When making lean, crusty breads, it’s important to employ gentle handling to retain as much of the carbon dioxide as possible after the primary fermentation. These small pockets of holes become the foundation for the large, irregular holes formed during proofing and during baking that are the hallmark of high-quality hearth breads.

However, if you prefer to bake with sea salt or kosher salt, remember that the weight will remain the same, but the spoon equivalent will differ.

Pre-ferments extend fermentation time, allowing for more flavor to be coaxed out of the complex wheat molecule. Four types of pre-fermented dough are commonly used, with variations of each creating the possibility of endless types of pre-ferments. There are two types of firm, or stiff, pre-ferments and two types of wet, or sponge, pre-ferments. The

When adding ingredients to the mixing bowl, it is a good idea to avoid placing the yeast and the salt in direct contact with each other, as salt will kill the yeast in such concentrated contact. Instead, you can stir the salt into the flour, and then do the same with the yeast, or simply place the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl prior

The cut is made with just the tip of the blade to avoid dragging the back part of the blade through the dough (which would rip it rather than slit it). I often tell my students to say the word slit when they make the cut to emphasize this action—like slitting open an envelope—over any other notion of cutting.

I double the barm at each feeding if I want a very sour bread, but I triple, quadruple, or even quintuple it when I want a less sour flavor. Remember, it takes longer for the bacteria than the yeast to work, so while a larger feeding dilutes both the bacterial and the wild-yeast communities, the yeast bounces back faster than the bacteria, creating

Fermentation is the single most important stage in the creation of great bread.

Flour, whether whole wheat or sifted into clear (once sifted or bolted) or patent (twice sifted or bolted) bleached or unbleached white flours (see this page), is called the “100 percent ingredient,” against which all other ingredients stand in ratio. In

Transfer this sponge to a clean plastic, glass, or ceramic storage container that is twice as large as the barm is. When transferring it to the container, repeatedly dip your hand, spatula, or bowl scraper in water to keep the barm from sticking to it. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours,