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A Baker’s Dozen—13 Tips for the Best Breads

1.

GET FRESH.

Most of the breads in this book use chemical leavening (baking soda or baking powder) for lift, with a few yeasty exceptions.

Like other pantry items, chemical leaveners don’t keep their freshness indefinitely.

Mark a newly opened container of leavener with the date and discard it after 6 months.

Yeast lasts 4 months when stored in the freezer.

2.

FAT IS WHERE THE FLAVOR IS.

Fat gives quick baked goods a lot of flavor, so splurge a little; you’ll taste the difference.

I use European-style cultured butter, fancy extra-virgin olive oil, and artisan cheeses for the recipes in the book.

You should, too.

3.

MAKE YOUR OWN BUTTERMILK.

The acidity in buttermilk helps activate baking powder and baking soda, which is why it’s included in many recipes in this book.

Buttermilk also lends bread tenderness and a tasty tang, but it’s not something most of us have around all the time.

To make your own faux buttermilk, mix 1 cup [240 ml] milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

Use immediately.

4.

FREEZE WHOLE-GRAIN FLOURS.

I use white whole-wheat flour and other whole-grain flours quite a bit in this book, for both flavor and fiber.

Whole-grain flour is made from grinding the entire grain, including the high-fat germ.

These fats can go rancid at room temperature and give baked goods an off flavor.

That’s why I keep my whole-grain flours in airtight containers in the freezer.

They last up to 6 months.

5.

WEIGH DRY INGREDIENTS.

Measuring by volume with measuring cups is very inaccurate—1 cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 5 to 7 oz [140 to 200 g], depending on how you put the flour in the cup and how aerated the flour is.

For the best results, get a basic digital scale with a gram setting.

Weighing is not only more accurate but also faster, and it dirties fewer dishes!

A scale in the kitchen is handy for weighing vegetables and meats, too.

6.

WORK LEFT TO RIGHT.

The best pastry chef I know assembles all the ingredients to the left of the mixing bowl before she starts.

As she adds each ingredient, she puts the ingredient down on the right side of the bowl.

That way, she never wonders whether she remembered the salt, baking powder, or ci

7.