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19h •
Saturday Bake-Along: Pretzel Loaf 🥨 | Working Thread
Good morning, bakers. Today's the day. Two tracks, same destination: Yeasted with Poolish — if you started your poolish last night, you're on the dinner-ready timeline. Sourdough — longer build, deeper flavor. Worth the wait. Both recipes finish with the alkaline bath, that mahogany crust, and the snap that makes a pretzel loaf a pretzel loaf. Drop in the thread: - Where you are in the process - Photos as you go (poolish, dough, shaped, boiled, baked, sliced) - Questions, anytime. No question is too small. - Wins. Fails. Everything in between. Quick reminders: - Bread sling or parchment makes the boil-to-oven transfer way easier - Everything topping goes on right after the boil while the surface is wet, not after the bake - 4.7L water, 120g baking soda, rolling boil before you dunk - Watch the crust color, you want deep mahogany, not just brown Adjust to fit your kitchen: If the alkaline bath feels like a lot, or your pot's not big enough, or you're juggling one Dutch oven and trying to make it all work, split the dough into two smaller loaves. Smaller loaves are easier to handle in the bath, easier to bake, and just as tasty. Bake time will come down a bit, so watch the color and the internal temp. Adjust to the situation you're in. The recipe works for you, not the other way around. Both recipes are in the Recipe Pantry. Full video walk-through is on YouTube if you need a refresher. Let's bake. Perfection is not required. Progress is. ~ Henry ⭐🔥
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2d •
Tomorrow Is Pretzel Loaf Day. Tonight Is Prep Night.
Tomorrow is Pretzel Loaf Bake-Along day, and if you're on the yeasted poolish track, tonight is prep night. Here's what to do before bed. Your poolish is a 1:1:1 mix. Equal parts flour and water, plus a tiny pinch of instant yeast. About 0.1% of your flour weight. That's barely an eighth of a teaspoon for a typical batch. Mix it, cover it loosely, and let it sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. By morning, it should be bubbly, slightly domed, and just starting to dip in the middle. The smell will be sweet, yeasty, almost like fresh beer. If it's flat in the morning, it either needs more time or a warmer spot. Don't panic. Move it somewhere warmer and check again in an hour. Sourdough track bakers, build your levain tonight on your normal timing. If your starter's been a little sluggish this week, give it the strongest feeding you've given it all week. You want it climbing the jar by morning. Both tracks meet at the same dough stage tomorrow morning. From there, we're all baking together. Get your tools out tonight too. Bench scraper, scale, banneton, lame, bread sling parchment, slotted spider or pancake spatula as backup, butter ready to melt, everything seasoning in a bowl, Maldon salt nearby. The bath happens fast. You don't want to be hunting for tools when there's hot alkaline water on the stove. Read the cheat sheet one more time before you turn in. It's pinned at the top of the thread. Drop any last questions below. I'm watching the thread tonight. Yeasted recipe with a poolish: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/yeasted-pretzel-loaf-poolish?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share Sourdough recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/sourdough-pretzel-loaf?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share
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2d •
⚠️ The Most Dangerous Part of the Bake (And How to Master It)
Hey bakers. Henry here. Today we are tackling the alkaline bath. This is the most dangerous part of the bake, but it's also the exact step that makes this loaf a pretzel. If you've never done a pretzel bath before, I'm walking you through exactly how to execute it safely in our newest video. I'll cover the essential rules, including why you must add your baking soda slowly from the edge of the pot to prevent a volcano-like eruption, the importance of leaving a 2 to 3-inch safety buffer in your pot, and why you need to match your loaf size to your pot. Watch the video before you start, and don't forget to save and print the Alkaline Bath cheat sheet pinned at the top of the bake-along thread so you have it ready on your counter for Saturday morning. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Come bake with us! ~Henry ⭐🔥
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3d •
Levito Madre Benefits
Lievito Madre is a stiff Italian sourdough starter (~45-50% hydration) that provides a milder, sweeter flavor profile, improved digestibility, and superior, fluffier texture in baked goods compared to liquid starters. Due to its low-acid, yeast-heavy fermentation, it is ideal for any dough but especially for rich, high-fat, and sweet doughs like panettone, brioche, and premium pizza. Levito Madre can be used in it’s stiff state or you can make a levain from it. Key Benefits of Lievito Madre - Superior Texture & Volume: Produces incredibly light, fluffy, and soft dough structures, making it perfect for enriched breads. Also works wonderfully in lean doughs - Mild Flavor Profile: Unlike tangy, acidic liquid starters, Lievito Madre creates a delicate, mild, and often sweet aroma due to high lactic acid production. - Enhanced Digestibility: Long fermentation breaks down gluten and antinutrients, making the final bread easier to digest. - Its stiff, strong structure helps doughs rise in recipes with high fat and sugar, such as panettone or pizza, without losing, strength. - Longer Shelf Life: Natural acids from the slow fermentation act as a preservative, keeping baked goods fresh for longer without mold. - Nutritional Benefits: Increases the availability of vitamins and minerals like magnesium and iron. - Ideal for Pizza: Produces a very airy, crunchy crust with high digestibility. Lievito Madre vs. Liquid Sourdough - Hydration: Stiff/Firm (45–50% water) vs. Liquid (usually 100% water). - Flavor: Mild and sweet vs. Often sour/acidic. - Bacteria/Yeast: Promotes more lactic acid bacteria and yeast growth, less acetic acid. Usage Tips - Because it is firm, it is sometimes "bathed" (soaked in water) to reduce acidity before refreshing. - It is often used in recipes requiring long, natural rising. Pictured below are the stages of fermentation, from just mixed to peak Happy Baking!! @Tracy Havlik @Donna Angelo @Sandy Chong @Ann Snow @Patt Stanaway @Deborah Karaban @Judy Lyle @Mauvette Bailey @JoAnn Amato @Colleen Vergara
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