Breads and Dutch Ovens

I love baking bread.

I love the smell, the taste, and the way a perfect loaf looks when coming out of the oven.

And then cutting that first slice - it's warm, crusty, and oh, so good!

I have baked bread for years, always trying to figure out how the science works. I worked as a baker at a local bakery for a few years, and while learning the trade, always wondered about questions such as:

- Why does yeast work the way it does?
- How does white flour work differently than wheat flour?
- What makes a softer bread?
- What makes a lighter loaf?
- What methods create a hard crust vs a sandwich-type loaf?


The answers to these questions are many, but the principles are simple, once you understand how ingredients work together.

I recently learned a new technique with hard-crusted artisan breads. My favorite here is a 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat (Kamut) recipe that has a crispy crust, tastes a bit nutty and has great flavor.

Take a look at this article about the now famous No Knead Bread method from Mark Bittman.

Follow that read up with this You Tube video that shows how to make the hard-crusted bread at home.

Hard Crust - No Knead Bread

And last (for now), I love to create awesome breads in a dutch oven - not the frozen rolls, thaw-'em-out-and-bake-'em type, but real yeast breads and rolls that are baked outdoors in a dutch oven over coals.

So here's to Great Bread, and great bread-making techniques.

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Cranberry Orange Glazed
Dutch Oven Rolls