Oh yes you do and oh no you don’t
and you know it Baker!
Click here for the NL-version of this post
Surprised you don’t seem to get the baking results you are aiming for? Take a look at our list. Did you take all these things into account or did you just wing it?
We often see home bakers experiment in all kinds of TV competitions all over the world, sometimes with excellent results, sometimes ending in small disasters. Trying stuff out can be good for all kinds of reasons. But if you are onto something good, don’t you want to be able to repeat it? And if something goes wrong, don’t you want to avoid it and understand what went wrong?
Time to be honest with yourself and give your loaves just that little bit more time and attention with these tips!
Top 10 Baking Mistakes
- You do not stick to the recipe and make substitutions and changes when you try a recipe for the first time and without knowing what the effect will be.
- You do not weigh your ingredients carefully.
- You do not read the entire recipe before you start baking.
- You do not know the workings of your oven or your true oven temperature.
- You do not know the temperature of your dough and tend to under-proof.
- You are using poor quality ingredients and / or products that are past their sell by date or not properly stored (think yeast and flour! Also see comments below).
- You are not giving your project 100% undivided attention. You decide to leave your baking mid process because you suddenly remember ‘you have to go shopping’!
- You are not handling your dough like you should, either are too rough or too gentle with it, not developing it properly!
- You keep skipping from one recipe to the next, even though you were not satisfied with your result, you do not give it a second try.
- You think you will remember what you did wrong last time, or what you should change…but you do not! So write it down!
Check out our best bread baking tips that really can help you improve!
Stephen Smedlund says
Good tips. I love your website and have learned a lot. When making bread I make a habit of taking detailed notes each time I bake a loaf of sourdough bread. Afterwards I rate how it turned out and make notes as to what I may have done wrong and what to try the next time.
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you Stephen, for sharing your experience. We found our baking improved a lot by making notes and also rating bakes. It all helps toward better results and even more important, good results makes you want to bake more 🙂
Enjoy your baking journey!
Luis says
I’ll save and apply these tips to my next DIY baking. Thank you.
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you for finding it useful Luis. Over the years we found that the most practical learning and acquiring of skills came from repeating a recipe over and over, making notes and just baking a lot.
Enjoy your baking!
Barbara Horn says
Best flour to use I’m making sour dough bread. I’m a novice!
I have a starter I purchased, this is day 1. I’m excited but want to use best ingredients possible.
Regards
Barbara
Andrew Langham-Clarkson says
The link to handling dough doesnt work
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you, it is fixed!
Julia says
I would echo Joseph’s comment, but would also add that checking your yeast is still good doesn’t just mean reading the “best before” date on the packet. The packets of dried yeast I buy last for many months unopened and don’t have any advice about how long to keep once opened, but I’ve learned the hard way that it doesn’t work well after it’s been open for more than a few weeks. Now I buy small sachets so I can open a fresh one ever week or two. My mum had the same problem.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Julia,
That is such excellent advice that every baker should take to heart. We shall enhance the ‘mistake’ text with it.
Thank you for sharing and wishing you many wonderful and rewarding bakes.
Greetings from Holland,
Ed & Marieke
WKB
Joseph Falcone Sr. says
Great Bread Tips. One more tip…
Check your yeast before you use it in a recipe. Make sure it hasn’t expired.
Do a yeast test to see if it OK.
It’s the fuel that makes your bread rise. Without good yeast your knowledge & hard work will be in vain.
Remember…BREAD MAKING IS AN ART FORM.
Joseph Falcone Sr.
Desert Hot Springs, CA. 92240. USA
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you for sharing Joseph, much appreciated.
joe s says
These are great tips. I cannot emphasize the importance of weighing your ingredients!!! And avoid recipes that give volumetric measurements … or convert to weight. There are websites that specialize in conversion.
Follow the same recipe and repeat, repeat, repeat until you get it right is also a great tip!! You will learn nothing about bread making by hopping from one recipe to another.
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you Joe, we truly feel passionate about these things, because we know from experience what a difference it makes to the end result!
Enjoy your baking
James Shanley says
Ouch! I’ve broken all 10 Commandments of Good Bread. Looks like its straight to Wonderbread Hell for me.
Oh, well. I’ll have lots of company.
Weekend Bakers says
We think all will be forgiven and there can still be some heavenly bread for you too!