I was all set to go and then panicked when I saw my unbleached flour package said it contained only 4gm protein. I reviewed the bread basics lesson and was relieved to learn that my flour was actually 12 gms as all my flour package ingredients are based on 1/4 cup (30 gram) measurements. I think I was a bit paranoid about adding too much flour so my dough was very sticky. So it seemed like I was really struggling but the loaf of bread produced was really delicious. My husband said it looked very professional. Both the texture and flavour were great. I really loved making (and eating) this bread:)

WOW, What an impressive lesson THIS is.

After many efforts to make good bread, taking expensive baking classes and ending up with some really good and pretty awful results, I will take the laptop into the kitchen and give this a try. Your instructions and examples look great - terribly difficult to get this type of information from a book or pictures. I will keep you posted. Thanks.

Today I made my first loaf of this lovely bread. I used the laptop to stop/start instructions and replay if I couldn't remember something. It was so easy to follow, but there are a lot of steps so makes it nice to do it in small bites. It's nice that you encourage us through the process because this DOES take practice but I felt very confident working my way through the steps (and it will be even better next time/tomorrow). I was thrilled with the baguette (and so were my guests) but it was not as big as I thought it should be (perhaps I didn't allow it to rise enough?), but the flavour was lovely. I could honestly have saved myself over a hundred dollars on the 4-hour bread course I took a month ago. Your method is WAY, WAY easier to learn as you have all the verbal, visual and written instructions to fall back on. I can't remember much from the class I took. Gone forever. But not with this Rouxbe course - I will just continue to retry and remake this bread until it improves even more, but I am so pleased with myself and have you to thank for this and future successes!!! THis course is extremely well done!!! AWESOME camera work to SHOW us what should be happening and even when something is NOT right...

Thank you for all you do. In Step 1. it says 1 tsp instant yeast, but in the "Simple Baker's Bread Formula" drill down it says "1 tsp of dry yeast". Are instant and dry yeast the same? I understand there are fresh, active dry and instant yeasts usually used in baking. Could you please clarify this one?

You can use 1 tsp of either instant or active dry. Yeast is covered in great detail in the previous lesson on How to Make Bread | Basics. Cheers!

This one was a bit better, but it still doesn't rise very quickly for me (I believe I haven't been waiting for the yeast to thoroughly dissolve - so will test that theory). And it seems that no matter how much flour I put on the shaped loaf, the plastic always sticks to the sides and it's difficult to remove. Can I just go with the tea towel, or will that stick as well? It's hard to get flour to stay on the sides of the loaf, so not sure what would be best. Even if it isn't as large a loaf as I would like, it's wonderful!

It was my understanding, Judi, that this recipe was intended to be baguette size. With that perspective, it actually makes quite a large baguette. I too had a bit of trouble taking the saran off the sides and just smoothed the sides again by hand. If I can't get enough flour on the sides next time I was thinking to use a tea towel too. Such fun and great learning experience!

That makes me feel better and I will try the tea towel next time. But, you are right, it's fun to just keep trying to get better and it isn't going to all happen at once. My family love the bread (no matter what it looks like) and I am happy to slowly improve. It's also nice hearing from others who are having small challenges. If they could sell air freshener that smelled like my kitchen does right now, it would be a winner!

Don't be afraid to add lots of flour before you cover the dough. Also you can just lay the plastic wrap over the top and let it loosely drape over the edges - no need to tuck it in or anything. If you are going to use a tea towel you may still want to use flour.

I have to say that you should both be proud of yourselves for already making your second loaf of bread in only 2 days...nice work!!

Thank you Kimberly for your answer. Sorry, but I still did not get a clear understanding regarding amount of yeast in relation to the type of yeasts. From what I have learnt the amount of yeast differs in potency depending on what type of yeast is being used in a recipe. The ratio of yeast is as follows: instant-active dry-fresh = 1-2-3. Are you saying that I can use equal amounts of any type of yeast I happen to have on hand?

Yes, dry yeast is at least twice as potent as fresh yeast. This drill down on Yeast Substitutions is attached to the previous lesson on the Basics of Bread Making. We also cover the substitutions for fresh yeast in that lesson. For the beginner baker, it is ok to use 1 tsp of instant yeast or 1 tsp of active dry (yes, instant is a bit more potent), but it will be ok. If you want to adjust or use fresh yeast, follow the substitution chart accordingly. Cheers!

Kimberly, thank you very much! Oops! I missed this chart somehow. Very usful information for yeast substitution.

