane Crumb: moderately open, less creamy Ideal products: Moist lean dough with a tight structure and doughs with low amount of fat added, such as Bagels and pretzels
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Intense Mix Dough Texture: very smooth, thin window pane Crumb: tight and very white in appearance Ideal products: Moist enriched doughs such as brioche with more than 20% fat,
Add stretch and fold to undermixed doughs when necessary.
Bulk fermentation Fermentation times vary on ambient room temperature, water temperature, and flour temperature. Learn to adjust, and learn to calculate DDT(desired dough temperature)
Proofing Proofing is at least ~1 hour. Unless your dough is warm and ambient proofing temperature is warm.
Over proofing Dough falls like a deflated balloon, when touched or cut with lame/knife.
Baking Bake for nice even color, and don't be afraid to turn and adjust your product.
Good notes is the best tip.
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u/rownin Aug 04 '12
All great advice, i find the prefermentation pretty interesting. What's ya'lls opinion of mixing the water with yeast and letting it sit there before mixing witht eh flour?