5. Learn the Visual Components of Dough
There’s nothing worse than baking a loaf of bread, only to have it flop or fail to rise. Pulling a soft, sticky mess from the oven when you were expecting a delicious loaf of bread, is a huge disappointment, and a big waste of time. Watching a few YouTube videos on how to make the dough, is the best way to ensure this never happens to you.
You need to understand the visual elements of bread dough before you take on the task of making your own. While experience is everything, the more effort you put into understanding the science of mixing, the better.
Following a recipe is part of the process. However, there are other variables at play as well. The room temperature and humidity play a role as well. Learning how your dough should look after you’re finished kneading is crucial. If you don’t use enough flour, the bread collapses during the rise. If you use too much flour, then the baked bread becomes too dense. Your final mix after kneading must be springy and smooth, without sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl.