10 Bread Baking Tips From Pro Bakers - part 1

These are the 10 most important tips I learned in my interviews from some of the best current bread bakers. Each of the interviews have been around 1.5 hours each and I condensed them down into a much shorter more digestible format for you. Most of the tips are for sourdough bread but also work for yeast based doughs.
Full interview with Karl: • Interview with Karl de...
Karl Insta: / the_sourdough_librarian
Full interview With Jim: • Meet the mastermind be...
Jim Insta: jimchall?h...
If you are interested in Jim's Bread Pan - please consider using this affiliate link: thbrco.io/dutch-oven-batards. Sank you!
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Below is a list of all the tools and flour that I am using. Some of the links contain an affiliate code, feel free to use them if you like my work. This way you support my dream to become a full time Breadmaker ❤️.
My tools:
Banneton proofing basket (25cm length, 15cm width, 8.5cm height): thbrco.io/banneton
Cooling rack: thbrco.io/cooling-rack
Digital kitchen scale: thbrco.io/kitchen-scale
Dough scraper: thbrco.io/dough-scraper
Dough scraper golden: thbrco.io/dough-scraper-gold
Dutch oven for batards (Challenger Bread Pan): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-batards
Dutch oven round (Lodge): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-round
Dutch oven with glas lid (Brovn) - (Coupon BREADCODE for 5% off): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-glas-lid
Infrared thermometer: thbrco.io/infared-meter
Loaf pan (30cm length x 12cm width x 9cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-regular
Loaf pan with lid (34cm length, 13cm width, 12cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-lid
No stick spray (vegetable based): thbrco.io/non-stick-spray
Ooni pizza oven: thbrco.io/ooni-pizza-oven
Oven gloves: thbrco.io/oven-gloves
Oven thermometer: thbrco.io/oven-thermometer
pH meter to check acidity (advanced): thbrco.io/ph-meter-advanced
pH meter to check acidity (basic): thbrco.io/ph-meter
Rolling pin (Coupon BREADCODE for 10% off): thbrco.io/rolling-pin
Scoring Knife Schnittholz Olive: thbrco.io/scoring-knife-schni...
Scoring Knife Zatoba Walnut (Coupon BREADCODE for 10% off): thbrco.io/scoring-knife-zatoba
The best bread knife (made in Germany): thbrco.io/bread-knife
Weck starter jars: thbrco.io/weck-jars
The flour that I am using:
Drax Mühle Manitoba flour 14% protein: thbrco.io/drax-flour
For ze Germans: Which flour in Germany?: thbrco.io/blog-flour
Mulino Padano Bread flour 15% protein (Coupon TheBreadCode for 5% off): thbrco.io/mulino-flour
Strong whole wheat flour (Coupon TheBreadCode for 5% off): thbrco.io/whole-wheat-flour
Baking merchandise:
All my custom designed shirts/hoodies: thbrco.io/bread-shirts-hoodies
Get some of my starter Bread Pit: thbrco.io/my-starter
Happy sourdough shirt: thbrco.io/happy-opencrumb-shirt
Neapolitan pizza shirt: thbrco.io/neapolitan-pizza-shirt
The perfect batard sourdough: thbrco.io/batard-shirt
Recommended videos:
Debaked ep. 1 - Pizza journey to Napoli: thbrco.io/debaked-napoli
Debaked ep. 2 - Journey to a flour mill: thbrco.io/debaked-flour-mill
Discard starter bread: thbrco.io/discard-starter-bread
Fermentation time table: thbrco.io/fermentation-time-t...
Make a sourdough starter: thbrco.io/make-sourdough-starter
Make your starter more active: thbrco.io/more-active-starter
Recommend sourdough bread recipe: thbrco.io/sourdough-recipe
Follow me on other platforms:
Discord: thbrco.io/discord
Github: thbrco.io/github
Instagram: thbrco.io/instagram
My blog: thbrco.io/blog
My website: thbrco.io/homepage
Reddit: thbrco.io/reddit
Subscribe to my newsletter: thbrco.io/newsletter
Telegram: thbrco.io/telegram
Tiktok: thbrco.io/tiktok
Twitch: thbrco.io/twitch
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:04 No more sticky dough
2:20 The best temperature for baking
5:15 Mastering the fermentation process
9:02 Using Ice Cubes for steam
10:22 Influencing your sourdough flavor
11:04 Blisters on your bread
13:25 The perfect sourdough starter
17:09 Making your starter more active
19:20 Mastering stretch and folds
20:30 The role of temperature
#bread #sourdough

[@alanhirschman1320]

This was a monumental work, and extremely informative. One of the problems of getting most of our information from You Tube is sifting through the chaff of long-winded videos that promise a lot and deliver very little. It seems that your scientific curiosity makes you very suited to these analyses, and using expert opinions increases the value of the video. Condensing the hours of video that you viewed is a tremendous service to your viewers and especially to your subscribers. Please continue to produce content like this. Thank you for your time and knowledge.

