{"id":13,"date":"2025-08-30T12:06:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T12:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thelonebakercom.local\/?p=11"},"modified":"2026-03-05T06:20:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T06:20:15","slug":"common-bread-baking-pitfalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelonebaker.com\/?p=13","title":{"rendered":"Common Bread Baking Pitfalls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I\u2019ve been baking bread long enough to know that the dough will always have its own ideas, no matter what the recipe promises. If you\u2019ve ever pulled a stubborn, flat loaf from the oven, well, join the club. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if dough\u2019s just here to teach us patience (and, every now and then, humility).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with a little confession: I used to think measuring flour was a quick flick of the cup and off you go. Oh, how wrong I was, a kitchen scale is your best friend, but if you don\u2019t have one (I managed for years with just spoons and hope), fluff up that flour first and level it gently\u2014no packing it down, no matter how tempting. Bread flour, with its heartier protein content, really does make a difference for a chewy crumb, but I promise, I\u2019ve managed plenty of decent loaves with plain old all-purpose on days I just couldn\u2019t face another trip to the shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, yeast. My goodness, yeast can be a little diva. If it\u2019s been lurking at the back of your pantry since last winter, do yourself a favour and check it\u2019s still lively. I like my water \u201cbaby bath\u201d warm, and having gone through my water filter<\/a> (germophobe, I can’t help it). And please, keep salt and yeast apart at the start; I have repeatedly ruined whole batches, costing $100’s, by letting them cosy up too early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kneading can be a workout\u2014good for the arms and, I suspect, the soul. Not enough and the dough sulks; too much and it turns into a stubborn brick. I always do the windowpane test: if you can stretch a bit of dough until light comes through without tearing, you\u2019re on the right track. If not, well, time to knead a little more (and maybe grumble a little, too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proofing\u2019s another old chestnut. On chilly mornings, my dough takes its sweet time, and I\u2019ve learned not to rush it. If you poke the dough and it slowly springs back, you\u2019re close. And don\u2019t be afraid to jot down what you did, what worked, what flopped, progressive overload is a term mostly used in the gym, but apply it to your baking. Trust me, I\u2019ve learned as much from my lopsided loaves as from my best ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a quick summary for the people like myself who cannot extract info from bulky paragraphs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n