The doctor will be with you shortly...

The doctor will be with you shortly...

Dear Reader:
Are all these questions about banana bread coming from the same person? Please, I beg you, no more &$%!@ questions about banana bread!!!

Dear Reader:
Hey Greentooth (and I don't want to know how you got that moniker) what on earth on your doing? Putting your dough in the oven while preheating it?? That's dough abuse! Even simple white breads will benefit from a long, cool fermentation and rise. (And it won't collapse) Suggest you read 52 Loaves for more info.

Dear Reader:
Congratulations! I spent an entire year trying to get gas holes in my bread! What's your secret??

Dear Reader:
Cut side down on a breadboard. If storing for longer than a couple of days, then store in a linen or paper bag.

Dear Reader:
Um, that's handful of a question,and I think you'd be better off consulting a commercial bakery (which is where you'd have to bake that kind of quantity) rather than a home baker like myself. Good luck.

Dear Reader:
Well, most people like a faintly yeasty smell -- it's the smell of homemade bread. Assuming you're not using a sourdough starter, though, I'm not sure where it would be coming from. Sorry, I'm stumped...

Dear Reader:
Why not try a free-form artisan loaf on a stone instead. You'll get a much better crust all around. See my book, 52 Loaves, for details.

Dear Reader:
The completely white interior is not something you should be aspiring to. That is a sign the oxidation has robbed the bread of its beta-carotids and flavor. You dough should have more of a creamy color to it. I've never seen bread that it gray, but, but it is most likely due to the flour you're using, not the dry yeast.

Dear Reader:
If I were only going to own one bread book, it would the Reinhart's "The Bread-Baker's Apprentice." After that, I like Leader's "Local Breads" as well as his latest book, "Simply Great Breads" which has a great yeasted doughnut recipe (see my blog for photos and comments).

Dear Reader:
In time, the commercial yeasts will eventually overwhelm the wild ones. Besides, it's probably unnecessary. I would suggest that you keep your levain pure and instead and touch of yeast to the dough (I add 1/8 teas.) if you need to give a little more pop.

Dear Reader:
Well, coarseness is relative. If you're used to commercial bread, homemade bread will have a little bite to it by comparison. But most people say that's a good thing. If you making whole wheat bread, and it's too coarse, substitute some white flour for the ww.

Dear Reader:
Farine complet and malt...are you French? If you're baking in the US, flour already has malt in it. I never did add malt to the French flour, and found with the levain that I didn't need it, so I don't know how much to add if you're using French flour. Not much, though, just a few grams. As far as a recipe, I just use the Peasant Bread recipe on my website. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Could be a couple of things. The first, that you put too much water (steam) into the oven is unlikely. The second is that the temperature was too low to guarantee a crisp crust. But I like to preheat my oven to 550, then turn it down to 480 when I put the bread in, and then turn down to 450 after the crust has browned, and I usually get a pretty crisp crust. Also, make sure you don't take it out too soon. Don't fear dark mahogany. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
If it's spreading out too much on the baking stone, your only option is to use less water. Also, try to get it into the oven ASAP. The heat will quickly stabilize it.

Dear Reader:
You're way out of my league, pal (I don't go through that much flour in a year), but I suspect you could take any of my recipes (see "Recipes" menu option) and scale them to 50kg.

Dear Reader:
I keep mine in the fridge and feed weekly.

Dear Reader:
Please check the previous posts -- this question has been asked multiple times (some I've given multiple reasons!)

Dear Reader:
Easy: make a stencil out of, say, wax paper, with 2012 cut out. Just before putting the loaf in the oven, place the stencil over the loaf and dust heavily with flour: rice flour if you want the writing to be light; regular flour if you want it to be dark. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Funny you should ask. I'm fermenting pizza dough for dinner tonight as we speak. I have a wonderful recipe for pizza on this website under "recipes", and more on why your dough is tasting like beer in the book, 52 Loaves.

Dear Reader:
It means you should be baking your own! (You might start by reading "52 Loaves")

Dear Reader:
Oh, my goodness... you making Friendship Bread. You really, really out to read the chapter "With Friends Like This..." from 52 Loaves to learn about my nightmare experience with it!

Dear Reader:
Not sure I understand the question, but, as I explain in 52 Loaves, bread should never be stored in the fridge. It actually goes stale quicker than if left out (I explain why in the book...)

Dear Reader:
Sorry, I don't understand the question, but I'm home baker. My breads are never packaged.

Dear Reader:
Hard to say, but recipes that use baking soda as a leavening usually need an acidic ingredient (e.g., buttermilk). Some recipes call for both baking soda *and* baking powder for that reason. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Easy-- you have to make what the French call a grigne, or a slash, with a lame (sharp blade). I have a whole chapter on this is my book, "52 Loaves." (yes, there's enough on this for a whole chapter)

Dear Reader:
For the uninitiated, Paxton is the guy who invented the Kwik Lok tab that is found on almost every loaf of packaged bread sold in the world. How do I find the time? Good question, but at the moment I'm working at my day job half time while I finish the first draft of my next book -- about learning French at "my age". Hope it'll be out in 2013

Dear Reader:
Um, because you're making bread in a machine? Read "52 Loaves" and learn how easy it is to make *real* bread. And I guarantee my crust won't fall off.

Dear Reader:
This question has been asked several times. Please check the list and what conflicting answers I've already given!

Dear Reader:
If it is cooked throught the culprit is often too much yeast, which causes an unsupportable rise. I discuss some low-yeast, natural starter recipes in "52 Loaves" that are guaranteed not to collapse.

Dear Reader:
Other than lots of butter, I'd think not, but if you warm them, they'll be more palatable.

Dear Reader:
Possibly too much yeast or too long a rise, leaving noting to support them

Dear Reader:
Possibly. Fold the loaf a few times back onto itself to expose some fresh dough to the yeast, and try to do a 3rd rise of about an hour or so.

Dear Reader:
In the cooked loaf, not much. Much what makes bread rise is *fermentation* thus an slight ethanol smell is normal.

Dear Reader:
Hello Denver. Thanks for your kind words. As for your questions: 1)I have the utmost respect for Peter, but I don't know here if he's talking about a regular feeding or refreshing a tired levain. In fact, once in a while when my levain starts looking a little wimpy I'll discard most of it and give it a good feeding (maybe 2:1 new to old). Other bakers I know caution against overfeeding, so what's a home baker to do? The bottom line is, is your levain healthy now? If it is, keep doing what you're doing; if not, feed more aggressively. 2) Never had that problem but I've seen it in purchased loaves. scoring more deeply may help. With smallish baguettes I like to do a single angled score down the middle, holding the lame at about a 60 degree angle to the bread, which gives you a nice "cresting wave" effect. Hope this helps.

Dear Reader:
I've never heard of this being done, and, sorry, I'm not an expert on FDA labeling regulations.

Dear Reader:
I suspect because you're not slashing to the top, which allows the steam to escape with exploding the loaf. I have a chapter on swallowed razors, exploding loaves and using a "lame" as the French call it, in "52 Loaves"

Dear Reader:
There's a wonderful recipe for French toast on my blog (see link on menu above)using leftover baguettes. Suggest you try that and make authentic French toast instead!

Dear Reader:
That's 437 F. Yes, a little low for bread, but it shouldn't stop you. Suggest you stick with thinner loaves, like baguettes or batards, and you can try to spritz the loaf with water before putting the loaf in the oven to develop a crust. Good luck, and enjoy Shanghai!

