Don’t make this one mistake when baking your bread
Bake Off is back! Like me, you might be enjoying watching the contestants whip up their baked creations in the tent of dreams. And this week it's Bread Week, my favourite week. Who can forget the beautifully detailed bread lion made during Series 6? I can't wait to...
How to make your sourdough rise faster (or slow it down if needed)
So you'd like to bake sourdough bread but you've heard it can take several days to get from start to finish. Firstly, don't let that put you off if you're baking sourdough for the first time - most of the time you just leave the dough to do the work. But what if you...
How to start successfully baking sourdough bread – five top tips
So you've decided to start baking sourdough bread - excellent! You'll soon be baking some delicious bread using your own starter - which you can learn how to make using my free guide, downloadable here. Before you dive in to your first recipe, read on for my top five...
Five myths of sourdough baking that just aren’t true
Even its nickname – the ‘king’ of breads – can make sourdough sound like a mythical creature. One that takes up all your time in the kitchen and which requires a complex and demanding feeding schedule. And whilst it's true that there are some different stages...
Why do you love to bake bread at home?
A bread wreath from my Grandma's kitchen - now hanging in my kitchen Perhaps you recently started baking bread at home as you had a little more time. Or maybe, like me, you've loved to bake most of your life - I have happy memories of baking along in the kitchen (and...
Why do you need to add salt to your bread dough?
Salt plays an important role in your bread dough, but this is often overlooked as discussions focus on what the yeast is doing or which flour to use. So why do you need to add salt to your bread dough, how much should you add and can you reduce the amount of salt in...
Three quick and simple breads you can bake today
So you'd love to bake some delicious bread this weekend. But the sun is shining, you're busy around the house or you'd just like to have some downtime. Here's the solution - three quick and simple breads you can bake today. Follow along and you'll have delicious, warm...
Why your bread didn’t rise (even though you followed the recipe exactly)
You think you've found the perfect bread recipe. You have the flour, salt and yeast. You follow the steps of the recipe exactly as stated. Even leaving the dough in a warm environment for exactly one hour to rise, no more, no less. So why is it that you seem to have...
How to use banneton proofing baskets to rise your bread dough
Ever wondered how some bakers get that beautiful spiral pattern on top of their loaf? Or what to use to support a loaf when your dough is wetter and liable to spread whilst rising? Well a banneton, or proofing basket, is your answer. Scroll down to find out more about...
How long will your dough take to rise?
During one of my recent online bread making classes, a student asked what were the most common mistakes that people make when baking bread at home. And not leaving your dough to rise long enough is certainly one that comes up quite regularly. So how long should your...