Hydration and dough development are essential for bread to be moist and delicious for days. That is where sourdoughs have an advantage, but you can do a couple of things to achieve similar results.

First, make a pre-ferment (or sponge) by mixing flour, water (in your case, milk), and the yeast mixture together, then let this sponge sit for a few hours. This both hydrates the flour better, but also develops the protein network. You’ll love the flavor, too!

Next, when you select recipes, check that the total amount of liquid is at least 60 percent when compared to the amount of flour–so if you are using 18 ounces of flour, you’d want nearly 11 ounces of liquid. That sounds like a lot, and it take a bit of time for the flour to absorb it, but the finished result is outstanding. This is how artisan bakers and industrial bakers work.

And one last tip–try not to use much flour when kneading. You’d be surprised how quickly this changes your finished bread. Remember that two tablespoons of flour can turn a cup of milk into a thick gravy–it’s strong stuff!

I am happy to answer any questions about ingredients on bread labels. . . perhaps I should cover that in a future story.

I’ve began baking my own bread too, because I look on the labels of grocery-store bread and see so many ingredients I don’t understand. Our previous favorite was a honey-oatmeal bread: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Oatmeal-Bread-II/Detail.aspx But I tried that maple bread recipe last night and now I think we have a new favorite bread! Thanks for the pointer.

Sam – That famous “no knead” recipe is next on my list to try and I would love to eventually work my way up to doing sourdough. As far as the increased yeast in the five minute recipe I’d never given it much thought until now…Thanks !

LIz – Whole Wheat sourdough baguettes…I’m drooling. Thanks for the tips on Peter’s recipes.

*So many more things to learn about bread baking, I can’t wait to get started on my next batch.

The timer’s beeping; the bread is ready. It’s hard to let it cool off before digging in.

Secondly, if you get into baking, sourdough seriously increases shelf life. I keep week-old bread, even 10-day old bread in a bag on the counter and eat it. It takes a LONG time to go stale. But to make good sourdough takes a bit of a commitment to the process.

The problem I have with bread in five-minutes a day is the huge amount of yeast they use, which compromises flavor, IMHO. It is a recipe to start with, not end with.