Baked 2 loaves of bread and experimented with a mixture of high gluten and wholewheat flour. Both were identical, but somehow one ended up larger than the other. I am guessing, I had more starter in one. I opened baked and scored at 7 minutes. I was aiming for an ear and scored deeply. I was very determined to get them ears. I was thrilled, I finally managed to achieve this. I did my Happy Sourdough Dance in the kitchen. I gifted one to a good neighbor and she was kind enough to take pictures for me for a crumb shot. I was very surprised the larger one was so much more easier to roll. The smaller one was sticker and tougher as it bulk fermented faster. This really was an eye opener to me. Experimenting and picking up data was a great information and how to perfect on the next loaf. Please provide feedback, if I scored too deeply or not. 🍞

The challenge this week will be how to manage the butter. I’ll speak to that later today, but in the meantime, isn’t this a pretty slice of bread? Brioche: https://skoo.ly/brioche Brioche hamburger buns: https://skoo.ly/buns-brioche

Last week was croissant bread, where we kept the butter cold and separate so it could make layers. This week we flip it completely. We’re melting the butter all the way in for the softest, richest crumb you’ve ever pulled out of a loaf pan. The bread is brioche. Buttery, golden, tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. But we’re not making it the ordinary way. Here’s the twist. We’re starting with a tangzhong, that little cooked flour and milk paste that lets bread stay soft for days. And instead of beating the butter in later, we’re melting it right into the tangzhong while it’s still warm and cooling. Why does that matter? The tangzhong pre-cooks the starch so the dough can hold more moisture. Folding the butter in at that stage carries the richness deep into the crumb from the very first step. You end up with a softer, more evenly buttery loaf that stays fresh longer. Same ingredient as last week. Completely different job. Cold butter builds layers. Melted butter builds softness. That’s the whole lesson. I’m baking mine today and I’ll bring you the results. Recipe details are coming this week, and we bake together Saturday. So tell me: who’s ready to go from flaky to pillowy soft this week? Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

A lot of you have been asking what I use to keep my bread after it comes out of the oven, so here it is. It’s the ModKitchn bread bag. Mine does double duty. I freeze loaves in it, and I store bread right on the counter in it too. The crust stays the way I want it instead of going soft and sweaty like it does in a plastic grocery bag, and there’s no wrestling with cling wrap or a drawer full of twist ties. It’s reusable, it’s built for bread, and it holds up wash after wash. Pair it with the flash-freeze trick I shared earlier, freeze the loaf naked until it’s solid, then bag it, and you’ve got bakery-fresh bread weeks down the road. ModKitchn is running a Father’s Day sale right now, and my link gets you 10% off on top: 👉 https://bit.ly/4oCANvx If you’ve been tossing good bread into cheap plastic, this is the upgrade. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

If a loaf isn't going to be eaten within a day or two, the freezer is usually your best friend. In this lesson, we look at what actually causes bread to go stale, why the refrigerator often makes the problem worse, and how to freeze, thaw, and refresh your bread so it keeps as much of its original quality as possible. You'll learn: 🥖 Why bread goes stale ❄️ Why freezing works 🚫 Why the refrigerator isn't always the answer 🍞 How to freeze whole loaves and sliced bread 🔥 How to bring frozen bread back to life A simple skill. A big difference. 🎬 Watch the lesson here: https://youtu.be/eiepOzOVDgk 🛍️ Member Discount from ModKitchn Many of you ask how I store bread at home. One of the tools I use is the ModKitchn Fresh Bread Storage Bag. It's designed for countertop storage and freezer use, making it a great option for keeping your bread fresher longer. ModKitchn has generously offered Crust & Crumb Academy members 10% off. 👉 https://modkitchn.com/discount/BAKINGGREATBREAD10 Use code: BAKINGGREATBREAD10 Thank you to Morgan and the team at ModKitchn for supporting bread bakers and our community. Perfection not required. Progress expected. Henry⭐🔥 Crust & Crumb Academy