Dear Reader:
Well, I'm really a yeast bread guy, but I'd say you need to cook it longer. If that makes the crust burn, then once the bread has finished it's oven rise, you can loosely cover the top with some foil.

Dear Reader:
The crumb. You can learn more than you ever thought you wanted to know about the crumb from "52 Loaves: A Half-Baked Adventure".

Dear Reader:
Make your own! It's easy and fun and gives you a real locovare levain. Suggest you read "52 Loaves" to see how I made mine. (Click above on "buy")

Dear Reader:
I've heard of some people adding a pinch of sugar, but if you're following my apple starter recipe, it's not necessary. The natural sugars in the apple are more than sufficient to get the thinking rolling. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Hmmm. Not sure why white wheat flour woiuld make them more alcoholish, but of course using whole wheat flour is going to change the taste and texture of any bread. iscard most of youro back to feeding your starter (generously) with white flour, and it will get back to normal in a couple of feedings. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
I've never tried it, but I suspect the dough would stick badly, and the cloth is too flimsy to hold its shape. A better alternative is parchment paper.

Dear Reader:
If you mean, is it safe to eat, most likely, but you know, I'm only a "bread doctor," not an actual doctor or scientist, so I cannot really dispense advice of this nature.

Dear Reader:
The same thing that makes beer and wine smell like alcohol: fermentation, which is also what makes bread rise. I have a lot of interesting info on this process in my book, "52 Loaves."

Dear Reader:
Yes, it's perfectly normal (and, in my opinion, wonderful). But the real question is, how did the rolls taste?

Dear Reader:
Nope. Too late. But an instant-read thermometer is almost indispensable for baking. You can get an inexpensive one that I like here.

Dear Reader:
A couple of things could be going, on, but it sounds like the bread may over-rising, then collapsing a bit in the oven. You might want to take a look at my methods (see "52 Loaves"), which involved very little yeast, and long, slow rises. My breads never get dimpled or collapse. Good luck.

Dear Reader:
Molly, I faced exactly this problem when having to feed an abbey of 30 monks. The recipe for my Pain d'Abbaye is in my book, "52 Loaves". It uses a mix of white, whole wheat, and rye. I also discuss growing and grinding my own flour. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Sorry, I'm not familiar with jula kaka bread, but check your oven thermostat with a good thermometer. I'll bet it's running hot. Also, if if it's a sweet bread the crust is more likely to burn and you may need to cover it for part of the baking.

Dear Reader:
You don't need to proof yeast these days. That was done back when yeast was unreliable and the reason for proofing was to "prove" the yeast was good. In fact, if you are using instant yeast, manufacturers advise against proofing.

Dear Reader:
The turning point in my bread-making was when I began using a stater aka sourdough aka levain, of wild yeast. This web site has brief instructions on making your own (easy!) and more details on in 52 Loaves. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Are you scoring the top just before baking? All that steam needs to go *somewhere*. I have a whole chapter on this in the book, in fact!

Dear Reader:
Basic bread has only 4 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. If you can't find a market that carries an artisan bread without oil, make your own (read 52 Loaves). You'll be amazed at how good it is.

Dear Reader:
Add more liquid.

Dear Reader:
Depends... let's play 20 Questions: is the piece is bigger than a breadbox? Actually, there is a much bigger threat of something in bread that can get lodged in you -- read "52 Loaves" to find out what.

Dear Reader:
I don't, but if you're writing from the US,it is required to be printed on the label. If you're speaking of a local bakery, probably none...but ask.

Dear Reader:
It don't matter too much, really. Professional baker Charlie van Over keeps his in an old (plastic) restaurant-sized creme fraiche container. I bought a 5-dollar hard plastic container at Kmart. Round or square, plastic or glass, it's a personal choice. Just make sure it has a lid that closes tightly and scrape down the sides with a spatula after using it.

Dear Reader:
I'm more a yeast-bread guy, but my wife says it's perfectly normal, and adds "if it tastes good, who cares?"

Dear Reader:
Bake the bread as long as you dare, then turn the oven off and let the loaf sit there for another 20 minutes. Pumpkin muffins are great, btw, and you don't ever have that problem.

Dear Reader:
Sounds like it's over-rising. Reduce the yeast. Suggest that, if you haven't, you read 52 Loaves, which has techniques for nicely risen bread with very little yeast. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Because it's cute? Oh, sorry, you expected a real answer. I think you're either over-proofing the dough or using too much yeast, thus the crumb is collapsing in the oven. Some blistering or, conversely, depressions are normal, however, and don't affect the taste.

Dear Reader:
You're French and you brushing the crust with whipped egg?? Really! Don't know "yo Izzy" but suggest you read 52 Loaves and try my techniques. One bite and you'll think you back on the Champs-Elysees.

Dear Reader:
Most sponges have just a bit of yeast, say a quarter teaspoon, so I'd say you can leave it out of the sponge. Start with that as the default. You may even need to cut back on the yeast in the dough. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it's better to have too little yeast than too much. But there are so many variables here -- how much levain are you adding, how much yeast was in the sponge, how much in the dough, that it's hard to say from where here. Close your eyes, Luke, and just feel the force.

Dear Reader:
Hi, Denver. Yes you absolutely can, but don't try to imitate the recipes steps of first doing a sponge, etc., as you already *have* a pre-ferment in the form of your levain. Instead, if the recipe calls for, say, a sponge with 100 g of flour and 200 g water, simply use 200 g of leavin in your dough (to get the 100 g of flour called for), and add another 100 g of water, so that you end up with 100g of flour and 200 g of water, keeping the final hydration the same. Hope that's clear...

Dear Reader:
You can, but it will no longer be a wild yeast starter. Instead, I would discard some of it, feed with flour and water, and let it sit on the counter for a few hours. If it doesn't start showing some life, it's dead, and you should build a new starter.

Dear Reader:
It's safe in a food safety sense but, depending on your formula the room, that may be too long a rise.

Dear Reader:
You need to use a starter, or levain, to get that sourdough taste. Suggest you read my book, "52 Loaves" for the "why" and for instructions on building one. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
If I had to guess I'd say you're underbaking. Don't be afraid to let a good dark crust form. When you think it's done (205-210 degrees in center), leave it oven another 20 minutes with oven turned off and door ajar. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Congratulations! Your note is music to my ears!

Dear Reader:
Hello, mein pupil! You are correct, overfeeding will kill your creation. The general rule of thumb is that you should never feed it more than its current weight. So if weighs 1400 grams you could feed with up to 700 g each water and flour. I tend to be a little more conservative, myself. But even if you feed with, say, half it's weight every couple of days, you can build it up rather rapidly. Remember to leave it out on the counter for a few hours after each feeding. And clean the container once in a while, too, to keep your monster happy.

Dear Reader:
I'm assuming you're referring to the crust. I happen to like a little crunch to my crust, but you want to keep it soft, take a look at these ideas

Dear Reader:
Wow, that's a wild one. I can't imagine. I've done quite a bit of research into the chemistry of fermentation, but don't recall ever reading about a reaction that produces spiciness. I assuming there was nothing in the dough that could account for that. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Dear Reader:
Is this a riddle? There's no "correct" answer, but whatever weight it starts out with, you can expect to lose about 30% to evaporation. Suggest you read "52 Loaves" to learn more!

Dear Reader:
Desculpe, eu não entendi a pergunta.

Dear Reader:
Try getting plenty of steam into the oven when putting in the bread. I pour a cup or more of water into a cast iron pan that I keep on a shelf below the bread. (Wear an oven mitt and be careful or use ice cubes). Over-cooking can also contribute to a hard crust. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Bread uses two rises, an initial fermentation plus the second rise, or proofing. I like cool, long fermentations and shorter proofs. If you look at my recipe section on this website you see more details. Or even better, read 52 Loaves for all the science and "why" behind it.

Dear Reader:
Fortunately, I'm only an amateur baker, so I'm not the one to answer your question. But I suggest you join the Bread Bakers Guild of America (bbga.org)if you're considering it. You'll get plenty of advice on their forum!

Dear Reader:
Dear Son, Always a delight to hear from you. Yes, it's sounds like your dough is a bit too wet. It should hold its shape Interesting question about the bun in the oven, as there is a relationship between the French word for oven (four) and womb, although I can't come up with it at the moment. But congratulations nevertheless! (on the baby, not your lousy bread)

Dear Reader:
Thanks for your kind words about the book. Yes, bread flour has more protein (which becomes gluten), but I find it has too much, which can actually inhibit a rise. In France, they use much softer flour, btw. But it also depends on the brand. The King Arthur all-purpose flour I use has almost the protein level of other bread flours.

Dear Reader:
A couple of things could be going on. Your second rise could be too long (often, a half hour suffices for baguettes), or the fermentation too long. Also, make sure you gently press out some of the gas as your form the loaves for the second rise, to give the yeast another kick. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Hmm... I'm not familiar that phenomenon. The dough during fermentation can have a mild alcoholic smell (it's several percent alcohol - same as near-beer), but the alcohol gets driven off during baking. I don't think that adding preservatives is the answer, however.

Dear Reader:
I don't use any preservatives in my bread, because I want it to be pure and I'm consuming it within a few days. I would suggest you contact a large bakery who could speak to the subject.

Dear Reader:
Dear Dr. Frankenstein,
First of all, congratulations on creating a successful levain. In terms of feeding, yes, you should not overwhelm it. I usually add about 150g each flour and water to levain, which is about 2/3 of a half-gallon container. The reason I add a dash (and it's really just a dash) of commercial yeast in the recipe is to give it a boost when rising. If I omitted it, I'd have to use a higher proportion of levain, which makes the bread a little too sour for my taste. But you can certainly do that -- then it's called a pain au levain, and in fact I have a recipe for it the book. Good luck with the baking!

Dear Reader:
Hi Elena. Have you checked the temperature of your oven with a thermometer? Baking for 30 min. at 450 shouldn't burn the crust. I would turn the oven down. You shouldn't have to play games with foil. (If it's a gas oven, they can be harder to control, btw) Also, don't use convection mode if you have it. I occasionally find the crust browning too fast, and turn the oven to 425 to finish baking after 30 minutes or so. But your case sounds a little extreme. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Hi Andrew, I have to admit I haven't tried making bagels (even as a New Yorker, I'm not sure I'd put them at the "highest" level of breadmaking, but let's not quibble). However, I'd say you should be able to make a levain bagel by using my standard substitution of levain for flour and water. Since our levain is 50/50 flour/water by weight it's easy. So you if the recipe calls for, say, 500g flour and 300g water, you might replace 100 g each of the flour and water with 200g levain. Just cut back on the packaged yeast a bit and increase the fermentation time. If you want to send a picture or two of the result (and your recipe), I'll post it on my blog. Good luck, and let us know how you make out!

Dear Reader:
See the "Recipes" section of this website or even better, read "52 Loaves."

Dear Reader:
Gee, I'm surprised they could survive on a loaf of commercial bread -- you'd think the additives would kill them (unless you're talking about a package of your own bread here). In any event, I'm not qualified to comment on safety or medical issues, but I shoo fruit flies off my tomatoes all the time.

Dear Reader:
I usually get the opposite question: "my starter isn't doing anything" so this is refreshing. I'd let run its course. You'll have a more stable and flavorful starter

Dear Reader:
Cool. I've often taken my baguette dough and made little and big rolls, mini-baguettes, etc. I admit to admit the cupcake pan is a new twist to me. But it's fun to play around with different things, and the great thing about rolls is that you can freeze them and just pull a couple out whenever you want them. Way to go!

Dear Reader:
I don't see why not. But you may need to add more water to the total mix, if the recipe does not assume an overnight soaking, but adds the oats during say, the fermentation.

Dear Reader:
Hey, CS. Glad to see you're still at it! The times don't sound overly long, although you are pushing the envelope, depending on how cool your basement is. There are many factors that can affect the rise: temperature, the freshness of your yeast and robustness of your starter. BTW, lately I've been baking 2 batards instead of one boule out of that same recipe and have eliminated the bread-flattening-on-the-stone problem one often has with a moist boule, as that can also affect the rise.(I also get more holes with this shape.) I have a floured couche that I use (King Arthur sells them), but if you just want to try it without committing to the couche, you can use folds of parchment paper to hold the batards in place during the proofing. Let me know you make out.

Dear Reader:
If I had to guess, I'd say they're most likely fruit flies and are quite harmless. Whatever it is, I would discard the top few inches of the starter unless it's so infected you have to discard the whole thing, and cover with a frying pan screen or cheesecloth whenever you have it out on the counter.

Dear Reader:
I assume you're talking about long, skinny loaves like baguettes. It's most likely due to the deformation that occurs when stream escapes during baking -- that's why we make slashes (to get the steam to escape evenly and in a controlled fashion), and you'll see curvy loaves both from commercial ovens and your own.

Dear Reader:
Interesting questions. The smell of baking bread is a marvelously complex mixture of ketones, chemical reactions, and yes, alcohol being driven off. How much of the smell is attributable to ethanol is hard to say, but a bubbling poolish (or pre-ferment) can fool someone into thinking you're actually baking bread, so it may play more of a role than you'd think.

Dear Reader:
I doubt that the difference in smell you detect is related to the protein content of the flour. But if you'd made one with rye, e.g., that would be a different story. When feeding an established starter, I leave it out of the fridge for a few hours, until it's nice and bubbly. If your starter doesn't seem active enough or you'd like a little more sourdough flavor out it, leave it out longer -- even overnight.

Dear Reader:
A levain is a wild yeast "starter" or sourdough you make yourself and maintain. I go into it some depth in "52 Loaves". So a levain bread is a bread made with a levain.

Dear Reader:
Probably about 40-45 minutes, but best way is to use an instant-read digital thermometer and bake to 205 - 210 degrees.Go to my blog link at top of this page, and then to my store to find the accurate, inexpensive one I use

Dear Reader:
France has different rules than the US in terms of what you can bring onto a plane (for example, I'm not sure they have the 100 ml restriction, so she may even be able to bring it on the plane in her carry-on; you can check with the airline. But if you don't want her to deal with that, the extra levain that I stuck in a duffel bag as checked luggage seemed to survive. Levain is pretty resilient stuff, particularly if it's old. Just maybe stick that Tupperware inside a ziplock bag in case it leaks, and don't feed beforehand!

Dear Reader:
You see this occasionally even in commercial artisan bread, but if it's happening consistently, you have a technique issue. I don't think the problem is that the dough is too wet; that would give you lots of holes throughout, so I'd look to your shaping. After fermentation, gently press the dough out into a disk, pushing out most of the gas with your fingertip. And of course, when you shape the loaf, make sure you're not trapping air under a fold. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
A smell of alcohol is a sign of undercooked bread. Give it some time and/or heat. The center of the loaf should be at least 205 degrees when done. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Sure! It will only improve it. See question directly below for details on how to incorporate levain into any recipe.

