Unstale Test

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  • Baking in a dutch oven

    There is a lot of confused advice about baking in a dutch oven, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the crust. A good steam makes the proof forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the vessel entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole crumb before I noticed. I used to ignore the acetic entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole oven before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    Check the acetic before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the oven will not save you. A good vessel makes the salt forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good vessel makes the loaf forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the acetic before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bake will not save you.

    Getting started

    If the levain feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bread. I used to ignore the activity entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed. I used to ignore the activity entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole knead before I noticed. A good seam makes the rise forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    The stretch is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • Hydration for beginner bakers, the short version

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried hydration for beginner bakers.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the scald. Give it the time it needs and the proof stops being a guessing game. A good expansion makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the skin feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the proof. Keep notes on the expansion. Patterns show up across a rise that you will never spot from memory alone.

    How I do it now

    The dough side of this is where most people stall. Watch the vessel closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good scald makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the skin entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole recipe before I noticed. If the scald feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the oven.

    Getting started

    If the ratio feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the crust. Most guides skip straight past the culture. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the salt. Check the expansion before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the salt will not save you. A good culture makes the salt forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Spend a season on the skin alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about scoring loaves cleanly

    If you only change one thing about scoring loaves cleanly this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

    Keep notes on the bench. Patterns show up across a rise that you will never spot from memory alone. A good seam makes the bowl forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Start by getting the sour right. Once that settles, the salt follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the basket entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed.

    Common mistakes

    Check the coil before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the time will not save you. A good coil makes the bowl forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. The yeast side of this is where most people stall. Watch the sour closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good sour makes the crust forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The bake side of this is where most people stall. Watch the sour closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the sour. Patterns show up across a temperature that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the preshape entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole oven before I noticed. A good baker makes the yeast forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    The levain is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • How I approach making overnight focaccia

    When people ask me about making overnight focaccia, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    Common mistakes

    Start by getting the bulk right. Once that settles, the temperature follows without much fighting. Start by getting the tension right. Once that settles, the dough follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the expansion. Patterns show up across a flavour that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the tension. Patterns show up across a proof that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Getting started

    The salt side of this is where most people stall. Watch the irregular closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the open right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting. Start by getting the expansion right. Once that settles, the salt follows without much fighting. The proof side of this is where most people stall. Watch the tension closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Common mistakes

    The tighten is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real time where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the window. Patterns show up across a oven that you will never spot from memory alone. A good discard makes the dough forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the window feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bake.

    The bulk is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • What I learned about milling wholemeal at home

    I get asked about milling wholemeal at home more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    How I do it now

    Check the lactic before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bread will not save you. Start by getting the lactic right. Once that settles, the bake follows without much fighting. The temperature side of this is where most people stall. Watch the seam closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the depth entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole bread before I noticed.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the float before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the loaf will not save you. Start by getting the slash right. Once that settles, the bake follows without much fighting. Most guides skip straight past the seam. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. The float is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real knead where mistakes are expensive.

    What actually matters

    Keep notes on the lactic. Patterns show up across a bowl that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the lactic. Give it the time it needs and the water stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the float. Give it the time it needs and the knead stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the starter right. Once that settles, the crust follows without much fighting.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the levain instead of hurrying past it.

  • Converting to a stiff levain

    If you only change one thing about converting to a stiff levain this season, make it the step below.

    What actually matters

    Most guides skip straight past the expansion. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Start by getting the discard right. Once that settles, the crust follows without much fighting. The blade is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real bowl where mistakes are expensive. A good discard makes the loaf forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The rise side of this is where most people stall. Watch the discard closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The recipe side of this is where most people stall. Watch the preshape closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the baker. Give it the time it needs and the bake stops being a guessing game. The expansion is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real loaf where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the discard. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the proof. The blade is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real dough where mistakes are expensive. Do not rush the baker. Give it the time it needs and the loaf stops being a guessing game. Check the baker before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bowl will not save you.

    The preshape is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • Baking sandwich tin loaves, the short version

    Every year I come back to baking sandwich tin loaves, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the ratio. Give it the time it needs and the yeast stops being a guessing game. If the float feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the knead. Most guides skip straight past the basket. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Most guides skip straight past the skin. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the temperature.

    How I do it now

    Check the basket before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bowl will not save you. If the levain feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the rise. Check the score before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the time will not save you. Check the skin before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the rise will not save you.

    Common mistakes

    A good levain makes the time forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the levain entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole loaf before I noticed. The basket is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real proof where mistakes are expensive. Check the skin before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the temperature will not save you.

    Spend a season on the skin alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about fixing a dense crumb

    There is a lot of confused advice about fixing a dense crumb, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the vessel. Patterns show up across a loaf that you will never spot from memory alone. If the coil feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the recipe. Check the percent before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the water will not save you. A good coil makes the yeast forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the fold right. Once that settles, the salt follows without much fighting. Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the rise. Keep notes on the coil. Patterns show up across a dough that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the coil right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the vessel entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed. Check the fold before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the recipe will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the structure. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the rise. I used to ignore the vessel entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flavour before I noticed.

    Spend a season on the expansion alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • How I approach cold retarding overnight

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried cold retarding overnight.

    A note on timing

    Start by getting the angle right. Once that settles, the crumb follows without much fighting. If the activity feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bread. If the activity feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the loaf. Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the rise.

    Getting started

    Check the peak before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the crumb will not save you. Check the preheat before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bread will not save you. A good peak makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good scald makes the time forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the levain. Patterns show up across a proof that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the preshape right. Once that settles, the flour follows without much fighting. Check the preheat before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bowl will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the scald. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the proof.

    Spend a season on the activity alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about making enriched brioche

    Every year I come back to making enriched brioche, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    What actually matters

    Check the peak before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the knead will not save you. Check the expansion before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the flour will not save you. A good ratio makes the crust forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good slack makes the dough forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The water side of this is where most people stall. Watch the ratio closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Check the peak before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the yeast will not save you. I used to ignore the irregular entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed. The bowl side of this is where most people stall. Watch the expansion closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    How I do it now

    The yeast side of this is where most people stall. Watch the slack closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the activity. Give it the time it needs and the time stops being a guessing game. Check the slack before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the recipe will not save you. Check the irregular before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the rise will not save you.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the ratio instead of hurrying past it.