Ask a Question

Questions? Start with the Search Bar: I’ve been posting recipes and answering questions on this site since 2007, so if you have a question, there’s probably a post that addresses it somewhere on this website. So, the first thing to do is to use the Search Bar on the Home Page. In narrower laptop or desktop displays, it sometimes appears right underneath the orange BreadIn5 logo, and on phones it’s right above where it says “How to make bread in five minutes a day?” Just type in the bread style, ingredient, or technique that you’re interested in, and the search-engine will show you posts on the topic, with recipes and answers to many questions.

Another place to look: the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page (there’s also have a Gluten-Free FAQs page). If you don’t find your answer in the FAQs, you can post baking questions and comments, but please be brief, so I can get to all the questions.  

If neither of those get you to the answer you need, click on any “Comments/Reply” field at the top of any post (it doesn’t have to be here on “Ask a Question”) and scroll down to the bottom; then enter your question or comment. Don’t look for the response in your personal email… Come back here to the site on the page where you posted, to look for the answer.

Questions are answered here on the website within 24 hours, often with a reference to a page number in our books where possible.  Please remember that the blog is moderated, so your post may not appear until I’ve read and approved it; this can take 24 hours.

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6,789 thoughts to “Ask a Question”

  1. I enjoyed meeting Zoe at the book signing at Kitchen in the Market. I’m wondering if you recommend the GF Mixture #1 from your new book for gravies. I am going write a blog post and share a recipe for gravy next week – Thanksgiving is upon us, and I’d love to recommend your book to my readers as well as which flour you like for things like gravies

    Thank you,

    Maggie

    Reply

    1. I’ve used a variety of GF starches to thicken gravies and sauces, and one of them’s even in our third book, Artisan Pizza+Flatbread in Five Min/Day (https://amzn.to/eo10NJ) where we gave white rice flour as an option to thicken bechamel. In general, plain starchy agents are used as thickeners: cornstarch, white rice flour, maybe tapioca or arrowroot. You don’t need the blend of flours in Mixture #1 just to thicken a sauce. One concern, and that’s about the xanthan gum– it might be odd when cooked in a sauce or gravy, but maybe not. Also it has a “brown” flour– sorghum– though that might not be a problem. Basically, if I had some Mixture #1 laying around, but no plain starches, I’d experiment with it– but it’s an experiment.

      Reply

      2. I don’t need to be gluten free, but my wife read the book “Wheat Belly” which talks about the type of wheat that is produced today is not like that of our ancestors. The book goes into great detail on bad it is to use todays wheat flour and what it is doing to our bodies. Is there any truth to this, or is it all hype?

      3. Hi Patrick,

        I defer to Jeff on this issue, since he is the MD and this is what he said: “I don’t think there’s evidence to support the idea that gluten and grains are dangerous to everyone.” Both of us eat bread daily and it has no adverse effect. If you have a wheat sensitivity then it is wise to avoid it, but otherwise there is no actual scientific evidence that it is harmful.

        Thanks, Zoë

      4. The New Artisan Bread, page 305-306, Pletzel
        Hi,
        I have brioche dough I want to turn into John Barrymore Onion Pletzel. Point 2. mentions a 20 minute rest during which we sauté onions to sprinkle on the dough. Point 7. says ‘After the pletzel has rested,…’ but this comes after adding the topping. Is there a second resting period between point 6. and 7. before baking that I should be aware of? Thank you.

      5. Hi Nelly,

        No, you just need the one rest time and it doesn’t matter if it is before or after you add the onions. Enjoy!

        Thanks for pointing this out! Zoë

    2. First time using new book. Doing Portuguese Broa. I measured flours by weight, water by volume. I am halving the recipe. The dough is like soup. Never had this problem before. I should not have used all the water it said! Is there a solution so I don’t have to start over?

      Reply

      1. Don’t throw it out, can just work in flour (not cornmeal) until it looks like what you see in our videos. Go to the Gluten-Free FAQs and click on the “Videos” selection.

        But that recipe shouldn’t be like soup, so we should figure out what happened. So…

        Where are you located and what brands of flour are available to you?
        Make any changes in the recipe?
        Did you leave out xanthan or psyllium?

