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Hello everyone,

This will be my debut in a series I’ll be sharing with you. To explain what these “Kitchen projects” are all about… I love cooking, not just for the flavours or the joy of feeding others, but for what it truly is: a form of experimentation.

Cooking, to me, is more than following a recipe. It’s about the experience: the kind that comes from trial, error, and those unexpected moments of discovery. Sometimes, it’s not just about the ingredients or the steps; it’s about patience, skill, and the willingness to embrace the unknown. It’s where science meets art, and where every ingredient tells a story of its own. I’m excited to share this journey with you, where we’ll explore, create, and maybe even stumble upon something delicious together.

There are many recipes I would like to try, but one of the most beautiful and rewarding preparations there is, one that I have never been particularly skilled at but always wanted to, is bread-making.

Introduction to the experiment

In the past, I have already attempted making bread; I was particularly interested in making sourdough. I don’t know why I am so obsessed with it, but I guess the idea of getting your bread using one of the most natural and traditional processes deeply interests me, gives me a feeling of respecting the past, but also makes me think that I am doing something that is healthy for my family. To unpack this idea, many people nowadays eat bread that is not good for us. Not only do we eat bread that is industrially made, containing a lot of chemicals such as stabilizers and preservatives, but we have also completely removed nutrients from our flour. In the past, our bread was one of the biggest sources of daily calorie intake (especially in Europe), which was, at the same time, a source of nutrients. Nowadays, by removing the bran and germ, we create bread that is very easy to produce industrially, but, at the same time, we remove the most nutritious and flavourful part of it. What is even worse is that we do not give the flour enough time to ferment by using the industrial yeast. That means that even if the bread is made from a whole grain, it doesn’t have enough time to process all the “hard-to-digest stuff” that is in the flour.

To explain further, let’s look closer at the fermenting process of bread, using sourdough. During the sourdough fermentation, wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the starter work together to break down the flour’s sugars, producing carbon dioxide for the rise and organic acids for flavour. This slow process not only creates sourdough’s signature tangy taste but also partially degrades gluten and starches, making the bread easier to digest, especially for those with gluten intolerance. Moreover, the fermentation also reduces phytic acid, which usually prevents mineral absorption, and also generates prebiotics that support gut health. This process is just impossible to achieve while using the industrial yeast, which raises a bread in an incredible 45 minutes, instead of a 24-hour slow fermentation in the fridge.

I’ve tried making sourdough bread a few times in the past, and while I’d love to master it, I have to admit that I’m simply not skilled enough… Yet! But that’s not stopping me! And with that thought, I am bringing the conversation back to where I started: the reason why I write about my kitchen experiments, in this case, yeast bread: to slowly build the skills and knowledge I need before tackling something far more complex – like sourdough!

And that leads me to my ultimate bread-making dream: creating the perfect sourdough wholegrain loaf.

The initial recipe

For now, though, let’s stick to the nice and easy. While I am creating my new sourdough starter from scratch, I will be working with yeast. This method will provide me with some basic knowledge about how to knead, shape, proof, and bake bread. 

I started my experiment about a week ago when I dug up an old recipe from my culinary school. The recipe was for a basic Belgian yeast bread with relatively low hydration; however, that time I didn’t think about it very much, and I just wanted a reference that was given to me by a guest lecturer at my University. The recipe went as follows:

1. First, I had to make a poolish, which is a simple pre-ferment, using 100g flour, 100g water, and yeast. The recipe called for 10g of fresh yeast, which I didn’t have in my kitchen, so I used dry yeast instead. For the whole recipe, I utilised a whole package of 4,5g, but in the initial poolish I only added approximately half of that package (meaning about 2,25g of yeast). Then this mass had to be left resting for 1h.

2. Meanwhile, I weighed 400g of flour, the recipe called for +/-175 g water, 11g salt, and 30 g fat (I decided to use olive oil). After 1h had passed, I combined all the ingredients, including the poolish, in a KitchenAid. The dough was quite tough and didn’t want to combine well, so I took it and kneaded it in hand for about 3-5 minutes. If my calculations are correct, then we are talking about +/-55% hydration here. After the dough was supposed to rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, covered in plastic foil. 

