#idfk i wanna talk about bread so here we are. i want ppl making their own loaves its soo satisfying n rewarding n tasty

[inkmaze]

so honestly, if you want to get into making bread at home its honestly not that difficult, technically.

for example! i started making bread when i started flatting. i've been making loaves on and off for a few years now and have learned some basic tips, so figured i might as well share!

things i personally would recommend:

cheap kitchen scale, whatever you can find. i got mine for like $15nzd. this helps with accuracy! the amounts of flour/water/etc can change the texture/etc of the dough/bread in question, so getting it as close to the recipe as possible helps!

don't worry too much about kinds of flour (unless there's dietary requirements), reg flour, or bread or strong (what they're called can differ via country lol) all can work fine for bread. i think most of mine is used with reg flour tbh.

learn about the windowpane test- very simple! (can yt) while kneading, near the end you can test to check gluten development? idk much about it but its a very simple way to check! how much gluten is involved can change how the loaf traps air (which can determine how fluffy or dense a loaf is! (the amounts of water/flour involved in a recipe can also have an impact on fluffy/dense, which is why it's good to have a scale!)

bench scraper - i got one of these from a craft store? super helpful while you're kneading/etc, or else it can become a bit of a mess sometimes. just to get stuff off your hands/the bench

something to score the loaf! this is either a sharp knife, razor blade, exacto knifez etc. scoring helps shape the final loaf + gives it an area to expand with, otherwise it tends to be a little less predictable where it splits

dutch oven! for starters, this absolutely is NOT needed, but i love a thick crust, and this is good for those kinds of loaves! this title is a bit misleading b/c its one of those heavy pots that goes in ur oven. but you can also get this effect using some overturned loaf pans etc (eg one w the dough in it + one the same size over top to trap the initial steam, which in itself helps with w the crust iirc) or those big glass like oven safe stew things lol.

there's so many things that can effect breads end result. these include things like; temperature, the yeast/sourdough starter you're using, the amounts of liquid+water you put in, amount of kneading(gluten development), proofing times, etc. try not to be too put off if something doesn't come out as you were hoping, this is part of the journey of making things! there's always next time to try learn and improve <3

practice!!!! i have some pictures of my first loaves, vs some of my ones from like a year or two later, and there's such a stark difference, just from idle practicing. it's a skill like anything else! don't get disheartened when trying something new. especially with bread!

in closing. idk i love bread, if anyone has Q's or anything i can try help lol. i hope ppl can make loaves they're happy with and that are delish