Baking Bread at Home Part 3 Useful Tools
In this short post I would like to share some of the tools which I find useful when baking.
As mentioned in my previous blogpost, there are 4 main types of steps in breadmaking: Mixing, Kneading, Proofing and Baking. So I have categorised the tools used in each step below.
1. Mixing
In this part we will be weighing out the flours and measuring out the salt, honey, yeast, water etc. So definitely a small weighing balance and measuring cups / spoons will be helpful.
For mixing you will need a bowl and spatula. Any bowl will do but usually stainless steel bowls are good and easy to clean. A spatula is slightly more useful compared to using a spoon or fork as it can help you get the flour / mixtures sticking to the sides of the bowls better. The rubbery sides adhere better to the bowl and gives a cleaner scrape, which means less wastage!
2. Kneading
The fun part! After mixing your ingredients together it is time to knead the dough. Not all of us are blessed with big kitchen tops where we can just dump the flour on the surface, so here a baking mat would be helpful. I find that I can use it without worrying about the dirt on the table. It is soft and foldable, so it saves space and is easy to wash.
I also discovered a way to dust flour on the surface or dough, to prevent it sticking. Using a tea strainer! It's really cool and gives just the right amount, a light dusting of flour. Also we don't have to touch the flour packet with our sticky hands.
Also, to keep track of time (more like to tell us 'time's up! can stop kneading now') it is helpful to get a kitchen timer.
3. Proofing
Proofing, there is nothing much to do here, except wait. So I put the dough in a warm place for an hour or so, until it doubles in size. Could be useful to place a damp, clean kitchen cloth over the dough to keep the moisture in.
4. Baking
Finally after 2 proofs, the dough is ready to be baked into bread. Of course, at this point we will need baking trays lined with baking paper. I prefer to use non-stick darker coloured trays as they transmit the heat better.
Also, whatever oven you are using, I find it is important to get an oven thermometer. Even though the oven dial indicates the temperature, we should at least check when the right temperature is reached and the oven is hot enough to start baking. Making this into a habit gives consistent outcomes.
Last but not least, when the baking is done, it is time to cool the bread. Some may like to use a cooling rack, but for me I just use one of the unused oven racks and place it on top of a clean tray.
So armed with the right tools, I wish everyone all the best in their baking journeys!
Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.
As mentioned in my previous blogpost, there are 4 main types of steps in breadmaking: Mixing, Kneading, Proofing and Baking. So I have categorised the tools used in each step below.
1. Mixing
In this part we will be weighing out the flours and measuring out the salt, honey, yeast, water etc. So definitely a small weighing balance and measuring cups / spoons will be helpful.
For mixing you will need a bowl and spatula. Any bowl will do but usually stainless steel bowls are good and easy to clean. A spatula is slightly more useful compared to using a spoon or fork as it can help you get the flour / mixtures sticking to the sides of the bowls better. The rubbery sides adhere better to the bowl and gives a cleaner scrape, which means less wastage!
2. Kneading
The fun part! After mixing your ingredients together it is time to knead the dough. Not all of us are blessed with big kitchen tops where we can just dump the flour on the surface, so here a baking mat would be helpful. I find that I can use it without worrying about the dirt on the table. It is soft and foldable, so it saves space and is easy to wash.
I also discovered a way to dust flour on the surface or dough, to prevent it sticking. Using a tea strainer! It's really cool and gives just the right amount, a light dusting of flour. Also we don't have to touch the flour packet with our sticky hands.
Also, to keep track of time (more like to tell us 'time's up! can stop kneading now') it is helpful to get a kitchen timer.
3. Proofing
Proofing, there is nothing much to do here, except wait. So I put the dough in a warm place for an hour or so, until it doubles in size. Could be useful to place a damp, clean kitchen cloth over the dough to keep the moisture in.
4. Baking
Finally after 2 proofs, the dough is ready to be baked into bread. Of course, at this point we will need baking trays lined with baking paper. I prefer to use non-stick darker coloured trays as they transmit the heat better.
Also, whatever oven you are using, I find it is important to get an oven thermometer. Even though the oven dial indicates the temperature, we should at least check when the right temperature is reached and the oven is hot enough to start baking. Making this into a habit gives consistent outcomes.
Last but not least, when the baking is done, it is time to cool the bread. Some may like to use a cooling rack, but for me I just use one of the unused oven racks and place it on top of a clean tray.
So armed with the right tools, I wish everyone all the best in their baking journeys!
Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.
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