        Sometimes when I halve recipes, the mistake can be: you halve one thing, but not another (like water). That would explain the soup, but there’s no way to re-create what happened.

      2. I live in New Brunswick. I only use Bobs Red Mill flour. I regularly make your almost rye and crusty boule from the HBin5. I definitely halved all ingredients. That said, too late,. The soup doubled in size and was so frothy, I feared adding so much more flour. I startrd over, this time used a little less than 2 cups of water. I fear even that was too much. 2 hours rising and it is loose, but not soup. I think I will just put the batter in muffin tin and make rolls. Would you say 20 minutes in oven? I will put it in fridge for a few hours first, hoping it will stiffen. Thanks for answering so quickly.

      3. Hmm. I wonder if the Canadian Bob’s formulations are different from the US– you might need to check with the company if we can’t figure this out. But I have to say, I’m doubting that’s the issue.

        If it’s really loose, you might need more than 20 minutes, will have to play it by ear. I’m worried about the result being over-dense given how liquidy the dough is. It should NOT be a batter. Which binder are you using in your flour mixture, xanthan or psyllium, and what brands?

      4. I am so stupid! Guess what I did? I misread the flour recipe #1 and used yeast instead of xanthan gum. I am embarrassed. So, now the second batch is in the fridge. Can I add the gum now? Thank goodness I did the 1/2 recipe for flour #1 . No wonder it all frothed up. ,!M

      5. I’m so glad we figured it out together…

        In our experience, you can’t add the gum now. It really has to be very evenly distributed into the flour mixture. The yeast, as you see, goes in later–when the batch is mixed. I think you’ll have a good experience with it now. Please let me know if you continue to have problems.

      6. Jeff, just to let you know that my GF Portuguese Broa dough is resting comfortably in the fridge after a successful mixing of the dough. I look forward to baking it. If I want to make buns, and put dough in muffin tins, do you suggest 2 oz portions and bake at temperature for 15 minutes? +\-. Should I still do the water / steam process?

      7. Hi Suzan,

        I think 2 or 3 ounce portions are perfect and 15 to 20 minutes should do it for baking. If you have one, you can use a muffin/ice cream scoop to portion them out. If you want a crisp crust on the buns, then use the water/steam, if you want a softer crust, you can brush them with butter instead.

        Enjoy! Zoë

    4. “100% Whole Wheat Bread, Plan and Simple” from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, page 79. I am baking at 8,000 feet in a dry climate. I doubled the Vital Wheat Gluten in the recipe to account for the altitude. I use only 1/6 of the recipe per loaf. My bread comes out beautiful on the outside, but too moist in the center. How can I get a dryer center without ruining crust?

      Reply

  2. I just made a recipe in New Artisan` Bread in Five minutes a Day page268. The recipe calls for way to much liquid plus 4 eggs. The liquid equals 3cups of water, 4 eggs, and 1/2 cup butter. The bread was too wet, it was stuck to everything. This cannot be correct–I want to make it again but I don
    ‘t want to waste all those ingredients again, it it doesn’t turn out. Please advise what I did wrong….

    Reply

    2. I have intolerance to potato starch which seems to be in almost every recipe. Can i substituted something else instead of potato starch?

      Reply

  5. My wife isn’t very nuts about the big size of the plastic container with the mixed dough taking up room in our ref rig.
    Can I buy a smaller glass container (I spotted at Menards) and transfer the risen dough to it and store that in refrig? I’ll punch a hole in the top, like I did with the big plastic container. Does this idea work or must the dough be in plastic?
    Thank you for your consideration.
    Bill

    Reply

    1. Glass is just fine so long as you’re careful about the possibility of pressure buildup as you’re doing. So is a non-reactive soup pot with a lid.

      Reply

    1. It depends on how warm the environment is– this may develop too much sourdough character, but it’s probably worth a try.

      Reply

      1. Well, for what it’s worth: at an average indoor temperature in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (26+ Celsius) the dough seems to stay happy for about two and a half days. After that, it goes kind of slack and unresponsive.