3. Then the instructions called for a series of stretches and folds, the first one was in a way that the envelope is folded, and then rested for another 20 minutes. In general, it was a little bit hard to work with this dough because it was really stiff; I concluded it was because of the hydration %. The next step was to divide the dough into 2 equal parts and shape each into a tight ball while letting it rest for another 10 minutes. This was a little bit strange to me because the dough was really small after the dividing, but I didn’t want to question this recipe before I tried it. 

4. After the last resting time, I had to execute the final shaping by flattening the dough with my hands and then shaping it into a batard (long loaf), and finally proofing it for around 30-45 minutes while resting it covered on an oil-coated baking tray.

5. Next step was to preheat the oven to 240 degrees Celsius and bake it at this temperature with steam for the first 10 minutes. Of course, don’t forget to score it before putting it in the oven! Then lower the temperature to 200 degrees and bake it for another 25-30 minutes. I believe I baked it for a little more than the instructions because it was simply not enough colour on top for me.

6. After the bread is baked, it needs to rest for at least 1h before it can be cut! This is a very important step because the bread is still baking when you take it out of the oven.

In case the ingredients are not as obvious here I provide a summary of the recipe:

• Poolish +/- 200g (Flour 100g , Water 100g, Yeast 10g fresh or 2,25g dried)
• Water 175g
• Flour 400g
• Fat 30g (in my case olive oil)
• Salt 11g

This recipe, in my opinion, has a few gaps that I didn’t notice the first time I baked it. However, through my process of discovery, you’ll be able to follow my comments and insights about it.

Comments on the original recipe

My first attempt resulted in relatively good bread. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of these two small babies, but I can surely describe them.

Firstly, I think I didn’t score one of the breads properly because it kinda exploded from the bottom, the other one opened quite beautifully though. My next observation was that while the bread grew big and strong, the size was a little bit hilarious, and so I deduced that the next trial will not be divided into two. Furthermore, after I cut the bread in half, I noticed a small line of compact dough at the bottom; it wasn’t very pronounced, but if one looked closer, it was obvious; the bread needed more time in the oven. For the crust, I think I have to figure out a better way to create steam in the oven because it wasn’t very shiny, and that also can be a reason that one of them teared at the bottom – the dough didn’t have enough steam at the beginning to create the shiny crust and allow the dough to expand without tearing. Lastly, the crumb was quite dense. I feel the dough fermented well, and there were lots of very tiny bubbles. It also felt quite fluffy, but I fear that the hydration % and lack of steam made it more of a dense bread. In general, for my first try, I think the bread was more or less a success; it just needed a few tweaks and a bit of love.

After this, it was obvious what I wanted to do. I had so much free time in my life at this point that a hydration experiment would be a great way to learn something new and fill my free time with something productive.

On bread

Before we dive into the experiment, it’s important to define what makes a good bread—for me. I emphasize “for me” because everyone has their own preferences and ideas about what constitutes the perfect loaf. Whether it’s texture, crust, flavour, or something else entirely, those personal criteria will shape how we approach this process.

Harold McGee, in his book On Food and Cooking, discusses the qualities of good bread. While he doesn’t provide a single, concise definition, his insights can be summarised and cited as follows:

“The keys to a chewy and soft bread interior are a high-protein all-purpose or bread flour and a wet dough. This combination fosters the development of gluten and the formation of irregular air pockets, contributing to a desirable texture. Additionally, the crust should be crisp, and the flavour complex, reflecting the fermentation process and the quality of the ingredients. Bread is a food of remarkable diversity, and its goodness is ultimately shaped by personal and cultural preferences.”

– Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

For what’s the matter I agree with this definition. To truly appreciate it, though, let’s explore it further and bring it to life with some vivid examples and visuals. Lots of the parameters, as you will probably notice come from the text McGhee wrote in his book, however I will add few more items to the list, to specify further.

