Bread baking was once considered one of the most basic cooking skills. Now, thanks to bakeries on every corner, it isn’t as crucial. But that is actually a shame since homemade bread somehow always tastes better than the one that was mass produced.
If you are thinking about giving bread baking a chance, here are some hacks you’ll want to add to your cooking portfolio.
Parchment Paper
This simple hack will greatly improve your overall bread baking experience. Line your pan with parchment paper and bake the bread this way. This will prevent sticking and leave you with a perfect loaf.
Quick Room Temperature Adjustment
As you probably know, all the ingredients need to be at room temperature if you want to have a good dough. One way to achieve this is to wait, and another one is to use quick temperature adjustment hacks. If you need to bring butter to room temperature, simply heat the stick with a wrap still on in a microwave for about 10 seconds. You can also use the microwave for milk and cream, while eggs can be brought to room temperature by being submerged to warm water for several minutes.
Proofing Check
Sure, you can correctly determine whether the proofing of the dough is finished by just looking at it, but this isn’t always a reliable method. A better one is to flour your finger a bit and then gently press the dough. If the resulting dent recovers quickly, the dough still needs to rise a bit. If it’s slow to recover, you are good to go.
