Bread Making For Dummies

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.