Parameters	Explanation	Related variable
Chewy	Dense, elastic texture that requires more effort to bite and chew, often prized in bagels or sourdough. Balanced with soft.	High protein flour, long fermentation, gluten development
Soft	Tender, easy-to-bite texture. Balanced with chewy texture.	High hydration, fat (butter/oil), tenderizers (e.g., milk, eggs)
Irregular air pockets	Open, uneven crumb structure, desirable in artisanal or sourdough for texture and visual appeal.	High hydration dough, long fermentation, sourdough starter, gentle handling, Autolyse, Baking technique
Shiny dark crisp crust	Glossy, deeply caramelized crust with a satisfying crunch, typical of well-baked bread.	High oven temperature, steam in early baking, flour type
Complex flavour	Rich, layered taste with notes of tanginess, sweetness, or nuttiness, often from fermentation.	Long fermentation, sourdough starter, autolyse
Open crumb	Large, connected air pockets in the interior, ideal for absorbing sauces or spreads.	High hydration, long fermentation, gentle handling, strong gluten
Uniform crumb	Even, fine texture throughout.	Consistent mixing, controlled proofing, even baking, proper shaping

If you area until this point unaware of any vocabulary or process of bread making, I have made a short page where you can get to know more about it, here.

Experimenting with bread hydration %

A few days after my first attempt at bread making, I tried baking again. This time, I decided not to divide the dough into two loaves but to bake it as one larger loaf. I’m especially focused on mastering the basic techniques of bread making and achieving a nice, well-structured crumb with big irregular air pockets.

Each time I go through the process, I notice a few imperfections, which I aim to address in the next batch. In general, I’ve been following the same recipe, but I adjusted the amount of one ingredient – water – to see how it affects the texture and crumb. I’m eager to refine my approach and learn from each bake!

60% hydration

I was very excited to change the amount of water from 175 to 200, especially because I found the dough too thick to manipulate. As soon as I started kneading, though, I noticed that the dough was much stickier, and I had a little bit of a hard time with the kneading. I know that this is still supposed to be relatively easy dough to manipulate, but my lack of experience was at play. I fixed it with just a tiny splash of flour and I was ready to knead the s**t out of it. 

I went through the folding process, which was just so much better compared to the 55% hydration. I find it crazy that such a small amount of water made such a difference. The dough was going through the very same process as the one before, with not one change, including the kneading, stretching and folding, and shaping and final shaping… the scouting was extremely easy and successful. 

For baking, however, I tried to add much more water to create the initial trail. I just went for it and added a big glass of water to the surfaces of the heated oven. The baking went perfectly, just look at the beauty that came out of it! I was so proud of the scoring and the crust and the overall look of the bread! The only thing was that I felt that the crust still lacked some of that fresh-looking shininess.

After I cut the bread in half, I saw that the crumb was much improved; however, not as I expected at all. For reference, see the picture below, and please don’t mind my extremely bad cutting skills. I don’t know, was it me or the knife?

When thinking about it, I was not sure why the crumb was still so dense. Don’t get me wrong, the bread was super soft and fluffy, and I felt that the bubble distribution was quite good too. It’s just I imagined that it would have much more… huge bubbles, and everywhere!? This made me think that there are 3 possibilities of why I lack these huge bubbles. It is earthier the fact that I use industrial yeast, or it is a lack of fermentation, or it is the hydration %? Or is it possible that it is caused by all these or none at all? I think the only way to know is to go ahead and experiment further, starting by increasing the hydration percentage by 10%.

70% hydration

After the bread was eaten, I decided to bake once again. I was truly not mentally ready for this batch. I thought that kneading the last bread was hard, but this one was just impossible to manipulate. Once again, I combined my ingredients in a KitchenAid, but I was very much aware that I would not be able to knead the bread by hand. 