[@michaell4235]

Very much agree with your comment! Loved the condensed, information packed format.

[@NickBoyce]

This comment said it better than I could. It must be a huge effort to put these together but it’s very much appreciated!

[@em1860]

Couldn't agree more!

[@markascott1508]

Agree, really like this format thank you for producing it. I do have a query about Jim doing stretch and folds and then changing to a coil folds later, I always thought this was what we should not do?? Any comments please?

[@delineterocha4058]

@@michaell4235 me too! thank you!

[@menace46]

From my experiments, I found that the longer the bread is covered, the thicker the crust gets. For my sourdough bread, the optimal length of time to leave it covered is 16 minutes. That's when I reduce the temperature and remove the cover and continue baking for as long as it needs (usually for another 34 minutes). The result is a thin, crispy crust.

[@sheamarshman8280]

Yes please! More of these! I love how you sort of debunk myths and make it clear that sourdough is not about following some perfect formula. You give me so much confidence to experiment! 😃😎

[@FLY2KO]

your trusting these guys are right, I know you want to think they are the smart ones but truthfully do your homework on these people most are just home cooks not lifelong profession bakers duh.

[@mayyabie6108]

Great summary on important points. We want more videos like this one :)

[@HeedGodsWord]

Thank you, great info! To create steam in my Dutch oven, I crumple up parchment in a ball, wet it, then shake it out a tad, & flip my dough onto it. Then I set it into the Dutch oven & cover it quickly.

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@darinaboldizar7871]

@@HeedGodsWord , I do the same. It works wonderfully. I crumple the parchment paper in a bowl of water. Shake it a little and flip the dough on it.

[@ArizonaBorn1358]

@@HeedGodsWord I have been adding ice cubes to the oven. I will try technique this on next bake.

[@jimbothebimbo123]

Amazingly useful video!

[@tl_88]

Really like this format! It's hard to commit to the full interviews, but this lets me get the main info from all of them, and decide on who I'd like to hear all the way thorugh.

[@DariaVad]

that. was. awesome.

[@jorgenicolasmiranda5740]

nice kind of video summarizing a little bit of everything

[@nathanbenton2051]

this is reassuring and motivating in the sense that NO ONE has all the answers.

[@hormz7754]

Great job Hendrick, very useful video 👏👏👏👍🙏

[@ludmilashprits9208]

Amazing and super helpful video! Thanks Hendrick 👍🏻😊

[@maureenperez9999]

I like hearing from multiple successful bakers like these artisans. My only "wish" is that these pros could demonstrate what they are saying with a small piece of dough so struggling sourdough hobbyists like me can better understand with my EYES...rather than my ears. I need to see the process in action, and I do love your tutorials. Again...visual cues are extremely helpful. I also agree with a commenter below that Jim does appear to be intuitive when he makes bread. I have little "intuition." I liked what Jim had to say, but putting it into action, is harder. Starters are making me frustrated, and no matter what I do, what flour I use, they either take forever to "start", or maybe collapse without me seeing it...with no active bubbles. I've tried Whole Wheat, Spelt, Bread Flour, All Purpose, on multiple attempts and even White Whole wheat Flour, as a hybrid idea one time. I bought an expensive large crock to hold and feed the starter. Is that a problem? I keep my starter in the fridge and refresh it once a week if I don't bake. I "attempt" a bake twice a week with crummy results. I live in California in the USA. Our weather here right now on every single day is hot, then cold, AC on, AC off, in oven with light on or off, or on the counter in 85F conditions while trying to activate the starter. Still crappy starter is what I get, with not much rise. White flour starter sluggish. Wholegrain starter sluggish. Last night I made a wholewheat refresh of my starter to make sandwich bread today. I put it in a cold microwave, then the cold oven to try to stop the temperature fluctuations overnight. I autolysed the dough like you showed us in that video, woke up this morning, 10 hrs after to add starter and salt to the dough, and found non-active starter. I added more ww flour and equal water and stirred it and put it back in the now cold oven with the light on. I checked it three hours later, today. Crock was warm so I turned off the light and left it in the oven. Still no activity. I use the "float test," and it floats for an instant, then sinks to the bottom of the water. When I first started sourdough baking a couple of years ago with EINKORN FLOUR, my starters were very active and bubbly. Never had a problem with that starter. My problem with that idea was the lower gluten EINKORN FLOUR, which is extremely expensive and great for some people with Type Two Diabetes...like my husband has. But...the shaping has always been a problem for me and that flour was super sticky and difficult to work with. SO I STOPPED AND THREW OUT MY STARTER AND SHOVED MY BANNETONS INTO A CABINET. I can watch a million videos and mimic the shaping I see... with ZERO success. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM????????????????