        I’ve had to take significant liberties with the recipe given my situation (no baking stones, no way to put water into my little electric toaster oven) but still the result is certainly acceptable!

  7. I made your Yeasted Thanksgiving Cornbread with Cranberries which was published in our Columbus Dispatch. At the end of the recipe it said for additional instructions on baking remaining broa loaves visit your web site but I don’t see anything about baking the dough I have left…..HELP! Everyone loved the cornbread….but I’m not sure I want to make it 4 more times to use up the dough.

    Reply

  8. Hi Jeff and Zoe. We live in Spain. I will like to buy one of your books. I and my children shouldn’t eat wheat. We can eat gluten, but nor wheat, but we are trying gluten free recipes, because everybody says that gluten is not healthly. Could you please advice which book we should buy. I feel confortable cooking gluten free cakes, and any other sweet, but not breads. I have a friend in USA and he is comming next week, he will bring it to me. THANKS!!!!!

    Reply

    1. All of our books since 2009 have at least one gluten-free chapter, but only the latest book, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is entirely gluten-free. It’s on Amazon at https://amzn.to/1msOBmY . You can try a sample recipe from the book by checking https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2014/11/03/master-recipe-from-gluten-free-abin5

      The question: can you get these kinds of flours in Spain? We tested with Bob’s Red Mill brand in the US– if you can’t get the same in Europe, the recipe might need to be adjusted.

      Last question: Is it too hot to go to Seville, Granada, and Cordoba in June? 🙂 Seriously considering it this summer.

      Reply

  9. Thanks for your reply. One more time with feeling. I hope that explains why the batter was so loose. When I added the required amount of water.
    Tomorrow is another baking day.

    Reply

  10. Hi,

    The main recipe says that the initial rise is 2 hours at room temperature. Can the initial rise be done in the refrigerator?

    Thx!

    Reply

  11. When I mix the 2 recipes for the mixture of flours in the Gluten Free Cookbook, do they have to be refrigerated? As it is only dry mixtures will they be okay without refrigeration?

    Reply

    1. Hi Les,

      I haven’t, but I have baked in a ceramic DO on the grill and we’ve baked bread in a crock pot. Both of those are bottom only heat sources, so it may work. You’d have to protect the bottom of the loaf, since it will be an intense heat. I’ve done this by making a pillow of foil.

      Let me know if you try it. Zoë

      Reply

  13. I want to try making this bread and am wondering if I will need to purchase a special container. I have a 2.4 gallon plastic container with a snap on lid, but it is a rectangular shape – 14″l x 9″w x 5″h. Will this type of container work?

    Reply

    1. Hi Beverly,

      Your container will be perfect, it doesn’t have to be any particular shape, as long as it is more than 5 quarts. The dough will spread to fit the container.

      Enjoy, Zoë

      Reply

      2. Hi Patti,

        Our breads are all yeast risen, so the leaveners (baking powder) in self-rising flour wouldn’t work and may have an adverse effect.

        Thanks, Zoë

    1. Hello. On p. 58 in The New ABin5, it says, “Shorten the resting time by half if using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.” This means dough can be ready to bake after only a 20 minute resting period if it’s used before refrigerating? Thanks.

      Reply

  15. I’ve got what I hope is an easy two or three-parter. Working from your “The New Artisan Bread…” master recipe my bread comes out tasting great and seems fine as far as the crumb but it doesn’t hardly rise in the oven at all and comes out looking like little deformed creatures instead of a lovely criss-cross or clamshell round loaf. I’ll mention that I’m in the very dry southern California desert. Could part of it be that I need to add more water? The dough seems plenty sticky but I’m finding that I need to let a batch rise on the counter for closer to 6 hours before it gets to full height.

    Reply

    1. Hi Susan,

      Have you checked out any of our videos to see if your dough looks like what we are getting? The dough could be too dry, which would certainly be in keeping with your description. What brand of flour are you using? How long are you letting the shaped dough rest before baking? Are you preheating your baking stone long enough to have it fully to temperature? Lastly, are you using an oven thermometer? A longer rest and proper oven temp can often help as well.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  16. I’ve make bread using five minute artisan book, and the 1st time I used it everything came out fine. Second time, flat. Re-read chapter & “troubleshooting”. Re-read info before I made the dough again. Went with temperatures, etc.. Third time, bread seemed to raise wonderfully then when I went to make my loaf the dough is flat again. Any helpful hints?

