To understand the art of baking is to understand that it’s all about precision with likely disappointment if an ingredient isn’t precisely measured or, even worse, forgotten- to which I have done both. Taste, texture and appearance matter. Several months ago, I took the plunge and jumped whole-heartedly into bread making along with, it seemed, everyone else in the world. I was driven not only by a desire to minimize trips to the grocery store to buy a beautiful artisan loaf but also by my desire to conquer my fear of bread making.
If you’ve been thinking about jumping into bread making my advice is to absolutely do it! Producing your own beautiful artisan loaves is surprisingly very satisfying. I’d like to help with some lessons I learned along the way:
- Use a great recipe. After much trial and error, I landed on “No-Knead Bread” by Mark Bittman. It’s simple and the thousands of on-line comments will help you navigate through every baking issue.
- Buy instant yeast by the jar, check the expiration date and keep it in the refrigerator after its open. I forgot to refrigerate mine and my bread ended up like a hockey puck.
- Any unbleached all-purpose flour will do but buy a lot of it. I also mix in a little spelt or rye or whole wheat to give the flavor a bit more depth.
- Invest in some tools that will make your baking life much easier and more successful. I’ve included the tools I find essential and that are easy to find, affordable and won’t occupy too much space in your kitchen.
- Above all, enjoy the process!
Below, are all of the tools I use while making bread. Each item is an investment and will last you for years down the road. I would love to hear about your tips & tricks or your favorite bread recipe in the comments!
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Pastry Mat
I love this mat. It rolls up tightly to fit in a cabinet or drawer, it provides a nonstick work surface and doesn’t move around on your counter or table when rolling out dough. You’ll end up using this mat frequently if you love to bake or cook- a great investment.
Dutch Oven
Cooking your bread in a dutch oven speeds baking time while providing the right moisture content for a perfect crust. Make sure that whichever dutch oven you choose, the handle on the lid can withstand a 450 degree oven. Either of these is a great choice and will last you a lifetime.
Bread Lame
Your dough needs to be scored just prior to baking to ensure it rises. This is the best bread scoring tool and it comes with a replaceable blade.
Danish Whisk
Useful multi-purpose whisk that really speeds up dough mixing. Its great for any mixing any dough or batter.
Digital Scale
I really don’t know how I ever baked without this scale. I set my dough bucket on it and add all the dry ingredients without using measuring cups. I’ve also converted my recipes to metric for the most accurate measuring.
Dough-Rising Bucket
You’ll not only mix your bread dough in this but your dough also rises in it. Its large enough for 2 loaves.
Dough Scraper
Get the dough out of your container easily and quickly. Also great for folding your dough without a mess.
Thermometer
Its waterproof and a must for ensuring your water is at the right temperature before adding it to the flour/yeast mixture.
Parchment Paper
Line your bowl with parchment for the dough’s second rise then lift paper and dough into the dutch oven for the bake. Since you preheat your oven with the dutch oven inside, this technique also reduces the chance of accidently burning yourself on the hot dutch oven when transferring the dough into it. The parchment also makes clean-up easy.
Bread Knife
Your beautiful artisan loaf needs a great serrated bread knife. No other knife will do.
