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.
THE HOME BAKING NOTEBOOK
Baking notebook
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.
Baking Skills
Divide soft dough with a bench scraper before reaching for more flour
Portion sticky bread dough with a bench scraper while preserving its intended texture, and learn when extra flour actually helps.
Pastry Skills
Make a Baking-Paper Piping Cone That Holds Its Shape
Fold a small parchment piping cone, secure its seam, and test the opening before decorating a cake or biscuit.
Baking Skills
Baker’s Percentages Make Flour the Starting Point, Not the Total
Learn baker’s percentages with a small dough example, then scale flour, water and other ingredients without confusing hydration with total dough weight.
Bread Workshop
A Proofing Basket Shapes the Loaf Before It Reaches the Oven
Learn what a proofing basket contributes to bread shaping, how to prepare its surface and why the basket normally stays out of the oven.
Baking Technique
Resting Cookie Dough Changes the Baking Schedule as Well as the Texture
Plan a cookie-dough rest without losing track of portion size, storage or the starting temperature specified by your recipe.