Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Bread Making 5
Chapter 1: Understanding the Basics of Bread Making 7
Donning Your Lab Coat: The Science of Bread 7
Gluten 8
Yeast 8
Salt 8
Heat 8
Taking the Guesswork out of Baking Bread 9
Chapter 2: Digging into the Ingredients 11
Focusing on Flour 11
Looking At Everything Else 15
Chapter 3: Mastering Basic Bread-Making Techniques 19
Following Six Steps to Making Great Bread 19
Step 1: Measuring your ingredients 20
Step 2: Mixing the dough 20
Step 3: Letting it rise 20
Step 4: Punching and shaping the dough 22
Step 5: Proofing the dough 22
Step 6: Baking 22
Storing Bread 24
Chapter 4: Uncovering the Secrets of Sourdough 25
Growing a Starter 26
Day 1 27
Day 2 27
Day 3 29
Days 4 through 11 30
Caring for a Starter 31
Forming Your Dough 34
Step 1: Autolyzing 35
Step 2: Adding salt 35
Step 3: Bulk fermenting 36
Step 4: Shaping 37
Step 5: Cold proofing or second rise 37
Step 6: Scoring 39
Step 7: Baking 39
Step 8: Cooling 40
Chapter 5: Stocking Your Kitchen 41
Loading Up on the Tools of the Trade 41
Must-have tools 42
Optional tools 43
Stocking Your Kitchen 44
Dry goods 44
Refrigerated items 46
Fresh produce 47
Part 2: Baking Scrumptious Breads 49
Chapter 6: Bread Basics 51
Chapter 7: Sourdough Breads 73
Chapter 8: Savory Breads 89
Chapter 9: Shaped Breads 111
Chapter 10: Going Global 133
Chapter 11: Sweet Treats 159
Chapter 12: Hearty Stuffed Breads 181
Chapter 13: Sourdough Discard Recipes 199
Chapter 14: Dip It, Spread It, Top It 215
Part 3: The Part of Tens 229
Chapter 15: Ten Tips for Successful Bread Making 231
Use a Digital Scale 231
Use a Digital Thermometer 232
Use a Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook 232
Use the Right Flour 232
Use Less Flour 233
Pay Attention to the Weather 233
Use High-Quality Baking Pans 235
Experiment with Flours 235
Don’t Skip the Salt 235
Play with Different Baking Techniques 236
Chapter 16: Ten (Or So) Common Sourdough Questions 237
Why is My Bread Gummy? 237
Why is My Loaf Flat? 238
How Do I Know if My Starter is Ready? 238
What Do I Do If My Dough is Too Sticky to Handle? 238
How Do I Tighten the Dough after Bulk Rising? 239
Why is My Loaf So Dense? 239
How Do I Get Those Fancy “Ears” or Lifts in the Crust of My Sourdough? 240
Why is My Bread Dense with Giant Holes? 240
Why Does My Bread Keep Burning on the Bottom? 240
Chapter 17: Ten Trendy Sandwiches 241
Sweet Potato and Arugula 241
Mighty Mediterranean 242
Chicken and Pesto 242
Indian Spiced 243
California Club 244
Scandinavian Style 244
Greek Yogurt Tuna Sandwiches 245
Lamb Burgers 245
Spicy Shrimp 246
Breakfast Sandwich 247
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Upcycle Stale Bread 249
Sweet and Savory Bread Crumbs 250
Crunchy Croutons 250
Breakfast Strata 251
Panzanella 251
French Toast Casserole 252
Tropical Bread Pudding 253
Spinat Knodel (Spinach Bread Dumplings) 254
Summery Bruschetta 254
Savory Stuffing 255
Part 4: Appendixes 257
Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 259
Appendix B: Grain Mill Guide 263
Appendix C: Glossary 265
Index 267
