Making bread is a great way to not only have fresh bread at home, but also to avoid overly processed bread and save money at the same time.
But if you have been trying to make your own bread and it isn’t turning out how you hoped, there are some very common mistakes you might be making.
Not Following Directions Exactly
One of the most common mistakes people make when making bread, especially for the first time, is not following the directions.
Bread should be considered an exact science, not something you experiment with.
You need to understand the proper bread-making process in order to do it correctly before you decide to make your own adjustments.
Some things that people often overlook when it comes to reading the directions, include:
- Using too much or too little sugar or salt
- Not weighing ingredients with an electric scale
- Not scoring the bread
Remember to read the directions multiple times not just before you start, but in the middle of the bread-making process.
Take each instruction seriously.
Not Covering Up the Dough
This is one of those bits of instructions on bread-making recipes that people can overlook, assuming it’s just a suggestion.
But covering up your dough is actually really important.
During each stage of your breadmaking, the recipe will probably ask you to cover it with a tea towel or kitchen towel.
This is to help keep air from ruining your dough!
You want to reduce air as much as possible simply by covering your dough with the towel.
You can also cover it in cling wrap, with a towel over it.
Using a Standing Mixer for Everything
We understand this is a bummer.
Your stand mixer is your best friend and really comes in handy when it comes to baking, but it isn’t going to be your friend if you are making bread from scratch.
From mixing ingredients to kneading your dough, it really should be done by hand for the best results.
Failing to Take Notes
As you begin making more bread, you might come across little tips that helped you along the way.
From how to remember to score your bread to the proofing time, these tips are going to help the next time you make your bread.
Make sure you take notes!
Making bread is a wonderful venture, whether you are going with a simple banana bread to a complex sourdough loaf.
It just takes attention to detail to get it right.