Dear Reader:
You absolutely can substitute levain for yeast in other recipes, and I find that it improves almost any bread. The beauty of my levain is that it's 50/50 flour and water, so the substitution is easy: use, for example, 250 g of levain and subtract 125g each of flour and water from the recipe. Because the levain doesn't have as much leavening power as commercial yeast, you'll probably not want to eliminate all the yeast called for in the recipe, but you should reduce it by quite a bit -- trial and error, and eventually a "feel" will tell you how much. Poolish substitution is easier. Same principal, but don't change the yeast. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Most readers have had success with that formula, but, of course everyone' starter is different. Sounds like yours was hungry. 800g of starter should be able to handle 550g combined flour and water. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
You're hard to keep up with. Correct, but any salt will do, as long as it's not too coarse. I know bakers who swear by sea salt, others who use table salt. I only keep kosher salt in the house, so it's what I use.

Dear Reader:
See above...

Dear Reader:
Thank *you* -- glad you came along for the ride, and I appreciate your kind words.

Dear Reader:
I rarely say "undoubtedly," but in this case, undoubtedly. I think you exhausted all the yeast. After an overnight fermentation, I either go right to forming loafs and the 2nd rise, or let the dough come to room temperature (but never more than a hour or two) and then form the loaves, depending on the the bread and my mood. Keep at it, and good luck!

Dear Reader:
Dear CSB, So just to make sure I understand...you made your starter from a recipe on thefreshloaf.com (not my book), went back to FL for advice (bad idea), and now you want me to bail you out of this mess? Okay, just this once. Here's what you do: Add flour or water so that your starter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. The next day, discard 3/4 of your starter. Add equal amounts by weight of flour and water, enough to double the amount of your current starter. Wait a day or so and add another 50/50 mix of flour/water. Repeat again, discarding some first if you need to. By now, no matter where you started out, you'll be close to 50/50. Bon appetit!

Dear Reader:
Thanks for the kind words, CSB. When I add the 130 grams flour and water, that's to the entire starter, in my case about a quart or so. I don't have the book in front of me, but if you're referring to feeding of mature starter, the 130 g is very rough. More or less doesn't matter, as long you keep the amount of water and flour equal by weight. Good luck with the holes!

Dear Reader:
Well, as this is the subject of my 80,000 word book, it's kind of hard to address in a sentence or two. Suggest you give it a read and follow my journey.

Dear Reader:
I predict your French student will be blown away by your bread. Thanks again for all the kinds words.

Dear Reader:
Makes me even happier! Thanks for the note. And is sounds like you may want to read my next book, in which I try to learn French.

Dear Reader:
No bread is good when not cooked all the way. Undercooked bread is a common error among home bakers. Don't be afraid of baking to a mahogany brown exterior, and use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the interior reaches 205 - 210 degrees.

Dear Reader:
Absolutely, I do it all the time! If anything, it improves the bread. In the morning, you can form the loaf (or loaves)from the cold dough and proof -- just allow for a longer proofing time. But if you're going to form loaves after it comes to room temp (another approach), expect to wait a good two hours.

Dear Reader:
Don't worry about it. Even I can't remember what's in the book sometimes. Enjoy the pizza!

Dear Reader:
Yes, there's one in the book. And also here.

Dear Reader:
Désolé, it has not been translated into French. But you'll want to read my next book due out in 2012/13 - about my attempt (at the age of 58) to learn French.

Dear Reader:
Dear Aquaman, I love this...Can you send me a photo of your hookup (my email address is under "contact" in the menu above.)? Will post on my bread blog. BTW, when famed Paris Baker Eric Kayser couldn't find a machine to maintain his liquid levain in large quantities he built his own. So you're in fine company. Continued success!

Dear Reader:
Yes, I foresee problems -- but with your marriage, not your starter. My only thought is that with all that oxygen, you'll want to be feeding it pretty often. Please let us know this all works out -- fascinating! (BTW, I've shared your creative idea on my bread blog, so you may get a comment or two there as well.)

Dear Reader:
In general, large holes are obtained by using a very wet dough, so wet it's hard to shape (like making ciabatta). The crispiness comes from a real hot oven and incorporating steam into the first few minutes of baking. I spent a year pursuing the kind of crumb you describe, so if you haven't yet, you might want to read "52 Loaves."

Dear Reader:
Sorry, even with my four-foot long bread library, I'm not familiar with silo bread. There is a bakery called "Silo" but I've never come across a bread of the same name.

Dear Reader:
If you are using a baking (aka pizza) stone, 15 minutes is not long enough for the stone to heat sufficiently to: a) give you the oven spring you want and b) act as a heat sink and retain heat while your oven door is open. But why don't you try it once with an hour preheat and see if it makes any difference? In the winter, btw, I leave my oven door open after baking, and return much of that heat to the house, recouping some of the "waste."

Dear Reader:
Thanks for your words about the book. As for your questions: 1) No. Whatever works, as they say. 2)Place the well-floured peel over the basket or bowl,and flip. My new favorite tool btw is the "super peel." It's a miniature version of the loader I used at the Ritz. Never sticks-- ever. See my blog, then go to my Store on the right-hand side. 3)Lucky you! (My next book is about leaning French.) I found that as long as I had a levain I didn't need the malt. If your bread is rising without it, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you do need malt, perhaps a local boulangerie would be willing to sell you some. 4) I didn't have problem with stickiness with my one experience with type 65 -- at the abbey. But if I recall I was using a 65% hydration rate. But note that the wetter the dough, the less kneading you have to do, as the molecules will link on their own -- that's the theory behind no-knead bread. 5) A store (or tiles) is essential for hearth-style, free form loaves. But if you don't want to spend the money, try a couple of flooring tiles instead. A little Googling will tell you what types are recommended. Keep slingin' the dough. A plus tard!

Dear Reader:
Well, the technique of adding additional flour *after* the rise is rather unusual, unless what you're really describing is making a poolish in the first step. Also, 350 degrees is on the low side for baking bread, and will definitely impact the rise that takes place in the oven. Suggest you read (or re-read) "52 Loaves" carefully with an eye on the techniques. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
It depends. Some recipes in fact call for an additional rise. The risk you run is that there may there not be enough active yeast left to get a decent third rise, so you have to consider factors like, how long the first two rises were, how active your yeast is, etc. You can improve your odds if you are gentle with the "punch down" (fold, don't punch), the idea being to push out some but not all of the carbon dioxide and trying to give the yeast some fresh flour to work on.

Dear Reader:
Once. Technically, you are correct in that autolyse is generally done just flour and water, but I found it rather difficult to incorporate a levain into a rather firm, autolysed ball of flour (especially when hand-kneading). Thus, since I add the levain before the autolyse, I figure I may as well add the salt and the dash of instant yeast up front as well. The only downside is, you can't let it go much more than 25 minutes, or it will start to rise.

Dear Reader:
"Nocturnal stirrings," (my favorite subject line in some time) "night feeding" -- is Daylight Savings responsible for the last few posts? In any event, yes, I leave it out all night so it's nice and bubbly and yeasty in the morning, although I've been known to refrigerate (and remove it in the morning) if I'm not using it till the afternoon. Either way, I wouldn't feed, refrigerate, and use it straight out of the fridge. You want a nice, active levain.

Dear Reader:
Thanks for the feedback. Next time I get a "followed your recipe exactly and it's the worst bread ever!" e-mail I'll point them here!

Dear Reader:
I suppose not, if you stick with the initial amount. But you may find yourself building up more leavain as you bake more, or before making a big batch of bread, and remember that after feeding, it will increase quite a bit in volume.

