Project / Bread Baking
I’ve been curious about homemade bread for a while- I love fresh bread but feel super guilty when I have to throw away a stale half of a baguette. I knew there had to be a better way.
Baking is a bit intimidating to me, as my mom didn’t bake much so I was never really exposed to it, but I’m trying my best to become a baker. I found this great book on baking artisan bread that is so well written, beautifully designed and seemingly fool-proof. It features delicious breads that can be made easily with instant yeast and cold fermentation (putting dough in your fridge overnight). It has lots of step by step photos which are super helpful.
I’ve made pizza dough and now french bread, and its been so fun and rewarding I can’t wait to make more. Like anything worth doing it does take a bit of a time commitment, but knowing you made the bread you’re biting into just makes it that much more delicious.
Resources
I enjoy having an actual book to obsess over while I’m cooking:
Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day: Fast and Easy Recipes for World-Class Breads
(note the videos by the author, those are a great help)
For most recipes you only need some baking flour, instant yeast, water and salt, maybe some olive oil. A baking stone is helpful, but not required, baking pans work just fine.
I don’t even have a mixer with a paddle, so I do all the mixing by hand.
