NEW BOOK! Mastering Bulk Fermentation and Dough Structure: Open Crumb Mastery Companion

Well, it took me long enough, but I finally released a new book!

Mastering Bulk Fermentation and Dough Structure: Open Crumb Mastery Companion.

It’s a companion (obviously) to “Open Crumb Mastery.” As you probably deduced from the title, it’s focused specifically on bulk fermentation and building dough structure.

Now, I know what you might be thinking, “Why a guide to bulk fermentation and dough structure? Is it really necessary? And didn’t you already cover this stuff in your book?” They’re good questions, so let me answer them in turn. . .

Why a Guide to Bulk Fermentation and Dough Structure?

It’s become plainly obvious to me that bulk fermentation is a real trouble spot for many, many bakers — especially home bakers and those new to the craft. Over the years, I’ve been asked to diagnose problems for way more loaves than I can possibly count; and most of the time, the problem originates with poor fermentation. Specifically, starter activity and bulk fermentation.

Now, a healthy and active starter is the foundation of good fermentation. You simply can’t get a good fermentation during bulk if your starter isn’t firing on all cylinders (or at least, firing on most cylinders). Consider a healthy starter as a prerequisite to proper bulk fermentation. And because of that, it would certainly be appropriate to include discussion of starter health and maintenance in this guide. But if I did, then this focused and user-friendly length guide would have grown to a user-unfriendly length tome . Trust me on this.

(Believe it or not, there was once a time when a little 50 page pamphlet I was writing about open crumb turned into a 384 page book!)

So to keep the length of this guide a bit more reasonable (and therefore the price as well), I’ve decided to split off bulk fermentation into its own separate topic. Specifically, I wanted to focus on its role in building dough structure. It seems to me that there’s quite a bit of confusion over what dough structure is or isn’t. Oftentimes, dough structure is simply reduced down to gluten. And that’s a very poor definition. Gluten may be a part of dough structure, but dough structure is much, much more than just gluten. So I thought it would be helpful to dive deep into this topic so as to better round out the discussion.

Is It Necessary?

Well . . .

It seems to me that most of the difficulties that arise during bulk fermentation (aside from starter issues, that is) can be traced back to two main causes: 1) Misunderstanding the role and functions of bulk fermentation, and 2) Inability to properly measure the progress and/or “read the signs” during bulk. Essentially, these are problems of ignorance.

And that’s a good thing!

Because ignorance has a cure, and it’s called education. That is the purpose of this guide; to educate. By addressing these two main problem areas we can solve many of the troubles and challenges that arise so frequently during bulk. Additionally, this guide makes clear the manner in which bulk fermentation can be used to build and manipulate dough structure. For too many, this is a lost opportunity. The dough structure you build during bulk fermentation determines so many of the final characteristics of your bread — shape, height, volume, and crumb. So this book shows you how to build the dough structure you need in order to get the bread you desire.

Now if you ask me, I’d say that seems pretty necessary. Or at least, it’s necessary to those struggling with bulk fermentation and dough structure. And believe me, there are many fine folks out there who are struggling. A little education might go a long way towards helping them out.

But Didn’t You Already Cover This Stuff in Your Book?

I’m glad you asked. The answer is yes, yes I did. Much of it anyway; though certainly there will be plenty of new information and original insights to be found here as well. That’s kind of beside the point though. The information presented here is arranged and covered in a fundamentally different way. Let me explain . . .

The purpose of my original book was to awaken bakers — well, those who were seeking to better understand and achieve open crumb (which was really just a lens through which to examine dough structure) — to all the myriad factors involved in such pursuit. Bulk fermentation plays a huge role in the development of crumb structure, so naturally I spent a great deal of time discussing it in my book (around 80 pages or so). But there are many other factors involved in open crumb as well: starter health/activity, fermentation, hydration, dough handling, etc. And so my book necessarily covered those as well.

Furthermore, I see bread baking as a whole. Each stage of the process builds upon the stage that came before, and multiple forces are simultaneously in play at any given moment. In order to truly understand the process — as a whole — one must be able to see where each of the pieces fit within the puzzle. As I see it, that necessitates a certain approach to learning — something a bit more holistic.

So the material in “Open Crumb Mastery” was presented in a way to facilitate this style of learning. To a certain extent, all of the topics were intertwined. Subjects overlapped, and I would alternate between zooming in to examine something in close detail, then zooming out to see how it fits as a whole. I would frequently get started on a topic, then take a brief (but necessary) detour into different subject matter, before circling back to finish the original discussion.

In other words, my book was a journey — a leisurely stroll along a meandering path. The purpose wasn’t to rush directly from “point A” to “point B”. It was to survey the land between, and maybe enjoy some of the scenery along the way. More to the point, it was intended to provide insight into a professional baker’s mind; an approach to bread baking that could lay a foundation from which the reader could then build their own methods upon. It was about understanding core principles so that each baker could then personalize the bread-making process to suit their own preferences and needs.

Pretty good stuff, I know. But there was a drawback to this approach. A big one. The book was long, and the focus was split among several interconnecting topics. Not everyone is suited to such an approach. As I’ve since learned over these last few years, some folks prefer to learn one thing at a time. For them (and possibly, for you as well) information is best absorbed in bite-sized chunks, and with greater focus on particular questions applied to specific problem areas.

So this guide is an attempt at providing that focus. Yes, much of what you’ll find in here was already covered in my book (and in many of my Instagram posts as well). But here you’ll find that information consolidated and clarified in way that many will find more helpful. Also, knowledge that was bestowed implicitly in my book has been made more explicit here. No need to read between the lines. And like I mentioned earlier, there is plenty of new material here as well. If you’ve already studied my book, you will still find considerable value here. This guide further builds upon — and expands — the discussion, and the new material should help fit any of the last remaining pieces into the puzzle. Though this work is a stand-alone product that can be fully understood and appreciated without having read its predecessor, when read together with “Open Crumb Mastery,” it will provide the most complete insight available on these topics. The two books truly enhance each other.

So if this book sounds like something you might find helpful then here’s a link to the product page. I hope you like the book!

Cheers!

Trevor