Dear Reader:
Holy cow, did I say on NPR that I get up in the middle of the night every couple of hourse to stir my levain? No, you can let it sleep along with you during the night! Good luck!

Dear Reader:
If you start over make sure to really eally whip in air during the first week. Once you have an established starter you can try: instead of refrigerating after feeding leave it out overnight. And feed frequently. If all else fails you can cheat a little and add a quarter teaspoon of instant yeast to help the wild yeast along. Thanks for your kind words about the book and good luck!

Dear Reader:
Here's the answer I got from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Hotline: "The couche is made of linen, that has been sized and pressed. A couche is easily cleaned with a firm plastic scraper. Just lay it out flat, with the cut edge closest to you, and gently push the scraper away from you while holding the edge of the couche. Shake the couche out to dispose of any debris. If you must wash the couche, to return it to it's firm state, it will need to be starched and pressed.

Dear Reader:
Absolutely! Professional bakeries feed their starter every day. Just keep a fair amount of in the fridge, like close to a half gallon, and it'll love a daily feeding.

Dear Reader:
I don't know. I guess I read it somewhere. There's no magic to it. If you prefer a moister loaf you can pull it out earlier. In my own opinion, 195 is a little too moist. I go for at least 205, and honestly, sometimes 210 is hard to reach (as water boils at only 212!)

Dear Reader:
Not sure where the magic "210" figure came from, but it's a personal taste. You can certainly pull it out earlier (though 195 sounds a bit moist to me, but to each his own). Truthfully, sometimes I can't reach 210 -- after all, water boils at just 212, but I always get to 205, because I like the bread dry and the crust dark. Again, though, it's a personal preference.

Dear Reader:
Wish I could help...but I've never used a a proofer. You might try searching on thefreshloaf.com. Best of luck!

Dear Reader:
Sorry, but the bread is a success, not as gummy, good holes...so...what's the question? Actually, forget that: whatever the question is, the answer is, "You're living almost a mile and a half in the sky! It ain't natural!" (Yes, it's going to affect the bread, and you may have to tinker.) And show the boys in Alaska what good bread really is! (Or bring some bread pans and make good pullman-type loaves. No shame in that!)

Dear Reader:
I can't say I've ever smelled alcohol in baked bread -- I suspect that the smell you're detecting is sourdough. Most (but not all) of the alcohol gets driven off during the baking process, but of course the byproducts of fermentation -- sourdough -- remain.

Dear Reader:
From the website http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-grain-flour/:"Sprouted grain flour produces a rustic, dense loaf of bread so it's best used in multigrain breads where a chewy consistency is valued." But it you used just a bit that should be okay. It sounds like you undercooked the loaf. Don't be afraid of a really dark crust. Also, you might try making two batards from the recipe rather than a boule. That shape help to dry out the interior. If your levain seems too thin, to be sure, throw out most of it, and use what's left as a seed for a new levain (I assume you're using a scale): And make sure the levain is good and bubbly before you start the dough. I've started feeding mine the night before I bake and leaving it out all night. Good luck, and let us know how you make out!

Dear Reader:
Finally, an ailment the bread doctor knows the solution to! You need to make your cuts deeper, and get the bread right into the oven quickly. (I usually slash while the loaf is on the peel.) But the main thing is, don't be timid: cut deep!

Dear Reader:
It sounds like it's going perfectly! Stay the course, whip often, and good luck!

Dear Reader:
I don't bake a lot of non-yeast breads, but my wife does - and she suggests you preheat the oven 25 degrees higher than what the recipe calls for, then turn it down to the specified temperature when you put in the loaf. Note that opening the oven door usually drops the temp by up to 50 degrees, so you don't want to dally while that's doors open. I'll add that in yeasted breads, falling is generally due to either over-proofing or using too much yeast, so you could have something like that going on as well. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
It's fairly easy, as (if my math is correct) the final composition of Peter's berm (7 oz seed + 16 oz flour + 16 oz water) is about 49% flour to 51% water, and mine levain is 50%/50%, so you can pretty much substitute an equivalent about my levain for his berm.

Dear Reader:
Sorry I asked...

Dear Reader:
Thanks for your kind words about the book, Peter, and for your interesting question. I've never noticed an off taste from the Pam for Baking, but nevertheless I've kind of gotten away from using it. An environmentally-friendly (and cheaper) alternative is to purchase a refillable oil sprayer (the kind that you pump up) and add your own vegetable oil, then dust the hell out of the basket with rice flour (which is slippery stuff and doesn't turn brown in the oven). Once your baskets have been used a few times, you may find you can skip the oil altogether and just flour the basket. Alternatively you can use a linen-lined basket (San Francisco Baking Institute is a great source - http://sfbi.com). Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Hi Bea. I have heard of the use of apples, grapes (very traditional), and if you browse the postings here you'll see that readers have used strawberries, peaches, and other fruit with success. I've never heard of orange juice being used. I'd be wary of the acid affecting the yeast, BUT... Peter Reinhart uses pineapple juice in his starter, so maybe yeast likes the acid. Give it a try -- and let us know how it comes out!

Dear Reader:
I give up. What was its problem?

Dear Reader:
Hi Kris. Sorry if my directions weren't clear. The recipe is for one boule or two batards. The baking time is the total time. If the bread came out burnt it's possible that your oven thermostat is off. It is not uncommon for them to vary by as much as 50 degrees. Also, it's possible that your baking cycling turns on the broiler element as well, which will burn the crust. So check those things out before your next loaf -- or just turn down the heat. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Hear that, everyone? The doctor wishes you a happy new year!

Dear Reader:
You can absolutely do that. Just replace it with 125 g each water and flour. Or you can build yours up a little more than your normally keep, and give her the excess. Of course, a true friend would give her a copy of "52 Loaves" with it...

Dear Reader:
Ah, I think you may be responding to my statement in "52 Loaves" that the level of alcohol while dough is fermenting is close to that of light beer. I was tempted to dismiss this out of hand, but you got me wondering...and thumbing through my bread library. I found the answer in my Pyler ("Baking Science and Technology"). He says (p. 637), "Freshly-baked bread, in which most of the alcohol has been volatilized and driven off during baking, still contains some 0.5 percent ethanol" He's talking about bread in general, not homemade, and we can assume that homemade probably has, if anything, a bit more alcohol than commercial, if you're making it right. He doesn't say what happens after a day (I would think it continues to lose alcohol as it dries out), but if you want to look up the original reference he's relying on, it's: Wiseblatt,L. Cereal Chem. 37, 728 (1960). If you find anything interesting, please let us know.

Dear Reader:
Sure. Two ways you can go: 1) Simply substitute more whole grains for the white flour in my peasant bread recipe. You will need to add more water as well, as whole grains absorb more, but now that you've made peasant bread a few times, you have a feel for how the dough should look and feel. 2) Take you favorite whole or mixed-grain recipes and substitute about a quarter to a third of the flour and water for an equal amount of levain. Since our levain is 50/50 water/flour, this is easy. So replace, say, 125 grams of flour and 125 of water with 250 grams levain. At the same time, reduce the commerical yeast to a 1/8 teaspoon or so (you may need to experiment). Finally, if you're a whole-grain diehard, you can make a levain from whole grain. Lots of people like a whole rye starter in particular. Let us know how you make out, and if you hit on something good, post it as a comment on the peasant bread recipe comments page!

Dear Reader:
My Amazon store (reached from my blog or directly at http://astore.amazon.com/the64toma-20) has the one that I use. They start at $20; most are $25. I love mine! Has everything you need: a "tare" or zero-out feature, good capacity, accurate to the gram. I find myself using it for other things as well, and you may, too. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Thanks for the note, and glad you've seen the light! You might want to try making 2 batards from the recipe if your boule is a bit flat. The higher crust-to-crumb ratio gives is more flavor, as well. Keep slingin' that dough!

Dear Reader:
Actually the recipe for peasant bread says to bake at 480, then turn down to 425, so if your bread burned at 400 in only 20 minutes, the doctor's prescription is that you take the oven's temperature - that is, buy an oven thermometer and see if your thermostat is off by a hundred degrees or so. The only other conceivable thing I can imagine is that the broiler element was on and the direct heat burned the top of bread. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
The bread doctor finds the metric system far superior (and easier) when weighing ingredients for bread, especially when doing things like trying to determine the percentage of water in a recipe or increasing a recipe by half. Once you switch, you'll never go back; trust me!

Dear Reader:
You can lightly rinse them -- but don't wipe them down afterward. There's plenty of wild yeast in the flour as well, so you should be OK. Another reason for the apple, btw, is its sugar, which kick-starts the fermentation. Good luck with your levain!

Dear Reader:
I can picture Raymond Calval, the champion of long, cool fermentation,rolling in his grave. The slow rise with little yeast allows for flavors to develop (this is explained in detail in the book). Of course, if you like the bread, then whatever works, but if you tried, say, a 5 hour fermentation (with little yeast and hopefully a starter) you might detect a significant difference.

Dear Reader:
Making low-carb bread is a challenge at home, because you don't have access to the fillers that commercial companies use to make their bread "low carb." But as I'm sure you know, there are carbs and there are carbs, and whole grain carbs are healthier and less likely to end up on your hips. So, long story short, make whole wheat bread. If you don't like the heaviness of whole wheat flour, try a white whole wheat flour. King Arthur makes one. In either case, you'll need to increase the water in the recipe due to the absorbency of the bran. One other trick a dieter taught me about bread: when you go to a restaurant and they put out the bread basket, if you find it hard to resist (I do), only eat the crust. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
As you knead by hand, the dough will indeed be quite sticky at first, but should become less tacky after a few minutes. Dipping you hands in water before beginning can help a bit, but usually don't worry about it - I just scrape the dough off my hands near the the end. If the loaf is so wet that it won't hold a boule shape long enough to get into the oven, though, your dough may be too wet. Try cutting back on the water, 10 grams at a time. You might want to look at my kneading video if you haven't already. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
I love it -- especially the dimples part! Who'd a thunk that would work... Thanks for sharing the tip.

Dear Reader:
I don't, having been rather single-minded about achieving my perfect peasant loaf. However, I encourage you to play with it, and turn it into raisin and other breads. For an idea of where to start (for example, how much sugar to add for raisin bread), I suggest looking in Reinhart's or Leader's bread cookbooks or any other book that gives the baker's percentages. Once you have that, it's easy -- just multiply the specificed percentage by 620 grams (the amount of total flour, including what's in the levain) to get the number of grams of "additives."

Dear Reader:
Nice timing...but we needn't go there. I've known of bakers who have frozen a mature levain for a few weeks, but I suspect there's less chance of success in freezing a nascent one. But what do you have to lose? All things considered, it's probably safer in the freezer than left with your "beloved spouse" (who, by the way, will change her tune when you start baking incredible bread, and after all you've been through with the levain, it WILL be incredible bread). Let the doctor know how you make out, and bon voyage! (and if you have to start over, try bottled water this time -- just in case its something in that Long Island water that's suppressing the yeast...

Dear Reader:
Hmm. It's hard to describe exactly, but "bananas" is not the word that comes to mind. But it might just be a perceptual thing, or have to with your local yeast. If it bubbles, and doesn't smell horrible (and most importantly, tastes good in bread) I'd say you're stick with it.

Dear Reader:
I suspect the problem lies either with the type of cloth you are using (linen or linen canvas is best) or the wetness of the dough. If a change in cloth doesn't help, trying 10 less grams of water. Also, I often use a plastic "woven" basket that I bought for a buck in a kitchen supply store instead of a colander. Spray the heck out of it with Pam for Baking and nothing will stick to it!

Dear Reader:
Sounds like many of my early loaves. Try reducing the water by 10 grams or so. Also, when you form the boule, kind of dredge it in flour on the countertop. That can help create service tension to hold the shape. As for the crust, check your oven with an oven thermometer. In terms of reducing the heat, I still light the high heat to start with, then reducing after 10-15 minutes. If all else fails, make a batard instead. I've become a big fan of batards since writing the book. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
Not without your e-mail address, I can't...but I can reply here: Eric Kayser (try his pain de mie), Poilâne (of course), Boulangerie Gana for his "flute", said to be the best baguette in Paris (I didn't make it there, however), Basil Kamir, and Poujauran (near the Eiffel Tower) has the best baguette I tasted in Paris. Bon Appetit! The doctor will be in France next week. Let's hope they stop these strikes!

Dear Reader:
Well, there are no absolutes here, but in general, a biga is a thick poolish; that is, with more the consistency of dough than batter. Both are considered "pre-ferments" that give the bread improved flavor and texture and both are freshly usually made with commercial yeast (though bakers who bake every day often keep their bigas going by using a bit of today's dough for tomorrow). I don't why a recipe would scare off readers from using a biga. But if a baker is offering you a leavin, TAKE IT! It will, in my opinion, do much more for your bread than either of the others, and an established levain is easy to care for. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
I doubt that the rye flour mattered much. I just use it for flavor and it has similar properties to the whole wheat you substituted for it. I just started a batch of bread myself, and was reminded just how wet and almost gloppy it is. I wouldn't say sticky, as it pulls almost clean off the countertop, but I suspect your dough is just fine -- but not what you're used to or expectd. I have used the KA whole wheat white, but not in this recipe. It's a lighter strain of whole wheat flour for those who want whole wheat but not the dense, dark bread that whole wheat makes. I'd say if it makes your wife happy, give it a try, either using half and half or going right to 100% whole wheat. You may need to add more water and another pinch of yeast, as the bran tends to absorb more water. Let me know how it turns out!

Dear Reader:
Congratulations on the levain. As far as the sticky dough, I suspect it was a little too wet. Perhaps the brand of flour you're using doesn't absorb as much water as the King Arthur I use. So you might solve the problem by simply adding add'l flour. But note that this kind of dough will be stickier than what you mother mixed up because it *is* wetter, and there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with sticky. Ideally, it should be tacky to the counter but pull away almost clean and the first few turns. Check out my kneading video to get a better idea. Sorry I don't have a more definitive answer, but let me know how you make out.

Dear Reader:
Aha! You need to (re)read Week 19! Everyone makes this mistake at one time or another, but the hydration is the percentage of water to the flour, not to the total (water+flour+salt+yeast). So, we have 620g flour and 422 g water. The hydration (or baker's percentage of water) is thus 422/620 = 68%. I'm surprised you found the dough dry, however. It's usually a pretty moist dough, but if it feels dry next time, add more water. Different flours have different properties. Thanks for the question, and good luck!

Dear Reader:
Welcome to the dark arts. I look forward to hearing from you when you start baking!

Dear Reader:
Hmm. I wonder if there's something in the peaches that yeast doesn't like. Was the peach water fermenting (i.e., bubbling and had an alcohol-like aroma) before you added the flour? If not, I'd have to suspect the peaches and would have you start over using apples or grapes. If you peach water *was* fermenting, you may not be stirring enough at this stage. Try whipping some air into it several times and day, and if you still can't revive it, start over -- there's no shame in that.

