Baking worksheet
Softness baseline
The working sheet checks the baseline softness control scale.
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Ingredients
Change any amount — the rest rescale by the bread’s formula.
| Component | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Strong white bread flour | g | 100% |
| Water | g | 65% |
| Sugar | g | 5% |
| Butter | g | 6% |
| Salt | g | 2% |
| Fresh yeast | g | 1.5% |
Technical summary
- Course code
- S2-A1 — softness baseline
- Formula
- strong white bread flour 400 g, water 260 g, sugar 20 g, butter 24 g, salt 8 g, fresh yeast 6 g
- Bake
- moderate bake to 94–96 °C internal
S2-A1: working sheet
Pick a starting style. The schedule and timers will update.
Enter the start time; the sheet will recalculate all steps. Record only deviations and conclusions in step comments.
Parallel steps: this step runs alongside the previous one. Watch both timers.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Weigh ingredients, prepare the pan and the working sheet.
Step ingredients
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- All ingredients weighed, pan prepared, lesson variable recorded.
- Check
- Do not start mixing until it is clear what exactly the lesson checks.
- Evidence
- Kitchen temperature.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Combine ingredients (butter softened) until cohesive, then mix to a smooth soft dough.
Step ingredients
- Strong white bread flour
- 400 g
- Water
- 260 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Butter
- 24 g
- Salt
- 8 g
- Fresh yeast
- 6 g
- Target
- Dough gathered, holds shape, not overheated; dough temperature after mixing 25–26 °C.
- Check
- Do not fix stickiness with random flour: first assess temperature and dough development.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature, smoothness, extensibility.
- Timer to next step: 1 h 30 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Leave the dough to noticeable rise and gas saturation. Judge by state, not only by minutes.
Step ingredients
- Dough after mixing
- all of it
- Target
- Dough has risen about 1.5–1.8x and become lighter.
- Check
- Overproofed soft dough holds shape and dome less well.
- Evidence
- Level photo, temperature, smell.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Gently degas, shape a tight log, and place in a greased pan.
Step ingredients
- Dough after fermentation
- all of it
- Target
- Piece is even, seam closed, height distributed across the pan.
- Check
- A weak seam gives side pockets or a collapsed dome.
- Timer to next step: 1 h 30 min Base: 1.25 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake. in parallel with the previous step — watch both
Proof to puffiness and slow finger-poke return. Target: to the rim of the pan or 1–1.5 cm above it.
Step ingredients
- Piece in the pan
- 1 piece
- Target
- Piece is ready for the oven but does not jiggle or wrinkle.
- Check
- Make the final call by height and poke test.
- Evidence
- Height, poke test.
- Parallel with previous stepTimer to next step: 30 min in parallel with the previous step — watch both
Heat oven to 190 °C (10 °C higher to preheat the ceramic Emile Henry pan).
Step ingredients
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- Oven stabilized.
- Check
- An underheated oven changes rise, color, and bottom moisture.
- Evidence
- Mode and preheat time.
- Timer to next step: 40 min
Bake the first 10 minutes at 190 °C, then reduce to 180 °C and continue to 94–96 °C internal (about 30 more minutes; the ceramic Emile Henry heats slower than metal — if the center has not reached target, add 5–10 minutes by probe).
Step ingredients
- Proofed piece
- 1 piece
- Target
- Bread baked through, shape holds, crumb stabilizes during cooling.
- Check
- Check doneness with a probe, not only by crust color.
- Evidence
- Internal temperature, color, mass after baking.
- Timer to next step: 2 h
Cool completely, then assess crumb, crust, and flavor; record the conclusion for the next repeat.
Step ingredients
- Finished loaf
- 1 loaf
- Target
- Crumb slices without crushing and does not look raw from early slicing.
- Check
- Soft bread cannot be honestly assessed hot.
- Evidence
- Slice photo, tasting note.
Enter the start time; the sheet will recalculate all steps. Record only deviations and conclusions in step comments.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Weigh ingredients, prepare the pan and the working sheet.
Step ingredients
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- All ingredients weighed, pan prepared, lesson variable recorded.
- Check
- Do not start mixing until it is clear what exactly the lesson checks.
- Evidence
- Kitchen temperature.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Combine ingredients (butter softened) until cohesive, then mix to a smooth soft dough.
Step ingredients
- Strong white bread flour
- 400 g
- Water
- 260 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Butter
- 24 g
- Salt
- 8 g
- Fresh yeast
- 6 g
- Target
- Dough gathered, holds shape, not overheated; dough temperature after mixing 25–26 °C.
- Check
- Do not fix stickiness with random flour: first assess temperature and dough development.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature, smoothness, extensibility.
- Timer to next step: 1 h 30 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Leave the dough in a warm spot for a short fermentation. Do not wait for a full rise — the piece deliberately goes to the fridge underfermented; the night in the fridge will finish fermentation slowly.
Step ingredients
- Dough after mixing
- all of it
- Target
- Dough has come alive noticeably and become lighter, but has risen less than in the morning mode.
- Check
- Dough overfermented in the evening will overstretch the gluten and collapse in the fridge by morning.
- Evidence
- Level photo, temperature, smell.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Gently degas, shape a tight log, and place in a greased pan.
Step ingredients
- Dough after fermentation
- all of it
- Target
- Piece is even, seam closed, height distributed across the pan.
- Check
- A weak seam gives side pockets or a collapsed dome.
- Timer to next step: 10 h Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a bag and put it in the fridge for 10–12 hours — proofing continues slowly all night.
Step ingredients
- Piece in the pan
- 1 piece
- Target
- By morning the piece has risen close to the pan rim; the surface is moist, not crusted over.
- Check
- The surface must not dry out: the wrap or bag keeps the crust from drying overnight.
- Evidence
- Height in the morning, surface state.
- Timer to next step: 1 h 30 min
Take the pan out of the fridge and leave it covered at room temperature: the cold dough has to warm up and gain the last of its volume — 60–90 minutes, judged by the dough, not the clock. Thirty minutes before loading, remove the wrap and and heat the oven to 190 °C (10 °C higher to preheat the ceramic Emile Henry pan) — the piece meanwhile loses its chill.
Step ingredients
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- The dough no longer feels cold, has risen to the rim of the pan or 1–1.5 cm above it, and a dent fills back slowly; the oven is stable.
- Check
- Thirty minutes is not enough for a cold loaf: it spends them warming up, goes into the oven underproofed and tears the crust.
- Evidence
- Mode and preheat time, piece height in the morning.
- Timer to next step: 40 min
Bake the first 10 minutes at 190 °C, then reduce to 180 °C and continue to 94–96 °C internal (about 30 more minutes; a piece cold from the overnight fridge may need another 5–10 minutes by probe — the ceramic Emile Henry heats slower than metal).
Step ingredients
- Proofed piece
- 1 piece
- Target
- Bread baked through, shape holds, crumb stabilizes during cooling.
- Check
- Check doneness with a probe, not only by crust color.
- Evidence
- Internal temperature, color, mass after baking.
- Timer to next step: 2 h
Cool completely, then assess crumb, crust, and flavor; record the conclusion for the next repeat.
Step ingredients
- Finished loaf
- 1 loaf
- Target
- Crumb slices without crushing and does not look raw from early slicing.
- Check
- Soft bread cannot be honestly assessed hot.
- Evidence
- Slice photo, tasting note.
Journal export
After the bake, copy this text and send it to me so I can update the journal and conclusions.