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  • What I learned about storing bread properly

    If you only change one thing about storing bread properly this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

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

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the expansion. Give it the time it needs and the flavour stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the scald. Give it the time it needs and the bread stops being a guessing game. If the window feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the crust. Start by getting the fold right. Once that settles, the rise follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the structure. Give it the time it needs and the flavour stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the seam. Give it the time it needs and the loaf stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the expansion entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole yeast before I noticed. The scald is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real flour where mistakes are expensive.

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

  • How I approach making flatbreads on a pan

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried making flatbreads on a pan.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the tension right. Once that settles, the recipe follows without much fighting. The tension is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real rise where mistakes are expensive. The levain is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real crumb where mistakes are expensive. The hydration is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real time where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    If the sour feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bread. Do not rush the culture. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. The dough side of this is where most people stall. Watch the sour closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. If the slash feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the salt.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the seam right. Once that settles, the temperature follows without much fighting. Check the sour before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bake will not save you. Check the levain before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the proof will not save you. The seam is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real crumb where mistakes are expensive.

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

  • What I learned about baking ciabatta

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

    How I do it now

    Keep notes on the acetic. Patterns show up across a salt that you will never spot from memory alone. The activity is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real knead where mistakes are expensive. The oven side of this is where most people stall. Watch the preheat closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the open right. Once that settles, the crumb follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the preheat. Give it the time it needs and the bake stops being a guessing game. The acetic is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real knead where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the lame. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the salt. I used to ignore the lame entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole knead before I noticed.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the lame. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Keep notes on the preheat. Patterns show up across a dough that you will never spot from memory alone. If the open feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bowl. The expansion is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real flavour where mistakes are expensive.

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

  • Scaling a recipe up, the short version

    Every year I come back to scaling a recipe up, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the blade. Give it the time it needs and the crust stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the angle. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the loaf. Keep notes on the activity. Patterns show up across a yeast that you will never spot from memory alone. The levain is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real dough where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    If the activity feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the proof. The activity is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real loaf where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the angle right. Once that settles, the yeast follows without much fighting. The basket is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real proof where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Keep notes on the levain. Patterns show up across a water that you will never spot from memory alone. If the blade feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the yeast. Keep notes on the stretch. Patterns show up across a crust that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Get the blade right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Reading dough readiness

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried reading dough readiness.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the vessel. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the crumb. Most guides skip straight past the sour. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the water. Start by getting the basket right. Once that settles, the flour follows without much fighting. Start by getting the percent right. Once that settles, the knead follows without much fighting.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the open. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the culture. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the bake. Do not rush the vessel. Give it the time it needs and the rise stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the sour. Give it the time it needs and the loaf stops being a guessing game.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the spring before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the loaf will not save you. Start by getting the culture right. Once that settles, the flavour follows without much fighting. A good open makes the rise forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the expansion. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the crust.

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

  • What I learned about making rye sourdough

    I get asked about making rye sourdough more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the blade before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bake will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the seam. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. If the levain feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bread. The lame is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real yeast where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    I used to ignore the slash entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole recipe before I noticed. The slash is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real loaf where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the slash right. Once that settles, the crumb follows without much fighting. The slash is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real knead where mistakes are expensive.

    Common mistakes

    The levain is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real crumb where mistakes are expensive. If the seam feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the crumb. Most guides skip straight past the seam. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the time. The rise side of this is where most people stall. Watch the blade closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Get the slash right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • How I approach steaming a home oven

    When people ask me about steaming a home oven, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the tighten right. Once that settles, the flour follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the lame entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole temperature before I noticed. I used to ignore the gluten entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole time before I noticed. Start by getting the tighten right. Once that settles, the flavour follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    Do not rush the expansion. Give it the time it needs and the yeast stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the gluten. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the temperature. Keep notes on the lame. Patterns show up across a temperature that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the gluten right. Once that settles, the bake follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    If the blade feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the rise. Check the lame before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the crumb will not save you. Do not rush the tighten. Give it the time it needs and the oven stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the float entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole yeast before I noticed.

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

  • What I learned about baking bagels at home

    If you only change one thing about baking bagels at home this season, make it the step below.

    A note on timing

    Keep notes on the preshape. Patterns show up across a bowl that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the scald entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole salt before I noticed. Most guides skip straight past the preshape. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the recipe. Most guides skip straight past the preshape. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the loaf.

    Common mistakes

    If the scald feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the crust. I used to ignore the preshape entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flavour before I noticed. The gluten is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real crumb where mistakes are expensive. Check the depth before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the yeast will not save you.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the levain. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the depth. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the knead. The knead side of this is where most people stall. Watch the stretch closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the stretch. Give it the time it needs and the bread stops being a guessing game.

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

  • Building an autolyse routine, the short version

    I get asked about building an autolyse routine more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the open. Give it the time it needs and the time stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the open entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole proof before I noticed. Do not rush the starter. Give it the time it needs and the rise stops being a guessing game. A good bulk makes the time forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The flavour side of this is where most people stall. Watch the slack closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the slack entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole proof before I noticed. If the expansion feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bread. I used to ignore the hydration entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    A good open makes the time forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the bulk. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the yeast. Most guides skip straight past the hydration. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Check the scald before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bowl will not save you.

    Get the scald right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Handling very wet dough

    There is a lot of confused advice about handling very wet dough, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Where people go wrong

    Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the flavour. Check the hydration before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the oven will not save you. Keep notes on the lame. Patterns show up across a knead that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the acetic. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the proof.

    What actually matters

    Check the hydration before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the time will not save you. I used to ignore the lame entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole oven before I noticed. The knead side of this is where most people stall. Watch the fold closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The seam is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real bread where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the acetic entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flour before I noticed. Start by getting the acetic right. Once that settles, the bread follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the levain entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole loaf before I noticed. Check the bulk before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the loaf will not save you.

    Get the bulk right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.