Your Guide to Bread Baking

Bread baking may look intimidating, but once you understand how dough behaves, it becomes second nature. Every loaf, no matter how fancy, starts with the same basic process: mixing, kneading, fermenting, and baking.

This section introduces the core steps and ingredients so you can move confidently from your first loaf to more complex breads.

🥖 Introduction to Bread Baking

There’s something deeply satisfying about baking a loaf of bread from scratch. With just a few basic ingredients, flour, water, yeast, and salt, you can transform a simple dough into something warm, fragrant, and uniquely your own.

Whether you’re kneading your first loaf or refining your shaping technique, this guide will walk you through the process from start to finish. We’ll look at what makes a dough behave the way it does, the steps that build structure and flavor, and how to adjust for your own kitchen and schedule.

If you’re new to bread baking, start here. Once you’re familiar with the basics, you can explore the many bread styles below, from everyday sandwich loaves to rich, buttery brioche and rustic flatbreads.

If you love the flavor of natural fermentation, visit my Sourdough Baking Guide for recipes made with starter. Otherwise, dive in below and explore the many ways to turn flour, water, and yeast into something extraordinary.

Common Bread Baking Terms

When you start baking bread, you’ll run into a lot of words that sound similar but mean slightly different things. Here’s a quick glossary to help you follow recipes with confidence.

• Autolyse – A resting period after flour and water are mixed (before adding yeast or salt). It allows the flour to hydrate and the gluten to start developing on its own, making the dough easier to handle later.
• Gluten – A protein found in wheat flour that becomes active when it comes in contact with water. As the dough is kneaded, gluten becomes stretchy and elastic, allowing it to trap the gases released during fermentation. That elasticity is what gives bread its structure and chew.
• Bulk Fermentation – The first rise of the dough, when the yeast begins producing gas and flavor. This step builds both structure and taste.
• Proof / Proofing – The final rise after the dough has been shaped. Proofing gives the loaf its volume before baking and determines how light the crumb will be.
• Fermentation – The overall process of yeast feeding on sugars and releasing carbon dioxide and alcohol. Fermentation happens during both the bulk rise and proofing stages.
• Hydration – The ratio of water to flour in a dough, usually shown as a percentage. Higher hydration doughs are wetter and make breads with a more open crumb.
• Kneading – The process of working the dough to develop gluten, the network that gives bread its structure and chew. I almost always use a stand mixer for this step, but you can also build gluten through stretch-and-folds or hand kneading.
• Windowpane Test – A simple way to check if gluten is developed. Stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers; if it forms a thin, translucent “window” without tearing, it’s ready.
• Scoring – Slashing the top of the dough just before baking. Scoring controls how the bread expands in the oven and can also add a decorative touch.
• Oven Spring – The final burst of rise that happens in the oven as the dough heats up and gases expand before the crust sets.
• Crumb – The interior texture of the bread, open and irregular in artisan loaves, fine and even in sandwich bread.

Understanding Bread Dough Basics

All bread doughs share the same foundation: flour, water, yeast, and salt. The way those ingredients interact determines everything from the crumb’s texture to the crust’s color.

• Flour provides the gluten structure. Higher-protein flours make chewier breads; lower-protein flours yield a softer crumb.
• Water hydrates the flour, activates the gluten and controls texture. A wetter dough gives you a more open crumb; a drier dough makes a denser loaf.
• Yeast gives bread its rise and flavor through fermentation.
• Salt strengthens the gluten and balances the flavor.

You can think of bread recipes as variations on this simple formula. Enriched doughs include butter, eggs, or milk for tenderness; lean doughs stay simple and crusty. Once you understand how each ingredient behaves, you can adjust any recipe to your taste or baking style.

🧑‍🍳 Essential Bread Baking Techniques

The best way to become confident with bread dough is to understand what’s happening at each stage of the process. Every technique below builds structure and flavor in a different way:

• Mixing & Kneading: Kneading develops the gluten network that gives bread its chew and structure. You can knead by hand, with a mixer, or use stretch-and-fold methods.
• Fermentation: This is where yeast does its work, producing gas and flavor. Learn to recognize when dough has doubled, and how temperature and time affect fermentation.
• Shaping, Rising & Scoring: Proper shaping creates surface tension for a good rise, and scoring controls how the loaf expands in the oven.
• Baking & Cooling: Steam, temperature, and timing all affect crust color and texture. Always let bread cool completely before slicing to set the crumb.

I’m working on detailed step-by-step tutorials for each technique, with photos and pro tips to guide you along the way. Those pages will be added soon, so check back here or subscribe to my newsletter for updates.

⚙️ Troubleshooting Common Bread Issues

Every baker, no matter how experienced, has pulled a less-than-perfect loaf from the oven. The good news is that bread “mistakes” are usually easy to diagnose once you understand what’s going on in the dough.

Here are a few common problems and what they can tell you:

• Dense or heavy crumb: Often a sign of under-kneading, under-proofing, or not enough oven spring.
• Gummy interior: The bread may have been slightly under-baked or sliced before it cooled.
• Flat or deflated loaf: Usually over-proofing—when the dough has expanded beyond its strength.
• Pale crust: Check oven temperature or steam; a little sugar or milk in the dough can also help color.

Use this section as a quick reference, then visit the detailed technique and ingredient pages for more help. You’ll soon start to recognize the small cues that tell you what your dough needs.

🍞 Explore Bread Recipes

Now that you understand the principles behind a great loaf, it’s time to bake. Below you’ll find collections that show the full range of what you can create—from simple everyday breads to rich, sweet bakes and international styles.

Each group includes recipes that share a similar dough or technique, so you can build skills as you bake:

• Classic Sandwich Breads – Soft, dependable loaves perfect for slicing.
• Enriched Breads – Brioche, challah, and other tender, buttery styles.
• Breakfast Breads & Sweet Yeast Bakes – Cinnamon rolls, babka, and other morning indulgences.
• Rolls & Dinner Breads – Individual portions that make any meal special.
• Crackers & Crisps – Super thin bread that bakes up crunchy and crisp.
• Flatbreads & International Styles – Focaccia, pita, naan, and more from around the world.

Start with a style you love, and you’ll quickly see how the same dough principles apply across all of them.

🌾 Looking for Sourdough?

Because sourdough behaves differently, it deserves its own deep dive. Head over to the [Sourdough Guide →] to learn how to maintain your starter, time your bulk fermentation, and bake loaves with that signature tang and crackling crust.

❓ FAQ

Even with experience, bread dough can still surprise you. The answers below cover the questions I’m asked most often—about mixers, proofing, flour choices, and storage. Keep this section handy as a quick reference while you bake, and follow the links if you’d like a deeper look at each topic.

📌 Bookmark this page to return to any time you want to bake a fresh loaf.
💌 Sign up for my newsletter to get newest recipes and tutorials delivered straight to your inbox.
📸 And don’t forget to share your beautiful breads with me on social media — I love seeing what you bake!