Bread baking for beginners – 7 common mistakes and how to avoid them

Your first homemade bread does not have to be perfect. Many difficulties repeatedly occur at the same points. Knowing them helps you understand recipes better and gain experience faster.

1. Measuring ingredients only by feel

Ratios are particularly important in baking. Kitchen scales help make a recipe reproducible.

2. Adding extra flour too quickly

A soft dough can initially feel unusually sticky. Lots of additional flour changes the ratio of ingredients. See Sticky dough – what to do?.

3. Not adapting kneading to the dough

Different doughs require different treatment. More about working by hand and machine: Knead dough properly.

4. Judging proofing time only by the clock

Temperature, ingredients and leavening agents influence dough development. Times in recipes are therefore often guidelines and should be considered together with the condition of the dough.

5. Using unnecessarily much flour on the work surface

Depending on the dough, a small targeted amount is often enough. A fine flour sieve can help dust evenly.

6. Cutting the bread too early

Many breads should cool first after baking. This is just as much part of the process as mixing, kneading and baking.

7. Waiting hours before cleaning

Dough residue can become more stubborn as it dries. Bowls, dough hooks and work surfaces are therefore best tackled promptly. The Teiger® cleaning cloth is specifically intended for dough residue.

Just getting started? Begin with Bake your own bread for beginners or the overview of basic equipment.

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