Tips For Baking Better Breads

Here are some tips from Manhattan baker and cookbook author Jim Fobel for better bread baking:

Be conservative when adding flour. Too much can stiffen dough, producing a tough, dry bread.

Short on time? Make bread in two stages: Mix dough the night before you plan to bake bread. Put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, if the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and put it back in the refrigerator. That evening, shape the dough, let it rise at room temperature in a warm kitchen and then bake.

To hasten rising, warm the air in the kitchen by boiling water or turning on the oven.