Even though I watched multiple videos on YouTube about how to manipulate a wet sticky dough, I was not able to master it. My first try to stretch and fold was a disaster. I am pretty sure you are not supposed to and also not able to perform the same type of folds as with the 60 or 70 percent hydration. That’s why I was just trying to stretch and fold with wet hands, just as you would manipulate a focaccia. The next set of folds I tried to make more structure by using a bread spatula – which, in my case, was more of a patisserie scapula, but that’s all I had. Using one flat side of the spatula, I was moving the dough on the counter in a circular way, trying to make a smooth ball. I covered it with plastic foil between the folds, and figured out just a few minutes later that it got completely stuck to the foil and that I ruined it yet again. That’s when I decided to use the flour on top to prevent the sticking. After using the flour, it was easier to pre-shape it, but I still had the sticking problem. Please, tell me, what did I do wrong? I thought the dough was not supposed to stick after it had a smooth surface. Was it me, or maybe my counter that is particularly sticky? Anyways after a hard work, I was finally able to finalize it.

Now the only thing missing was to score it and throw this piece of hard work to oven. What else can go wrong, right? Of course, in the very last moments I managed to completely f*ck-up the scoring. You cannot imagine my frustration after my extremely sharp knife got stuck in the dough while cutting. Honestly, at that point, I thought I ruined the whole bread. Anyways, I dropped it in the oven, added some water for steam, and baked it as usual. 

Honestly, I was pretty surprised after I took it from the oven. Obviously, you can see that the scoring was a disaster, but the bread looked shiny with a dark crusty crust. The only thing that I was really not proud of was that I didn’t oil the tray, so the bread completely stuck to the bottom, and on one page, there was a slight, tiny, tiny tear because of it. As a bread just wanted to grow and rise, but it just couldn’t since it was stuck to the tray completely, and so it broke.

Of course, I was eager to cut the bread in half. So when my alarm indicated 1h after baking, I ran to the counter and sliced right through it with excitement. I was so exited form he results. The crumb was much more ‘alive’ compared to the one of 60%. The bubbles were big and small, beautifully spread throughout the whole bread! Just look at it! But again, please don’t judge my cutting skills.

This whole experience got me thinking that, if I increase the hydration next time, the bread won’t just hold its shape during the final proofing. I think I will need to find an alternative to a proofing basket…. And add oil to the baking tray, of course.

80% hydration

I would like to say that the 80% hydration bread totally met my expectations for the crumb, but I would be lying. I started with 1h autolyse to help develop the gluten. That time I had no idea how unsuccessful this will be. Honestly, not just the result, but the whole process of preparing this bread was a huge disaster, and I must tell you that i lost it more than once during this batch.

Already, the mixing process was a big pain in the ass, because of the extremely sticky dough. The kneading and stretch and folding process was very painful as well, having almost no experience working with such high-hydration bread. The worst part is that, being a perfectionist, I might have ruined my bread during this process by trying to make it perfect. Of course, I worked mostly using water and didn’t really want to use any additional flour, but that was really not possible in this case. After a lot of struggle, I finally managed to somehow shape the bread. I concluded, that there is no way that I will be able to final-proof this bread without a proofing basket, which I didn’t have. So I created one using a nice bowl and a cloth with flour to prevent sticking. 

I am quite sure, though, that The final-proofing didn’t go as planned because after I put it out of my ‘proofing basket’, it didn’t hold shape very well. The result was a flat piece of dough that I was sure was not going to rise according to my expectations, and it worsened even more after the scoring. I guess I didn’t do a very good job developing the gluten. Anyways, I scored it, and started the baking process.

As I predicted, the baking didn’t go according to my expectations. The crust was not quite it and the bread didn’t rise very well in the oven, as you can see in the picture below. There were some minor breads of the burst at the bottom of the bread, and the scoring didn’t open the bread to my imagination.

The crumb was also not according to my expectations. I would imagine that the bubbles would be much bigger and spread all over the bread. It just felt dense compared to what I imagined.