Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RDN, has been a dietitian for more than 20 years and a culinary instructor for 15. She is the coauthor of Instant Pot Cookbook For Dummies and Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies, and contributes frequently to Taste of Home magazine. Wendy also conducts cooking demonstrations at various events and on television.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Bread Making 5

Chapter 1: Understanding the Basics of Bread Making 7

Donning Your Lab Coat: The Science of Bread 7

Gluten 8

Yeast 8

Salt 8

Heat 8

Taking the Guesswork out of Baking Bread 9

Chapter 2: Digging into the Ingredients 11

Focusing on Flour 11

Looking At Everything Else 15

Chapter 3: Mastering Basic Bread-Making Techniques 19

Following Six Steps to Making Great Bread 19

Step 1: Measuring your ingredients 20

Step 2: Mixing the dough 20

Step 3: Letting it rise 20

Step 4: Punching and shaping the dough 22

Step 5: Proofing the dough 22

Step 6: Baking 22

Storing Bread 24

Chapter 4: Uncovering the Secrets of Sourdough 25

Growing a Starter 26

Day 1 27

Day 2 27

Day 3 29

Days 4 through 11 30

Caring for a Starter 31

Forming Your Dough 34

Step 1: Autolyzing 35

Step 2: Adding salt 35

Step 3: Bulk fermenting 36

Step 4: Shaping 37

Step 5: Cold proofing or second rise 37

Step 6: Scoring 39

Step 7: Baking 39

Step 8: Cooling 40

Chapter 5: Stocking Your Kitchen 41

Loading Up on the Tools of the Trade 41

Must-have tools 42

Optional tools 43

Stocking Your Kitchen 44

Dry goods 44

Refrigerated items 46

Fresh produce 47

Part 2: Baking Scrumptious Breads 49

Chapter 6: Bread Basics 51

Chapter 7: Sourdough Breads 73

Chapter 8: Savory Breads 89

Chapter 9: Shaped Breads 111

Chapter 10: Going Global 133

Chapter 11: Sweet Treats 159

Chapter 12: Hearty Stuffed Breads 181

Chapter 13: Sourdough Discard Recipes 199

Chapter 14: Dip It, Spread It, Top It 215

Part 3: The Part of Tens 229

Chapter 15: Ten Tips for Successful Bread Making 231

Use a Digital Scale 231

Use a Digital Thermometer 232

Use a Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook 232

Use the Right Flour 232

Use Less Flour 233

Pay Attention to the Weather 233

Use High-Quality Baking Pans 235

Experiment with Flours 235

Don’t Skip the Salt 235

Play with Different Baking Techniques 236

Chapter 16: Ten (Or So) Common Sourdough Questions 237

Why is My Bread Gummy? 237

Why is My Loaf Flat? 238

How Do I Know if My Starter is Ready? 238

What Do I Do If My Dough is Too Sticky to Handle? 238

How Do I Tighten the Dough after Bulk Rising? 239

Why is My Loaf So Dense? 239

How Do I Get Those Fancy “Ears” or Lifts in the Crust of My Sourdough? 240

Why is My Bread Dense with Giant Holes? 240

Why Does My Bread Keep Burning on the Bottom? 240

Chapter 17: Ten Trendy Sandwiches 241

Sweet Potato and Arugula 241

Mighty Mediterranean 242

Chicken and Pesto 242

Indian Spiced 243

California Club 244

Scandinavian Style 244

Greek Yogurt Tuna Sandwiches 245

Lamb Burgers 245

Spicy Shrimp 246

Breakfast Sandwich 247

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Upcycle Stale Bread 249

Sweet and Savory Bread Crumbs 250

Crunchy Croutons 250

Breakfast Strata 251

Panzanella 251

French Toast Casserole 252

Tropical Bread Pudding 253

Spinat Knödel (Spinach Bread Dumplings) 254

Summery Bruschetta 254

Savory Stuffing 255

Part 4: Appendixes 257

Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 259

Appendix B: Grain Mill Guide 263

Appendix C: Glossary 265

Index 267

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