My personal experience or mistakes during my baking journey

Bread Making Stages


Breading Making Process 


1. Scaling

Prepare and weight all ingredients required by the recipe. As a guide, you should follow each recipe measurement exactly but it is ok if there is a difference by less than 1g.  Also you should separate dry and wet ingredients first.


2. Mixing 

This is the process of mixing all ingredients in mixers. It is very important to follow the recipe instructions to put the ingredients. Sometimes if you put the ingredient in the wrong order, the dough will not turn out in the way you need.

I strongly recommend using mixer to mix the ingredient instead of using hand to knead. Typically using a mixer takes around 15mins or so. Using hand takes much much longer and very tiring.

Using mixer, always start with Low speed, follow by medium speed. Also take note of the timing, if mix too long the bread will turn out hard. Usually this process is complete after dough pass window-pane test.


3. Bulk Fermentation 

This is where you place the dough for first proof. During there will be chemical process of yeast and other ingredients like sugar to form the gluten. 

Cover dough and place in warm area and proof for an hour or so or until the dough double in size.

Do not proof too long if not bread will be hard


4. Folding/Portioning/Rounding

Portion the dough in the required measurement written in the recipe. Round each portion, and than bench proof. Cover each dough so that moisture will not be lost.


5. Bench-proof 

Rest each dough for around 10 mins. 


6. Make-up 

Shape the each dough to the shape required. 


7. Final Proof 

Rest dough for at least 50 mins.  Cover each dough so that moisture will not be lost.


8. Baking/Cooling/Storing 

The process of baking according to recipe. The temperature and timing of baking depends of your oven. Use the recipe as a guide but u may need to adjust accordingly. 

After baking is done, cool the bread and store it. Make sure bread is completely cool if not moisture will form in storage box.


Importance of Butter

Usually diced and cold before adding to your ingredient bit by bit . Keep in fridge before adding to dough.

Butter contain fats and gives chocolate shiny look 

Give pastry fluffy taste. 

If butter not cold enough pastry will be sink in the oven because butter will cook first before other ingredients

Baking Videos (Click Image to See Video)
Common Baking Equipments

Weighting Scale



Cookies

Mixing Methods 

1. Creaming [Mixing Order] [Butter & Sugar][Egg][Wet Ingredients][Dry Ingredients]

2. One Stage [Everything]

3. Sanding [Dry Ingredients + Butter Mix until like sand][Egg][Wet ingredient] 

Common Leavening Agent 

1. Baking Soda (Add too much makes cookies taste chemical)

2. Baking powder