I can smell this just out of the oven:)

I'm having problems with rising of the dough.
I use instant yeast, which is live (I've checked), but my dough never seems to double in size.

What might me the problem? Water temperature is ok. I'm not mixing yeast with salt, so that is not it. Mayebe if I put the dough in oven on 35C? but then I shouldn't cover it with foil?

Thnaks!

If the yeast is alive, you are using cool water and kneading well, simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the dough in a draft-free area. You can put it in an oven that is off. You can leave the oven light on though for a bit of warmth. Just make sure that it doesn't get too hot in there. No need for foil - plastic wrap won't melt at that temperature. If all of these bases are covered, I think it just boils down to patience. The dough will slowly rise. Cheers!

What I thought was initially good bread, was, in fact, Not. I guess I have low standards (as well as my family and friends). BUT, I have continued making the bread, testing yeast when I thought that was the problem, and eventually I am improving my skills and beginning to know what to look for. I have also realized that my bread knife is dull and that may be contributing to the problem of 'low loaves' so I am going to invest in a new one. My bread seems to rise much more slowly than the guidelines suggest and I am just going to wait longer in the future. Another thing - I made TWO loaves tonight to see how different techniques would affect them and although one tested over 200 internally, it had a very soft crust - the other one was nice and crunchy. I guess I need to judge more by the color than just temperature. Anyway, the house smells lovely and we do eat the bread, regardless. And I believe that going through a bit of flour is a very inexpensive way to continue honing my craft.

Judi, glad to hear you are practicing. This is what it is all about. I'm sure week after week, you will fine-tune the process and notice improvements. Think about how many loaves a baker makes in one day...it's all about practice. Happy Bread Making! Cheers!

I WANT TO SEE THE THE VEDIO ON BAKING BREAD. WHAT PROSESS DO I DO TO GET THAT UP ON YOUR PROGRAM. I HAVE SEEN IT ALREADY. AND IT WAS GREAT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT AGAIN, BEFORE I START MAKING BREAD.ALSO, WHEN MAKING SAUSAGE, I THINK THROUGH EXPERING IT , I CAME UP WITH 3/4 OF A TEASPOON OF SALT. PER LB. AM I CLOSE IN MEASUREMENT. THE OTHER INGREANCE IN SAUAGE IS UP TO TASTE. ALSO, HOW TO MAKE RAVIOI'S. I DO KNOW HOW, I JUST WANTED TO SEE YOUR MEATHOUD. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS BUT I'LL SAVE THEM FOR ANOTHER TIME. OH ONE MORE THING, WHAT IS THE APX. TIME OF KNEEDING BREAD FROM A MIXER MASHINE. THANK YOU. BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE BEST SITE I HAVE EVER SEEN. I HAVE BAZILION BOOKS, THAT DOES'NT CLOSE TO ROUXBE. PAUL

To review the lessons in the school, you must become a premium member. Please refer to our Membership Options page for further details. Once a premium member, you have unlimited access to the Cooking School videos and can watch them over and over again. Regarding your other questions, this particular forum thread is reserved for questions pertaining to bread. Please create a new thread in the forum for each subject. Cheers!

Is it possible to make a regular loaf of bread with this recipe instead of the baguette?

Well I made my first epi, and it was good, but I'm not sure did I put enough flour in the dough.

My dough was constantly wet, even in the proofing stage it was so sticky that I coud not test it.
I was putting flour in it, but after a bit kneeding, it went wet again.
So can you please put metric measures in the recepie, besides usual cup/ts measures?

Dear Rouxbe, terrific recipe! Everything went perfectly well. First E'pi was a total success! Your video, instructions, and measurement are perfect for my neck of the woods. This is a perfect way to learn how to make bread. Easy and fun! Thank you. Looking forward to more on breads. Best Regards for North Carolina.
Terry R.

Can you make a lean dough with wholewheat flour?
I tried to kneede it, but it just didn't become elastic

You can shape this dough into a large round or place it into baking baskets which will leave a distinct imprint on the dough before it is baked. If using a basket, it must be heavily floured to prevent sticking. It shouldn't, however, be placed into a tin and baked in the tin. This dough is usually baked on a tray so all sides become golden.

It takes practice and repetition to become comfortable with dough. If you found the dough to be far too wet to handle, try using more flour next time. It's all about making tweaks as you are learning. As mentioned above, this lesson is about feeling the dough and trusting your instincts. Don't give up. It just takes practice practice practice. Cheers!