ingredients. Then you knead the dough until it is smooth and can be stretched without breaking.
Sponge method: The sponge method has two stages. First, you mix together the yeast, the liquid, and part of the flour and allow it to rise. When the dough has doubled in size, you add the remaining flour and ingredients and knead the dough. The sponge method is often used with denser flours that absorb more water, such as whole-wheat flour. The sponge method allows the flour to hydrate before it’s mixed more, allowing for a lighter, airier product in the end.
Step 3: Letting it rise
You’re starting to smell the flavors of your bread taking shape. But don’t get impatient and pop the dough into the oven too soon! You need to let the dough fully rise and ferment first.
HOW TO KNEAD DOUGH
Most of the recipes in the book specify an exact time to use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and at what level. But it’s still important to know how to knead dough by hand. Follow these steps to knead dough:
1 Form the dough into a ball.
2 Pat the dough into a flatter ball.
3 Lift the part of the dough that is closest to you, and fold it over the top.Use the heal or palm of your hand to push the dough down into the rounded dough (see the nearby figure).
4 Turn the dough a quarter turn to the left, and repeat Step 3.Keep repeating until the dough is smooth and has elasticity. If the dough is sticky, coat your hands and dust the dough with a little flour before continuing to knead.
Generally, when you use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, you can knead dough in 5 to 10 minutes. By hand, the same process can take 10 to 15 minutes — but kneading is a great form of exercise!
As the yeast feeds on the sugars in the bread, they release gas. The gas is captured in the gluten matrix (see Chapter 1), and the dough rises. Fermentation, or rising, is complete when the dough has doubled in size. The length of time it takes varies based on the type of flour, the amount of yeast, and the temperature.
Step 4: Punching and shaping the dough
When the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to use a dough scraper and place the dough onto a floured surface. You don’t literally need to punch the dough — instead, you gently fold it down to redistribute the gas throughout the dough. If you do this too many times, you may end up with a flat baked product, so be gentle to your dough. Folding over one or two times should be enough.
After the dough has been folded over, it’s time to shape the dough. Whether you’re making rolls, baguettes, or loaves, there’s technique involved. The recipes in this book describe the shaping in detail so you’ll end up with the best results.
Step 5: Proofing the dough
After you’ve shaped the dough, it’s time for a final rising, referred to as proofing. Some ovens are equipped with a bread proofing setting, which is a slightly warmer temperature than a standard home (usually between 80 and 115 degrees). For each recipe, the length of proofing required is different, but usually it’s anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
Step 6: Baking
Now you’ve come to the fun part! Depending on the recipe, you may brush the bread with an egg wash for a golden glaze or top the dough with seeds. Some recipes even have you score the dough, or mark it with a serrated knife or bread lame (a scoring knife that looks similar to a box cutter or razor). Regardless of what the recipe calls for, just be gentle and make sure not to deflate your gorgeous creation before baking.
When you place the dough into a hot oven, you’ll see a quick, initial rise, often referred to as oven spring. This is when the gases from the yeast get trapped in the matrix of gluten, allowing the bread to rise and hold its form.
When is your bread done? Instead of thumping the loaf and playing a guessing game, use an instant-read thermometer. For a typical loaf of white or wheat bread, the goal is 190 to 210 degrees. For a bread that’s rich in fat or egg based, like challah, aim for 180 to 190 degrees.
BEYOND THE OVEN
Not every bread is baked. Some breads are steamed, cooked in a skillet, or even boiled. Here’s a guide to each of these techniques and when and why they’re used:
Steaming: A crispy bread crust is often the result of moisture inside the oven while baking. To achieve this effect, some recipes have you place a cast-iron or oven-safe pan at the bottom of your oven or on the bottom rack while the oven is heating up. Then, to create steam, after the oven has completely heated, you place your bread pan on the middle rack of the oven and pour 1 to 2 cups of water into the empty pan you heated at the bottom of the oven or on the bottom rack. When you close the oven door, the water will create a steam bath for the bread as it begins to bake.Another steaming method is to mist the bread loaf with water before placing the pan into the oven and then misting again several times during baking. However, this approach isn’t without risk: The temperature may drop every time the oven door is opened, which could negatively impact your bake.
Skillet cooking: English muffins aren’t actually baked in an oven. Instead, they’re cooked in a skillet. Another yeast bread that can be cooked on the stovetop is flatbread.
Boiling: Bagels are the only breads in this book that get a prebake dip in boiling water. This boiling technique gives the bagel its signature chewy crust, and because you add honey to the mix, it helps give bagels their golden crust, too. Yum!