This section has recipes for breads – rustic Italian breads, French breads, Sourdough breads, Sandwich breads, Sweet breads, Pizza dough, Buns, Rolls – and, basically, anything made with yeast or a starter.

With any recipe it’s important to read them through before beginning, and use your best judgment when making them. If a recipe states you should have a soft dough and you’re dealing with a brick, slowly add some water. If it says it should be pulling away from the bowl and yours looks like plaster of paris, slowly add flour.

Recipes just can’t take in every variable there is… age and moisture content of flour, humidity, kitchen temperature, temperature of all the ingredients, and the relative hardness or softness of your water can really play havoc with bread. Water that is too hard toughens the gluten structure and screws up fermentation. Water that is too soft does the opposite and creates soft, sticky dough.

The only real solution is to bake lots of bread and learn by touch and feel what a good dough should be!

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