Tips
A few words about equipment:
A large bowl gives you plenty of room in which to mix your bread, and to let it rise. Plus, it just speaks of the promise of plenty.
A bench knife is a bread maker's best tool. With it, you can scoop up chopped ingredients, cut dough into pieces, manipulate a soft dough until it's workable, and scrape clean a shaggy, floury counter.
An instant-read thermometer can tell you what a bread's interior temperature is, giving you greater assurance that it's fully baked.
An oil spritzer is nice for coating your proofing bowls.
A box cutter with replaceable single-edge blades is great for slashing the tops of loaves.
A few words about technique:
Most of these recipes call for first proofing the yeast to make sure it's active. If it doesn't get foamy within 5 minutes, start over with fresh yeast.
Yeast that's labeled Rapid-Rise or Bread Machine yeast is just like regular active dry yeast, except that it doesn't need to be re-hydrated, or proofed, which saves a step. Just mix it in with the flour, using a smidgen less than the amount of active dry yeast called for.
When slashing the top of a loaf before baking, it's important to get the right angle. It's not a deep cut, but a shallow slit. One tip: Say the word, "slit,'' each time you move the blade. It just seems to help.
Preheat your oven for a good half-hour before you put in your loaves.
You can get a tighter shape to boules and batards if you use as little flour as possible on the counter when forming them.
Many of these breads will benefit from an initial bit of steam when they first hit the heat. An easy way to get some of steam's benefits is to lightly spritz your loaf with water just before placing it in the oven.
A few words about weights and measures:
When measuring flour by the cup, fluff it with a scoop before lightly spooning it into a measuring cup. If you can weigh your ingredients, one cup of flour -- white or whole wheat -- weighs 4.5 ounces. Frankly, some cookbooks will disagree by a half-ounce or so. So use the weight as a guide and pay attention to how your dough feels, whether too dry or too moist, and add either a smidge more flour or a drizzle more of liquid.
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