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Introduction
If you’ve recently found yourself curious about bread making, you’re not alone! The age-old ritual of mixing flour, water, and yeast to create a delicious loaf of bread is growing in popularity.
And it’s not surprising. Bread is part of the soul. In fact, some scientists believe bread making has been around for 30,000 years. From flatbreads to loaves, bread can easily be considered the most widely consumed food on Earth. Every culture has some type of bread as a staple in their diet.
You no longer need to pound grains between rocks to yield flour, but bread making still requires a bit more effort than going to a store and simply buying a loaf. Bread making is a labor of love, and the smell of hot bread fresh from the oven is just one of the many rewards of making your own. With this book as your guide, you’ll be reaping the rewards in no time!
About This Book
Think of this book as your own personal bread-making coach! You start by getting familiar with some of the science behind bread making. Don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz and you don’t have to memorize any technical terms or formulas, but understanding how just a few ingredients combine to make a delicious loaf of bread is important. I explain which flours and types of yeast are used to make different kinds of bread, and I show you some bread-making techniques that will come in handy. Finally, I help you stock your kitchen for your bread-making adventure, before offering more than 85 recipes to choose from.
This book is a reference, which means you don’t have to read it from beginning to end and you don’t have to commit it to memory. Instead, you can dip into these pages over and over again to find the information you need. The Table of Contents and Index will point you in the right direction.
Sidebars (text in gray boxes) and anything marked with the Technical Stuff icon (more on that later) can be skipped without missing the main point of the subject at hand.
Here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of the recipes in this book:
Read each recipe from top to bottom before you make your grocery list to ensure you have all the ingredients you need.
In the ingredients list, milk means whole milk and butter means unsalted butter; all-purpose flour means white, unbleached, all-purpose flour; and warm water means water between 100 and 110 degrees (it should feel warm to the touch, but not hot).
A “floured surface” is generally ½ cup of all-purpose flour on a flat surface. You can add more or less flour based on the stickiness of the dough. (If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour to the surface; if the dough is dryer, add a little less flour to the surface.)
If your house is cool or drafty, consider allowing the dough to rise in a cold oven with the light on. Cover the dough bowl with a tea towel, place it in a cold oven, and turn on the oven light. (Be sure to leave a note on the oven, so no one accidentally heats the oven with the dough inside!)
You can use either fresh or dried herbs. For easy substitution, just keep in mind that 1 teaspoon of dried is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of fresh.
Pay special attention to the techniques called for, whether hand kneading or using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Technique affects the end result, so be sure to follow the recipe.
If possible, use a scale to measure the ingredients instead of relying on measuring cups and spoons. Bread making is a science, and the more precise you can be with your measurements, the better.
Any recipes that are vegetarian are marked with the tomato icon () in the Recipes in This Book and the Recipes in This Chapter lists. (Most of the recipes in this book are, not surprisingly, vegetarian!)
The recipes in this book include information on how long you can store the bread. If you can’t use the bread in the recommended timeframe, you can always place all or part of a loaf in a resealable plastic, freezer-safe bag and store it in the freezer for later use. To defrost, remove from the freezer and let the breads return to room temperature in the freezer bag, or place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Toasting bread is also a great way to defrost without the wait.
Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print an want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.
Foolish Assumptions
In writing this book, I made a few assumptions about you, the reader:
You’ve tasted homemade or bakery-style bread and you know what you’re aiming to achieve.
You have basic knowledge of cooking, baking, and measuring.
You’re patient — bread making definitely is not a quick process!
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout the book, you’ll icons in the margin. Here’s what each icon means:
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes tips on how to form a round roll, the benefits of sourdough bread, and a bread baker’s schedule you can follow if you like. To get