How Bread Actually Works…Or, How to Bake Bread Like the Pros Do It

You’ve heard it said that baking is a science and cooking is an art, but the science behind baking something as simple as bread is such a mind-boggling stream of interconnected processes all working together to finish in one harmonious piece, it makes you question the adage. Whether you’re a baking novice or a seasoned veteran, this quasi-narrative baking expose from Andrew Sean Greer is great piece of writing on the science of baking.   

The inquiry Greer conducts is done in conjunction with this mother (a professor of food chemistry) and Chad Robertson, a famous San Franciscan baker, making for great conversation and background information. I worked casually at a small, family-owned French bakery in high school but this was my first real intro into the fascinating world that something as simple as baking bread can hold.

Let me know what you think and feel free to share links to your favorite bread recipes.