BUFFALO, N.Y. — From banana bread to sourdough, baking your own bread is good way to pass the time if you're home a lot, and if you want to avoid making a lot of trips to the grocery store.
That's why Allison Ewing, one of the founding owners of Breadhive Bakery on Buffalo's West Side, isn't surprised that the activity has become so popular for people while they practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Allison got the baking bug at home before she turned pro. Here are some of her tips for learning how to bake bread at home:
1) Get creative if you don't have all the right kitchen tools: Just because you don't think you have the right equipment for the recipe, doesn't mean you can't work around it. For example, if you don't have a bread-rising basket, you can use a kitchen bowl lined with a well-floured towel, and if you don't have a razor blade for scoring the loaf, you can use a sharp knife.
2) Use a covered container for artisan crust: This is one of Allison's favorite tips for at-home bread baking. For sourdough or other artisan loaves, Allison says the only way to get a dark, "shiny," crackly crust is to use a container with a lid or a Dutch oven. Inside the container, the dough will generate it's own steam, which will create that shiny, crackly effect.
3) Don't get discouraged by the fails: Baking fails happen to everyone, even the professionals. Allison suggests salvaging bread that didn't turn out how you hoped for croutons, bread pudding or meatballs.
One of Allison's favorite websites for learning to bake is The Fresh Loaf.
She will also answer your baking questions on Twitter, at @BreadHive.