Before You Get Started
Equipment: A baker's most important tool is observation. After your first few loaves, you'll begin to "read the bread" -- you'll be able to tell how your recipe is developing by the bread's texture and appearance. Aside from that, all you need to make fantastic bread are measuring cups and spoons, a large glass bowl, a wooden spoon, a flat surface on which to knead the bread, an oven, and a wire cooling rack. (Glass bowls and wooden spoons are preferable to metal, which can react with the dough and affect the bread's flavor.)

Ingredients: As with any type of cooking, quality ingredients help produce quality food. But that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Common-sense steps will help ensure a tasty loaf: Check the expiration date when you purchase yeast; be sure to buy exactly the type of flour called for in a recipe (bread flour, for example), and use bottled water if your local tap water has any unpleasant smells or flavors.

Measuring: Careful measuring of ingredients is essential to making good bread. Don't rely on guesswork. When measuring the flour, be sure to follow our instructions to lightly spoon it into the measuring cup (don't scoop!), and level off the excess using a knife. Be sure to use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients like flour and sugar, and liquid measuring cups for any liquid.

Dissolving the Yeast
In this first step, dry yeast and a little sugar are dissolved (or proofed) in a liquid that is usually warmed to 100 degrees to 110 degrees. First-timers take note: It's always a good idea to use a thermometer until you feel comfortable recognizing the target temperature. You can also test the warmth of the liquid on the inside of your wrist -- it should feel no warmer than a hot shower.

About five minutes after mixing the yeast and sugar with liquid, the moisture and warmth bring the yeast out of the dormant stage and cause it to begin reproducing. As yeast grows, it consumes the sugar and emits carbon dioxide and alcohol, which appear as bubbles on the surface of the dissolved yeast; those bubbles mean the yeast is alive and well, and it is safe to go on to the next stage. If no bubbles are present, then the liquid used to proof the yeast was either too hot and killed it, or it was too cold and inhibited the yeast growth. Another possibility is that the yeast in the package has expired due to time or exposure to differing temperatures. (Store unopened dry yeast in the refrigerator.)

Mixing
Within this stage there are 2 methods:

1. For simple mixing, often called the straight dough method, the remaining ingredients are added to the dissolved yeast to form a dough.

2. In the sponge method, a small amount of flour (and sometimes sugar) is added to the yeast mixture to create a batter that is allowed to ferment for a period of time. Later, the remaining ingredients are added to the sponge to form a dough. The sponge method is often used to develop interesting flavors or create a lighter texture in otherwise heavy breads (such as whole grain).