[@johnh9754]

Excellent points......loved it!!

[@anandsood9689]

Excellent information provided about sourdough. Thank you so much. Need more such videos

[@Fedelia86]

Love it - great for all of us who can’t or don’t want to watch the full interviews, but still want the essential tips!

[@cg3434]

I love this format, direct answers of doubts we all have. Thank you!

[@stevewakefield5001]

Really appreciate your tips. These summary from interviews is really interesting! Enjoy your videos, keep up the great work!!

[@JesterMad777]

I'd say it's at this moment best video to take knowledge at your channel. Please, more! There is so much science in it!

[@MichaelRei99]

I would like to know how much time needs to be invested in keeping all of those starters properly maintained. That’s got to be a Herculean effort!! You are my favorite sourdough channel by far. I am fascinated by the chemistry and knowing the process. Thanks for this excellent video!!

[@vaazig]

This takes a lot of effort, but it seems like a lot of people appreciate it. I prefer the long interviews as I listen to them while doing other things such as walking the dog

[@MoPoppins]

I’m a new subbie, and I’ve watched about 4 or so of your videos, so far. They’re ALL interesting, so whatever format you choose, I’m cool with. 👍 Your sensibilities are solid, and you know what’s inherently useful & interesting to your audience.

[@roseconklin5392]

This is a great format. I have watched some of the interviews and they have too much information to absorb in such long sessions. Even a summary of key points at the end of each interview would be useful with the option of going to the full interview for elaboration of specific points. Thank you for this video!

[@doncressco]

Really a strong foundational video. Appreciate your efforts and present all this to us the lay folks. Danke dir.

[@citadine7203]

This was an extremely helpful video, answering many questions I had, especially such as how to get a less acidic/sour starter and bread.

[@andrelb3]

Anyone else always read online that the key to increasing the sourness of your bread was to a have a stiff starter? I've done a lot of research and this is the first time I have heard that a more liquid starter will get you more sour. Excited to try this as I have had issues getting my bread sour enough!

[@the_bread_code]

I think this is debatable 😅. For very sour bread ferment longer. I hope to make a video on the topic soon.

[@Nizaura]

Summary videos are great although please don't stop posting full interviews. It always nice to watch the full thing when there is time.

[@greys410]

You are such a sourdough nerd and I love everything about it :) Keep going!

[@amarijae]

More of these please! It has taught me more about sourdough in 30 mins than I’ve learned in 4 years. Thank you! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@tonys-travels-2023]

Fabulous really informative video. Perhaps the best I’ve seen on sour dough. More please. Great work, well done.

[@miguelitosamaca]

Great format man. Very helpful!

[@superphilschneider]

If you're interested, I can do some calculations to determine the max temp drop by adding ice cubes to the cast iron bread pan. My intuition suggests that it the temp drop would be quite small... and the pan would recover very quickly!

[@UniCorn-vq1xo]

Yes please 👏🏼

[@francescooke1141]

Good video format and hugely informative! I've really loved watching your interviews this year and you asked the things I want to know! Big fan of your channel, thank you!

[@ivansaavedramaufras9393]

Congratulations. Simply a wonderful video. Please keep on this format.

[@doloresfernandez5462]

Very informative and great format , thank you , look forward to more input .

[@richardkuhn8115]

Hendrik, loved the Format and your gluten buddies. Video full of good knowledge. Blessings!

[@bobbifosburg2210]

Yes, I just love this platform and how you are doing it. So helpful and informative.

[@toshirothelolman]

Awesome video. These guys really know what they are talking about - very interesting to listen to.

