Baking Equipment
A baking stone and a steel transfer heat at different speeds
Understand why a pizza steel can brown the base faster than a baking stone, and how to compare them without changing every part of your bake.
THE HOME BAKING NOTEBOOK
Baking notebook
Baking Methods
Biscotti become crisp in two bakes, with a careful slice between them
Learn what each biscotti bake does, how to slice the log cleanly, and how to judge the cooled texture without over-browning the biscuits.
Baking Methods
Why rye dough asks for a different kind of handling
Sticky rye dough does not behave like white bread dough. Read the flour mix first, then adjust your expectations before adding extra flour or kneading longer.
Bread skills
Baking a square sandwich loaf in a Pullman tin
A Pullman tin makes a square sandwich loaf, but the lid changes the space available for rising. Match the recipe, pan size and final proof before baking.
Bread skills
A three-strand bread braid starts with even ropes
Shape a neater three-strand bread braid by balancing the dough ropes, relaxing tight dough and leaving room for the loaf to rise.
Bread Workshop
Why bagels take a short trip through water before the oven
Understand what boiling contributes to a bagel’s crust, how to organise the water bath, and which observations help you improve the next batch.
Pastry workshop
Hot-water crust pastry is shaped while it is still workable
Hot-water crust behaves differently from chilled pastry. Prepare the mould first, then shape a test piece while the dough is comfortably workable.
Bread skills
Shape a round loaf by building surface tension before the final proof
Learn what surface tension does when shaping a round loaf, how bench flour affects grip, and what to notice before the dough starts tearing.
Bread Workshop
Build a bread-making schedule around the poolish, not just the final dough
Plan a poolish bread bake around preferment maturity, ingredient accounting and a workable mixing schedule, with signs to observe in the bowl.