Dear Reader:
If the levain doesn't work out, it sounds like you're on the way to good apple jack, at least. Mmmmm....apple jack....

Dear Reader:
Hey Rick, Glad you found the solution to your oven spring problem while the doctor making a house call. Especially since I didn't have a solution. Bon appetit!

Dear Reader:
Beats me.

Dear Reader:
Hi Robert, Hmm. If it's not holding its shape, it does sound too wet. Try adding a little more flour. Also, since it sounds like the bread isn't rising, are you sure your levain is good? It should become bubbly a couple of hours after feeding. Finally, after dealing with those issues, you might try forming the dough into two batards instead of a boule. The higher ratio of crust to crumb can help out a troubled loaf. Let the doctor know you make out.

Dear Reader:
I don't add whole wheat to my levain, but there are bakers who do. It will change the character of it a bit,so you might want to first experiment with only half of it. And of course, once you add whole wheat to it, you can no longer make true white bread (e.g., baguettes) with it. Stone-Buhr bread flour has a listed protein content of 11.5 - 12.1%, right in line with the KA all-purpose flour that I use, so you're in good shape there. (The grams of protein listed on the bag is an approximation: I like to to to a company's website for exact specifications.)

Dear Reader:
Wow, that *is* a thick stone (and probably a beautiful one as well), but I don't think it's too thick. What you're really doing is kind of cool: simulating a wood-fired brick or clay oven, where the fire is extinguished before baking, with the walls of the oven providing the heat. If the bread is good, and cooked all the way through, then stick with it; otherwise you might try turning down the oven a bit, in 25-degree increments.

The reason for the long preheating time btw is more due to the fact that the stone interferes with circulation and stops the heat from reaching the thermostat sensor than the thickness of the stone. I use my oven's convection setting during pre-heating to get around that problem.

Dear Reader:
I'd say you go ahead and grab a couple now. The only thing you'll be missing is the bonus of added natural sugar, which many starter recipes don't worry about. And you could always add a pinch of sugar to the apple water if after a couple of days it hasn't begun to smell a bit cidery.

Dear Reader:
You can't go wrong with the one from from King Arthur. In terms of what to look for, the thicker the better. And stay away from anything that says it needs to be "cured" first. It will drive you out of your house with the smell.

Dear Reader:
Dear Hero, Depending on how much levain you have, you may want to build it up with an extra feeding or two before dipping into 250g of it. Or feed before baking, and replenish after. I've taken to feeding the night before, btw, which allows a little more time to bake the next day and also yields a slightly livelier levain. As for yeast, I don't use fresh yeast, only instant. I've seen it in some grocery store in the dairy section, but these days it's generally sold only in bulk. With its short shelf life, I wouldn't bother, unless your monks insist on it, as mine did. The instant is just fine, and more consistent.

Dear Reader:
Sorry you were confused, Leslie. Yes, you did indeed "send it swimming," but you may be able to rescue it. First let me try to clarify a couple of things that I admit were not totally clear: 1. "Reserved tap water" refers to the the quart or so of tap water that you started with and first used to make the apple water. 2. Whenever I use volume references (a quart of tap water, a cup for the apples) these are imprecise measurements that don't really have to be precise because we are just getting some "raw ingredients" ready that we'll weigh out later in the course of making the levain. 3. "Grams" is a measure of weight, not volume, so wherever you see "grams" you weigh. In fact, other than the case I gave above, you always weigh. 4. On the last day, I wanted you to add "the remaining 100 g of flour and 100 g water," not all the remaining water. So you added, as I think you've realized now, 400 g (or 400 ml -- same thing) too much water. If you still have the levain, try adding another 400 g of flour, to get back to your 50/50 ratio. If it starts bubbling in a few hours, you're good to go. Hope this makes sense! Let me know how you make out.

Dear Reader:
Hi, Marta. I'm afraid all I said to Diane was that I wasn't familiar with it, not having the problem myself. You might want to check the King Arthur Flour website. They sell a gluten-free flour (and a cook book) but I've never tried either. Best of luck.

Dear Reader:
Simply lower your altitude by 5,000 feet and you'll be fine. Re parchment paper, yes, it will char in a 500-degree oven. Once I went to that high a temp (I actually preheat to 525 these days) I stopped using it, switching instead to a Super Peel or rice flour on a wooden peel.

Dear Reader:
"Coq au vin with fish" -- isn't that "poisson au vin"? Regardless, keep up the good work, and maybe I'll be able to catch up with you on my next tour.

Dear Reader:
Congrats on your perfect bread! Only 40 years? Actually, if I bake at least once a week, I never throw away levain. I feed the night before with the amount I'm going to use in the bread, so I maintain a steady supply. You can safely go a week between feedings with a mature, refrigerated levain. I've heard you can freeze it, but I've never tried it.

Dear Reader:
Not surprised ... I use my bench scraper for my kids' math homework.

Dear Reader:
I would think that Phoenix in summer can certainly have an effect not only on your levain but on your dough, so you might need to increase the water. However, the levain does start out a little stiff. It will get thinner later, to the consistency of thick pancake batter. But it shouldn't be as stiff as dough. Add a little more water, and don't worry too much about the correct ratios as this point, as add the subsequent additions of equal parts (by weight) of flour and water will even things out in the end. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
That's the alcohol in the bubbles you're smelling, and "pungent and cider" sounds perfect. Keep whipping in air and, with any luck, you're on your way - Bon appetit!

Dear Reader:
Hi Craig, That was a fun event in Portland. Re your bread, it's very possible that the dough *wasn't* too wet. Bakers today use much wetter doughs than, say, Fannie Farmer. That being said, opening up the crumb was the focus of much of my year of baking, so I know exactly what you're talking about (and unfortunately don't have an answer). As for the moistness, don't be afraid to bake the bread to a deep brown -- almost burned, and you can turn the oven off and leave the loaf in there for 20 minutes with the door cracked open for a bit. Also, try forming two batards, instead a boule. The thinner loaf and higher ratio of crust to crumb helps dry out the bread. But it sounds like not a bad start for your loaf with my recipe. -- Dr. Bill

Dear Reader:
Hi Inna, Without smelling your starter, it's hard to say, but it does take a while (a month or so) for it to mature. Make sure to whip in plenty of air to favor yeast over bacteria. Give it a chance, and if you don't like it, stick with your old starter. I'll bet you there's more wild yeast in there than commercial at this point. I'm not aware of any health benefits of wild yeast vs. dry. I love that you use the whey from homemade cottage cheese(!) in your bread and that you don't throw anything away. Thanks for the note.

Dear Reader:
Nocolien, I don't know what they teach about the metric system in the Netherlands, but 100 ml water weighs 100 grams. Sure, you can measure it by volume if you're more comfortable with that, but I guarantee you'll get more accurate results if you weight out 100 grams instead. You can weigh anything: solid, liquid, or gas. Regarding the other question, I have to plead guilty to confusing wording. What I mean to say is to replace the gray water that accumulates on top of the starter with an approximately equivalent amount of the water/flour mixture that it consists of, which is about a 3:1 ratio. So if you pour off 40g on grey water, replace with 30g of water and 10g flour -- clear? Glad to hear you made a successful starter -- you're halfway there!

Dear Reader:
I would think so. I'd throw in like 3, split into quarter, and see what happens.

