Bread Recipes

To ensure your yeast is alive and can leaven bread, proof it: mix with warm water around 105–115 °F (40–46 °C) and add a pinch of sugar. If it becomes foamy and bubbly within a few minutes, it’s still good. No foam usually means the yeast is dead or the water temperature was off. 

Use a heavy-gauge Dutch oven and position it away from the oven’s hottest bottom area. If a thick bottom crust still forms, place a layer of aluminum foil underneath the dough before baking to create a buffer. 

Common causes include underbaking or using too hot an oven. To fix it, verify your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer and bake until the internal temperature reaches roughly 190°F, or until tapping the loaf produces a hollow sound. 

In order to bake a perfect bread, you must have all the required tools. The main tools that are needed include: Bench scraper, Bowl scraper, bread knife, Dutch oven, cooling rack, jars or containers, kitchen towels, a scale, etc. There are multiple others as well. 

For crusty breads (like artisan loaves), store them loosely in paper to preserve the crust. For soft breads, wrap them in airtight plastic. Both types freeze well, wrap tightly before freezing, and thaw at room temperature.