[@barrychambers4047]

I like listening to Karl, especially, he knows his science when it comes to sourdough, and he's interesting. Jim is a good baker, no doubt, but he's the type of baker that what he knows is probably more intuitive, so it's hard for him to be very definitive in his answers

[@MachielGroeneveld]

Agree, though it’s comforting that even a great baker is still experimenting and sometimes just gets lucky

[@fpvx3922]

This was awesome, definitely more of this.

[@ArizonaBorn1358]

I enjoyed this format. Especially after diving into articles written about and by Karl; as well as diving into Jim's Instagram and site for his Challenger bread pan. It's always nice to hear - and see - the "gurus".

[@mommared6713]

This has been so eye opening to me! Thank you so much!!!

[@enriquetanevares8247]

Fantastic video. Probably the most informative discussion I’ve watch! Thanks.

[@pav533]

This was sooo good. More of these please.

[@martincomesana6824]

I like this content a lot!

[@karenb3662]

This video has connected dots for me as a beginner sourdough baker. More like this would be so helpful. Thank you.

[@enriquetaaguilar5982]

Love this video, thank you. Starting to learn about making sourdough bread

[@skauen1344]

This is a great format 😊

[@Paultkach]

Well done! I just learned a valuable lesson. Use stiff starter. Use only 6-8 hours fermentation period. Mix stiff starter into the required amount of recipe water. Cool!!!

[@weaverl43]

Fascinating, some ideas that I’ve not heard before. Great idea having experts with different perspectives.

[@VionnaC5784]

Love this video very much, really help a lots in my sourdough journey. Thank you for your effort in making this kind of videos

[@gregorysakal8492]

I enjoyed the this format, as I don't always have the time to watch your longer videos that delve into more detail. You've referenced your othr videos, so that if there is a particular topic that piques my interest, I can easily follow up on it. So as always, thanks for your great work!

[@DaveOBrien]

This was good and very informative. Danke! I would certainly like to see more like this.

[@MicheleLaCagnina]

That was freaking fascinating. Love this format and I learned a lot.

Thank you so much for this, I’ve learned more than a course tbh. Keep em coming!

[@elhamhughes8981]

I learned a lot of very good and new information from this video. I really appreciate your detailed videos and all your experiments that you share. I must be a “bread geek” too.

[@echos_of_silence]

Really interesting format and helpful insights!

[@jacobheinz8236]

Great format! Keep it up, please!

[@sandriagutierrez2605]

Learned so much! Thank you!

[@craiginsd]

Outstanding content, mein Herr! Please do more like this, and I’m sure you can quickly expand your list of contributors.

[@ailanng811]

Very useful - major factors at one go without being overly long duration. Thanks much!

[@ninelaivz4334]

Amazing information. Thanks. It's a matter of remembering it all.

[@MikaHoppe]

Wasn't sure if you were German at first, even with that adorable Gluten Tag, but the "or?" at the end of some sentences sold me xD Super Video vielen Dank!

[@KitJBenn]

You guys have forgotten we live in a fast moving world!! You've done a great job in over complicating bread making. The trick is to keep things simple and respect the person watching!! Okay? Remember! Bread consists of: Water Flour Yeast Sugar/Honey Salt Time? Good Luck 👍 (been making bread for 25 years) I'm just a one trick pony 😁

[@calrndown]

I don't know anything about bread and this really opened up my brain. Pretty sure I only took like like 10% of the information. But def worth the watch. Thank you !

[@puripuribuns]

I rarely comment on videos but this format is very good. I have learned so much from this video. Thank you and keep up with the great work 🔥

[@adambroad3479]

Great video Hendrik. Love the science side.

[@ktyty1244]

Very good content, love it, would like to see more videos like this.

[@madisbacks1945]

Wow, just wow! This is extremely educational. In the end you're asking for what to improve: I think you should start an FAQ-library, so you can see which pro-tip is covered in what video. Like that amateurs like me could easily find the basic info I need or find out which full-lentgh interview to watch for the detailed elaboration. Thanks again Hendrik, you're awesome!

[@columbiannecktie1]

Super Format, gerne mehr davon!

[@chrysanthenan8860]

Wonderful accomplishment thank you Henry for all the effort you put into your investigation, and for the rapport you established with each of your expert guests!