Dear Reader:
Thanks. Hope you got the Father's Day gift you deserve. As far as the grapes go, I'd throw in like three handfuls. The amount isn't critical, as you're going to discard them later anyway. Let me know how it works out.

Dear Reader:
You again, Harris? If this is a foreshadowing of what's going to happen when we all have free health care, we're gonna need a lot more doctors. Anyway, I'm bailing out on you on this one. I've no idea. Perhaps you should consult a specialist. That being said...try it; what's the worst that can happen. Flour is cheap.

Dear Reader:
It's indeed a sad state of affairs. I need a life. Now, are you using KA bread machine flour, or all purpose? (Use the machine flour, if you're not). Try reducing the yeast by half of the original amount. But keep in mind you're taking advice (or not) from someone who (with all this idle time on his hands) never uses a bread machine (OK, so I used it once [chapter 38]), so take this all with a grain of salt. Or yeast. Or whatever....

Dear Reader:
Bet if you gave her a copy of the book she would :) Kneading my way only takes 5 minutes!! (Less time than to clean the bread machine, but some people use the machine ONLY to knead, and bake the bread in the oven, which isn't a bad compromise.) In any event, as much as it pains me to even attempt to diagnose bread machine problems,the bread doctor's Hippocratic oath requires him to treat all patients. So... Sounds like the bread is over-rising, so I'd cut back on the yeast and maybe use a really high-gluten flour like King Arthur bread flour if problems persist. (Now be a good dad and give your daughter a good read...even if she sticks with Mr. Breadman!)

Dear Reader:
I suspect that if you haven't used your levain for a few months, it's dead. An easy test: add some flour and water and leave it out for a few hours. If you don't get any bubbling (or it smells foul), it's dead, so you'll need to start over (local grapes are a good way to start, btw). If you're not baking regularly, you need to feed the levain weekly or so (you may need to discard some first so you don't end up with a barrel of the stuff. Now, I've heard that you can freeze it, but I've never tried that, so take with a grain of salt.

Dear Reader:
It kind of looks like the haze that appears on the inside of the windshield of your car (which is caused by outgassing of the plastics used in the interior). I suspect most apples, hazy or not, have wild yeast on them (as does the flour you'll be adding), but I feel better using one that has a visible haze.

Dear Reader:
52 Loaves should, I've been told, be available in all popular digital formats (Kindle, Nook, and others) within a couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience!

Dear Reader:
I believe that both of those breads (and I think black Russian is a little heavier than pump.) actually get their dark color from the addition of artificial coloring, which you certainly don't want to do at home. But you can make dark rye or pumpernickel at home by adding about a tablespoon of molasses and either a couple of teaspoons of liquid caramel coloring (or cocoa or coffee powder dissolved in a 2 tablespoons of water). Let me know if you succeed!

Dear Reader:
Hi Nicolien, Thanks for the very enjoyable note. Your father is right: American grain (esp. from the northern plains) is much harder than European grain. Ironically, Europe now imports quite a bit of it, as some bakers over there prefer a harder flour. Now, regarding bread, I have a German friend who, when she tasted my bread, said, "Now this is the bread I remember!" so hopefully my recipes will evoke the same reaction from you. Bon appetit!

Dear Reader:
Your faith in me is humbling. But I'm wondering if you heard the part of the interview where I said to throw out the bread machine :) Just for kicks, try the same recipe, but without Mr. Breadman. After mixing the ingredients together, let it rest for a half hour before you begin kneading (or you can knead using the machine, then remove the dough for the fermentation and proofing steps). Bake in a loaf pan or free form on a pizza stone and see if it still falls.

Dear Reader:
Congratulations on liberating yourself from that lousy machine! Now, I hate to tell you this, but...the answers to hyour question are all in 52 Loaves. Just click on that little "Buy" link on the top of the page. (The short answer, it's a little of both, plus experience, which makes it sound harder than it is.)

Dear Reader:
Hi Jim, Sounds to the bread doctor like the patient isn't breathing. I assume you're adding other leavening; otherwise if your breads are rising the sourdough isn't dead. If you want to make a new one, go to the "recipes" section and look up "building a levain." Ever better, read 52 Loaves, which has a full chapter on doing this. Good luck!

Dear Reader:
I'm afraid this question is out the bread doctor's area of specialty (home baking). But why let that stop me...I would suggest you propose doing a test: A small batch with the paddle, and one with the hook, and have all the employees do a blind tasting to see which one is best.

Dear Reader:
You could ask 2 bakers that question and get 3 answers. I planted hard winter wheat, though apparently due to my soil conditions, the wheat turned out rather soft...but still made good bread. Some bakers prefer soft wheat, so it comes down to when you want to plant/harvest your wheat. You could still plant spring wheat now, for instance, while winter wheat isn't planted till the fall. I can't help you with a source -- I just bought a couple of seed packets from a catalog...and it didn't even have the variety, just said "winter wheat." But good luck with it! Highly suggest the read 52 LOAVES first, though. Lots of tips on doing this.

Dear Reader:
That struggle you describe pretty much sums it up. It's close to a gloppy dough, but I haven't made enough ciabatta to give you a hydration percentage. Using plenty of flour on the countertop as you shape the loaf (you kind of stretch it out and fold it back on itself) will help it hold its shape in the folds of a couche as it proofs. Then, get it into a *real* hot oven damn quick - it will flatten out some as it hits the stone, but then pop back up when the oven spring kicks in. If you're not getting holes, add more water next time. Weigh everything and keep a log till you get it right!

Dear Reader:
To the survival of the starter, the ratio is not critical at all. But to later use the starter in recipes that assume your starter has 50% hydration level is another story. Since you say you want to insure you success, the only way to do that is to weigh the ingredients. So, you may as well get off on the right foot, get your scale now, and build your starter by weight, not eyes. On the right-hand side of my blog you will see a link to an inexpensive one that I recommend.

Dear Reader:
Thanks for the note, Michael. Oddly, I started with bread and have been gravitating towards pizza. Perhaps we'll pass each other midway. If you're near Poughkeepsie May 1, stop by the Artist's Palate at 4:00 for a taste of my peasant bread (plus other breads and olive oils).

Dear Reader:
We should all be so lucky. I spent a good part of my baking year trying to get some gas pockets into my bread, and they're especially hard to achieve in heavier breads like your rye. These voids are the result of the anaerobic respiration of the yeast (the same action responsible for bread rising), which occurs while the bread is both fermenting and proofing (aka the second rise) and also during the first few minutes of baking when, in a process call "oven spring," the high temperature of the oven fuels the metabolism of the yeast, and they exhale like crazy in a furious frenzy. Until they die. Now, why do these gases sometimes produce an even rising and yield bread with the consistency of a sponge, and sometimes coalesce into pockets? Good question, and I wish I had a scientific answer. I have found that using a levain, or starter (or sourdough), will usually give you more air pockets, as will using a really hot oven, like 550 degrees for the first few minutes, but it changes from one loaf to the next, and I have to confess, it's a bit of a mystery to me.

Dear Reader:
Hmm...This sounds like a setup, but the doctor will answer, regardless. Three possibilities: 1) If you're me, you'll realize that this is yet another symptom of a failing mind, and get a humiliating mental status workup (Chapter 28: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste); 2) You will have to eat a loaf of tasteless bread, which is so bad it won't even make decent toast; or 3) Congratulations! You just made a classic Pane Tuscano. You're a better baker than you think.

Dear Reader:
The best way to to eat it quickly, so you don't have to do. But if you must, leave it on the counter, cut down down, on a breadboard. Never wrap in plastic or place in the fridge, which hastens staling.