Mistakes taste good

Not every recipe comes out a success, but learning along the way can be delicious.

After my neighbor helped me hook up my new TV, I decided to thank him with some fresh baked bread. Good thing I made two loaves.

The damage

• Stand mixer dough hook and bowl
• Baking sheet
• Cup measure
• Teaspoon measure
• Cutting board and bread knife

The bread

• Flour
• Salt
• Yeast
• Water

Follow the Joy of Cooking recipe for french bread, which conveniently yields two petite baguettes.

Lessons learned

• Any seams in the bread -- faults along which the dough isn't really sealed to itself  after kneading-- will crack open in the oven. Knead thoroughly.
• Mine baked for a good 15 minutes longer than the recipe indicates.
• I could see brush strokes where I painted on the egg wash. Not hot.

Overall, the precision of baking doesn't stop with careful measurements. Though not particularly challenging, baking techniques require close attention to detail.

But I'm not scared. If taste counts, this bread baking adventure was a resounding success.