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Tools of the Trade
Demeter she usesde metric system
T
hat glass water pitcher I used or my first attempt at bread was definitely a mistake, and while I’m not much o a gearhead with baking or biking or even guitar playing, I have ound that avoiding specifically designed equipment can equally be a mistake.o make bakery-quality sourdough bread at home is not an expensive undertaking, but it does require certain tools. Te ol-lowing list is divided into two categories: “Essential” and “Helpul but Not Essential.” You probably already have some o these items in your kitchen.
Essential
D .
One o the keys to success in bread making is to weigh the ingredients in metric units. Durable, reliable digital kitchen scales are inexpensive.
I- .
A digital ther-mometer with a stainless steel probe is useul or checking the temperatures o your water and dough. Seasoned bakers can work without thermometers, but those with less experience should incorporate temperature checks into their baking routine.
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Tools of the Trade
M .
A capacity o at least 5 quarts (4.73 L) is a good size or the recipes in this book. I you mix by hand, you can use a mixing bowl made out o almost anything—metal, ceramic, glass, or plastic; in some parts o the world, home bakers mix dough in a wooden trough. I you use a stand mixer, you’ll use the bowl that comes with it.
F .
Te dough will slowly rise during several hours o bulk ermentation, the first round o proofing between mixing and shaping. At Hungry Ghost, we erment the dough in very large rectangular plastic bins. A polycarbonate ood pan with a flat lid makes an excellent scaled-down home version. Tis is a standard item at restaurant supply stores. Te straight sides and transparent material allow you to accurately monitor how much the dough has risen, and the rectangular shape is convenient or olding the dough. For the recipes in this book, the ideal configuration is a hal-size pan—roughly 12 × 10 inches (30.5 × 25.4 cm) and 4 inches (10 cm) deep.Alternatively, any covered bowl or tub with a capacity o about 5 quarts (4.73 L) is a time-honored ermentation container. Te cover is needed to keep the dough rom drying out. Te main disadvantage o using a bowl rather than a straight-sided clear container is that it’s harder to be precise in gauging how much the dough has risen.
A .
For bulk ermentation, you’ll need a warm spot to park the dough while it erments. Te ideal temperature is 78 to 80°F (25.5 to 26.5°C). You may have a good spot in your home, though it can vary rom season to season. Te oven light provides an inexpensive solution. Tis light, typically a 40-watt incandes-cent bulb, will warm the oven slightly. I the oven light makes it
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The Hungry Ghost Bread Book
too warm, then bring the temperature down a bit with either o these hacks: (1) prop the oven door slightly ajar with a pencil (or a piece o dowel) or (2) place a small pot o ice water in the oven and replenish the ice as needed. And i the oven light doesn’t warm the oven enough, bring the temperature up a bit by placing a small pot o just-boiled water inside; replenish the hot water as needed.Alternatively, a seedling heat mat or some other flat, gentle heat pad can be placed on the counter underneath your ermen-tation container. Tis solution keeps your oven available or ood preparation while your dough erments.
P .
Tis tool is invaluable or scraping dough out o a mixing bowl or a ermentation bin.
S .
Te dough knie is a rectan-gular piece o stainless steel with a handle, used to divide and manipulate the dough afer bulk ermentation. You could use a kitchen knie to divide the dough, but or other tasks you’ll still need a dough knie.
P .
Afer the dough has been divided and shaped into loaves, each loa will be placed into a proofing basket (or
banneton
), where it will complete the ermentation process beore baking. Proofing baskets are typ-ically made rom coiled or woven rattan. Tey are typically sold with a removable liner o linen or