Here at Harvest & Nourish, I’m very passionate about baking bread. Understanding the simple steps and techniques of artisan bread making will have you baking consistently perfect loaves every time. In this series, you’ll learn The Best Way to Measure Your Ingredients, How to Work With High-Hydration Doughs and Why Overnight Cold Proofs Are a Game Changer. Get ready to make your best no-knead artisan breads.

Artisan Bread Basics Series

Bread making is about more than a recipe. It is a process that is flexible, adaptable and creative and there are no fixed rules. Some of my favourite bakers and authors are still learning and continuing to evolve as part of this never-ending journey. Each time, with every loaf, we get better and better.

The three things I wish everyone knew before attempting any recipe

1. Measure ingredients with a digital scale

The easiest ingredient to measure incorrectly is flour. Without even realizing it, you can end up measuring out up to 50% more flour than called for.

If you aren’t measuring your flour, water, yeast and salt (and any add-ins) with a digital scale, that is the first change you need to make.

The one I use is highly rated and reasonably priced, and it really is a foolproof way to ensure your ingredient measurements are correct.

You can read more about how to measure flour using a digital scale (and the best alternative) here.

2. Use the correct baking pans

Dark metal pans heat faster contributing to a better rise and crispy, browned edges for things like cakes, pies and bread.

Quick breads made with fruit are best baked in a glass loaf pan like this one. They take a little longer to cook to the centre and benefit from the slower heat conductivity of a glass baking pan. If you don’t have one, you can always tent your loaf with foil. This will help prevent the top and outer edges from over-baking.

I recommend using light colored aluminum pans for just about everything else. Dark metal pans can dry out the edges of your desserts, often before the center can cook through.

For best results, follow the equipment, bake time and temperature guides indicated in the recipe cards.

3. Recipes will not turn out the same if you make substitutions

Here at Harvest & Nourish, we highly recommend making all recipes exactly as written (unless medically necessary). If substitutions have been successfully tested, you will see it written in the blog post or recipe notes. If you do decide to substitute an ingredient(s), just know the final result won’t be the same in terms of texture, flavour and/or appearance.

FAQ’s

When a recipe calls for bread flour, it’s best to use bread flour. However, many of my recipes have been tested successfully with alternative flours, including all-purpose, whole wheat, whole grain and good quality gluten free flour blends. Results will vary in terms of colour, texture and appearance. You can read more about flour substitutions here.

As noted above, many of my recipes have been tested with 1:1 gluten free flour blends and readers have also reported making them with success. You should, however, expect slightly different results.

Yes, bearing in mind that the consistency of your starter can affect the texture. Using the ingredient measurements as a guide, start by substituting ½ cup starter then reduce water by ¼ cup and flour by ½ cup to compensate.

No-knead artisan breads are made with high-hydration doughs. The dough will stick to your hands and to the sides of the bowl. This is good! Rest assured that once you turn it out onto a floured surface and begin to shape it, it will begin to take on the shape and appearance of a loaf pretty quickly. You can read more about working with high-hydration doughs, tips and trouble-shooting here.

Yes, you can bake it once the dough has doubled in volume. I do highly recommend the added step of cold proofing the dough for a better result. You will achieve a better rise, richer colour and flavour, and the dough will be easier to handle for shaping and scoring, too. You can read more about the benefits of cold proofing here.