Craving fresh-baked bread?
The 2020 pandemic has highlighted our love of bread, especially when it was nowhere to be found! Bread making took center stage for many of us stuck at home and craving comfort food. Fresh baked bread definitely soothes the soul. As it should, bread baking has been a tradition for thousands of years and across all continents. Bread Making For Dummies explores the science behind the art of bread making and our cultural connection to wild and commercial yeasts. Break out your kitchen scale and favorite wholesome grains and join us on the journey, from classic German Pretzels (Brezeln) to warm Salted Pecan Rolls to Rustic Sourdough.
Popular culinary author and dietician Wendy Jo Peterson has your foolproof loaf, flatbread, and roll needs covered. If you want to really start from scratch and culture your own yeast—no problem! She’ll also let you in on the secrets of the fashionable no-knead and sourdough recipes that have been drawing chefs’ kisses of discerning delight from bread-aficionados for the past decade.
- Discover the tools and ingredients needed in bread making
- Grow your own sourdough starter
- Form savory or sweet loaves
- Stuff breads for a complete meal
- Boost the nutritional quality of breads with wholesome ingredients, like nuts, seeds, and old-world grains
Whether you’re a nervous newbie or a seasoned, floury-aproned baker, Bread Making For Dummies is the beginning of a delicious, doughy adventure—so get your butter knife ready and discover just how easy and extra-tasty home bread-making can be!
Table of Contents:
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 Knödel (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
About the Author :
Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RDN, has been a dietitian for more than 20 years and a culinary instructor for 15. She is the coauthor of Instant Pot Cookbook For Dummies and Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies, and contributes frequently to Taste of Home magazine. Wendy also conducts cooking demonstrations at various events and on television.