[@monicai2186]

Such a cool video, appreciate all the effort that went into it!!! Great tips for everyone 😊

[@ludmilashprits9208]

Love it!!! Have been watching twice )) and definitely wold like more such informative videos ! Thanks a million 👌

[@elswalleyn5044]

Nice job. It must have take a lot of time to make it. I give you my respect. Very educational 😘

[@Tymon.Grochocki]

Thank You for this great video!

[@robpersons]

Very good video. It was very helpful.

[@andreievkalupniek5717]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@EllaeenahJadeFire]

Thank you for this! Excellent

[@johnc3826]

Great dialog thank you so much Sir. I have Jim Challenger's DO and have switched over to his bred dough recipe. I too use a linen lined banneton and avoid using flour in the banneton. The resulting loaf yields nice blisters. The addition of a spritz of water mist or adding ice cubes to the DO before putting the lid on yields larger less attractive blisters.

[@jvallas]

Good info.

[@mehmetpark]

Awesome video, thanks!

[@pieterjdw]

Thanks very much for sharing! Stiff starter looks the way to go. I would love to know more about this!!

[@danielnichols3594]

Hendrik, Karl was saying he aims for 4-6 hours between feedings to favor yeast so what does that mean in terms of feeding ratios? I assume that means closer to 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 versus higher ratios like 1:5:5. And what does he mean by "keeping it in water...to get rid of its acidity"? I'm going to experiment w/ a stiff starter to amp up yeast versus the bacteria. I would think a stiff starter (not 100% hydration) complicates your bakers math when you are following or creating recipes. I like the video. Sourdough is so idiosyncratic. Nobody knows exactly what works and getting good consistency across bakes is very elusive. I like the challenge.

[@the_bread_code]

Great question. I need to experiment on this a little more. I think as far as I know now, more feedings and a higher ratio help to activate the yeast part of your starter.

[@danielnichols3594]

@@the_bread_code I went to his website where he has a video explaining how he creates a very stiff, dry, almost block-like starter periodically. He cuts it into slices & then he bathes it in water to raise the starter pH and reduce organic acids. He uses a stand mixer which I don't have access to. His family doesn't like 'sour' sourdough but I'm not sure if he's also doing it to improve fermentation or favor the yeast in his starter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/foHdZGl-bK-jj9U

[@syakiraalthigah87]

Amazing video. Very useful ✨✨✨

[@dawn_dk2024]

Very insightful, thank you do much🙏🏻

[@conniefisher916]

Thanks, excellent interviews, good format. Italians and stiff starter, acid vs yeast; so interesting.

[@joaoaurelio1534]

congratulations what a fabulous talk. Really amazing job, great professionals

[@karljolejole4549]

Glutentag! Your video is quite informative. Just the right amount of time to maintain my attention. Good job!

[@bigdteakettle8989]

Great video and would like more like this. Don in Texas

[@adriangrzymski3847]

I just discovered your channel and I appreciate the more technical side of it.

[@the_bread_code]

Gluten Tag Adrian. Thank you!

[@johnowen5686]

Really enjoyed this video I am a retired Master Baker never really worked with sour doughs but last few years been having a go and having a little success in creating a decent bread I have been using Rye flour as a starter early bakes were not that good but now I've got a decent flavour in my bread

[@abcd1919365]

Thank you and what a great chapter here. I have learned a lot!:

[@eddieagha5851]

Excellent and informative! I learned a lot here. Had not heard about using water to dilute the acidic part of the starter! Please do more of these!

[@mauralewiecki157]

I use the challenger pan, spray with water and have always had beautiful blisters. Unfortunately, our heat this summer has been challenging my proofing. Thank you for this amazing video.

[@moniquehebert2763]

Loved it!

[@iliapetrovic3582]

I’ve learnt so much in 20 minutes. I can’t wait wait to put these ideas into practice…I will definitely try the Piedmont method of making a stiff sourdough! Oh…and I’m very jealous of those blisters 🙂

[@laidbouloussa7048]

Thank you so much! more video like this one please :)

[@JulieGracie]

So great, thank you.

[@tomsky9781]

Great video. This will improve my learning curve. Thanks for that. I have still a lot to learn on the frist stage. Mixing the flour, water, salt and starter. How ong should I mix it? Or kneed it? And how long should I leave this to rest to activate the gluten? Appreciatie all the knowlegde you share. I can tell you that allready a view of my friends got a smile on there face after eating my first sour dough breads. Thanks to you offcourse.

[@NeleWillems-xi2pg]

Love your video's!

[@bubbleobill267]

Some good points.

[@verenalasser5146]

Great video! :)