Now, let’s look at why taking notes is important and how it’s helped me over the past decade.
BEARD SHAPER TEMPLATE PRINTABLE BEARD SHAPER TEMPLATE PDF FULL
If you had a piece of paper with just the above variables listed on it, that’s all you’d need.īut I like to build on these basics to include a few more things-like writing the full recipe formula in baker’s percentages-but six items for your baking notes would help answer many of the “why did that bake work?” questions. The key details to record in your baking notes for every bake. The amount of time the dough undergoes its final rise (this can be at a warm temp or cold temp)ĭetermine if you should adjust the final proof time, which is a critical step in the bread-making process: too short of a time can result in under proofed loaves, and too long of a time can result in over proofing Stretching and folding dough during bulk fermentation increases dough strengthĭetermine if you should adjust the number of sets in subsequent bakes if you find the dough was too weak or too strong during preshaping/shaping Number of sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation could shorten bulk next time if the dough over proofed) It helps you decide if you should shorten or lengthen this time based on how the final loaf bakes (e.g. The amount of time the dough is in bulk fermentation (first rise) Mechanical mixer: 3 minutes speed 1, 3 minutes speed 2.Įstablish a baseline time for strengthening a particular dough The amount of time spent mixing and strengthening the dough. The final dough temperature of the dough after mixingĭictates fermentation schedule, flavor, final bread texture, and more The temperature of the levain after mixingĭictates fermentation schedule, flavor, and performance I see these as points of inflection during the bread-making process, and they are the items that can drastically change the outcome. The list below includes the six items I like to track. Your baking notes don’t have to be in-depth or complicated just record the key variables. What notes should I be keeping each time I bake?
Let’s look at what I think is helpful to record each time you bake and why. After a while, it’ll become second nature, and you’ll have built up a record of great (and not so great) bakes that will provide you with information for the future. The point is to get in the habit of jotting things down quickly while you’re baking. You can use the notes app on your phone, a scrap piece of paper, the margins of a good book (*ahem*), or the printable notes sheet I’ve included at the end of this post. Writing something down has a way of solidifying what you’re doing in memory, and it also gives you a place of reference when you inevitably say, “This bread came out better last time. Simple scribbles in my notebook or taps into my phone’s notes app are enough to help me move toward consistently baking great bread more often.Īnd as bakers, consistency is everything, isn’t it? I’ve filled countless notebooks with temperatures, durations, little sketches of how I scored loaves, and tips and tricks I’ve discovered along the way.Īnd despite what your 8th-grade history teacher told you, note-taking doesn’t have to be comprehensive and super complicated.
I’ve been taking baking notes for over 10 years.
But then, you sit back and wonder, why did this loaf turn out so beautiful and taste so delicious, but not the one last week? It finally happened: your sourdough bread turned out smashingly well.
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