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Baking tips<br />
from the pro<br />
Amori Burger, chef at the Van Der<br />
Linde restaurant, tells us what to<br />
watch out for...<br />
1. Adding too much flour to the bread –<br />
some bread doughs call for a ‘gloopy’ dough<br />
but you feel it might be too sticky and add<br />
more flour. Trust the fermentation magic to<br />
do what it needs to do.<br />
2. Using a stand mixer – if you’re just baking<br />
at home, use your hands. When you touch<br />
the dough you’ll understand when the<br />
recipe talks about ‘the feel’ and this is how<br />
you learn and get better. You’ll know after<br />
baking what different doughs feel like and<br />
you can tweak them into getting the desired<br />
crumb and crust etc.<br />
3. Too hot or too cold when fermenting<br />
– the temperature of the fermentation is<br />
very important. Too hot and it will proof too<br />
quickly and the gluten will not develop the<br />
way it’s supposed to. Too cold and you’ll get<br />
a different kind of loaf. Optimal temperature<br />
is 25°C to 28°C.<br />
4. Being impatient – when the recipe asks<br />
for 12 - 18 hours of fermentation, do 18<br />
hours. You will be rewarded.<br />
5. Not baking the bread enough – there’s<br />
a fine line between baked perfectly and<br />
burnt. This is a skill that comes with practice<br />
and there’s no easy way, unfortunately. The<br />
French call it ‘bien cuit pas trop cuff’ – ‘well<br />
baked, but not overdone’. When perfectly<br />
baked, the crust will have layers of flavours<br />
that are complex and make the difference<br />
between good bread and great bread.<br />
[MONTH] [YEAR] Get It Joburg <strong>West</strong> [PAGENO]<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2020</strong> Get It Joburg <strong>West</strong> 35
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