The Library
Articles
Science-backed guides on sourdough, technique, equipment, and the craft — cross-referenced across five authoritative sources.
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Technique
How to Make a Poolish: Recipe, Ratio, and Timing
A poolish is the simplest pre-ferment: equal flour and water plus a pinch of yeast, 12-16 hours. The exact ratio, how to tell when it's ready, and three recipes that put it to work.
Sourdough
Same-Day Sourdough Bread (No Overnight Wait)
A complete schedule for baking sourdough bread in a single day — from morning leaven build to fresh bread by dinner. Based on Robertson's warm-fermentation method.
Styles
Spelt Bread Guide: Hydration, Mixing, and Ferment Rules
Spelt makes great bread if you adjust your technique — lower hydration, gentler mixing, and shorter fermentation. Full method plus a 100% spelt country loaf.
Styles
Pita Bread at Home: The Pocket-Puff Technique
Homemade pita with perfect pocket formation. A lean dough, a 500°F oven, and the steam-puff technique that inflates flat rounds in 60 seconds.
Styles
High-Protein Bread: What It Is and How to Bake It
What high-protein bread actually means, which flours deliver the most protein, and how to bake bread that maximizes protein without sacrificing texture.
Technique
Bread Crust Too Hard? Every Cause and How to Fix It
Diagnose why your bread crust is too hard, thick, or tough. Covers steam timing, oven temperature, baking duration, Dutch oven fixes, and storage.
Styles
Pain de Mie Recipe: The Perfect-Crumb Pullman Loaf
How to make pain de mie -- French sandwich bread baked in a lidded Pullman pan for an ultra-fine crumb, minimal crust, and perfectly rectangular slices.
Styles
Stollen Recipe: Traditional German Christmas Bread
How to make stollen from scratch -- rum-soaked fruit, enriched dough, butter dip, sugar coat, and the 2-4 week aging that makes it extraordinary.
Styles
Chocolate Babka Recipe: Twisted Layers of Rich Dough
How to make chocolate babka from scratch -- enriched dough, chocolate filling, shaping technique, and simple syrup soak for bakery-quality results.
Science
Salt in Bread: What It Does to Gluten, Fermentation, and Flavor
Salt strengthens gluten, controls fermentation rate, inhibits proteases, and enhances flavor. The full science of why 2% salt is the baker's standard.
Styles
Soft Pretzels Recipe: Chewy Homemade Pretzels
Chewy, golden-brown soft pretzels with a dark alkaline-bath crust. The shaping technique, baking soda vs. lye, and a recipe that works every time.
Sourdough
Sourdough Bread Too Sour? How to Control Acidity
Why your sourdough tastes too sour and how to fix it — lactic vs acetic acid, leaven timing, fermentation temperature, and hydration.
Technique
Why Bread Cracks on Top (And How to Fix It)
Bread cracking on top comes down to four causes: no scoring, under-proofing, too much surface tension, or oven issues. Diagnose and fix each one.
Styles
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls: Overnight Method
How to make sourdough cinnamon rolls with an overnight cold retard -- young leaven, enriched dough, and a weekend schedule.
Styles
Naan Bread at Home: Yogurt Dough, Skillet-Charred
Stovetop naan with yogurt-enriched dough, high-heat skillet cooking, and garlic butter finish. Plus the science of flatbread baking.