    Reply

  18. Hi Zoe and Jeff, i’ve been working with the basic recipe, it seems to work but when i take the dough out of the fridge is not collapsing at all. Is this still ok? My lid have a little hole too.
    Thanks

    Reply

  19. Just curious on your thoughts about a recipe I found on reducing carbs in bread. The blogger uses your basic bread in 5 mins a day recipe but they also state that during the cold fermentation process in the fridge the yeast will feed off the carbs in the dough thus reducing them. My husband has been diagnosed prediabetic but refuses to give up his breads so I’m looking for ways to keep these things in his everyday diet without causing further harm

    Reply

    1. Mindy: While it’s true that yeast ferment and digest carbohydrates as their energy source, and that this could theoretically decrease the total carbohydrate load in the dough, I don’t think it’s going to be an important and measurable effect in the finished bread. The yeast start to really slow down their metabolism after few days and they don’t fully ferment down all the energy source in that carb. Ask the blogger for a certified nutritional analysis before and after yeast digestion. My guess is that you won’t hear back 🙂

      So I’d have a hard time making a health claim suggesting that this is healthier for pre-diabetics– those folks really need to limit their total energy (calorie) and carbohydrate intake. Better bet would be to eat whole grain versions of our stuff, like what’s in https://bit.ly/3wYSSN. That said, breads, including whole wheat ones, are carbohydrates, and he should limit his intake of them.

      Reply

      1. Thanks for you fast response and input. Ironically I had that book on my amazon wish list already and this gave me the nudge to hit the “order” button

  20. I want to try your No-Knead Artisan Free-Form Loaf recipe on the bag of AP Gold Medal Flour I just bought. In the baking instructions it says to cover oven windows with a towel. Why? And does the towel go on the inside or the outside of the window? Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kay,

      It is only needed on older ovens, before they tempered the glass on oven doors. If you have an oven from the 1980 or older then you would lay the towel down over the glass as you put the water into the pan and remove the towel again before closing the door. If you have a newer model, you don’t need the towel at all.

      Thanks for giving the recipe a try and enjoy all the bread! Zoë

      Reply

  21. Your corn masa dough recipe (Artisan Pizza, p. 91) appears to have an error. When ingredients measured by weight are mixed, it’s too dry to mix. The problem appears to be with the masa flour. A cup and a half of my corn masa flour weighs about 7 ounces or 180 grams, not the 13 ounces or 365 grams given in the recipe.

    Reply

  22. I don’t know where to post this — it’s not a question but a note about an amazing piece of equipment that I’ve just discovered (late to the game; it’s been around for a while but I just saw a note on it in a 2013 issue of Cook’s Illustrated.) Maybe it’s already been mentioned — it is such a natural for “the method”. It’s called a SuperPeel, and it’s a patented pizza peel with a cloth “conveyor” that moves wet and difficult dough, and pizza dough, like magic into, and then out, of the oven. No more burnt corn meal, stubborn dough that doesn’t want to move, burnt hands, sticky pizzas that spill cheese and sauce on my stone. I am NOT in any way connected to the company that makes this, and maybe you’ve already brought it into the Artisan in 5 fold, but if not, it’s worth checking it out and spreading the word. Just do a search for “SuperPeel.” In the communitarian spirit of Jeff and Zoe and just had to share this.

    Reply

    1. Hi Roz,

      I’ve heard about this peel, but haven’t tried it yet. Sounds like something we’ll need to check out.

      Thanks! Zoë

      Reply

  23. First attempt looks like a failure!
    I am working from Artisan Bread in 5, basic recipe on p. 26, but used the unbleached white Spelt flour I had at hand. Since Spelt seems to work very “wet”, I added about 1/2 C extra flour, and mixed the basic dough on Sunday. On Wednesday (just now) I pulled it out of the fridge, and it’s not “slack”, it’s LIQUID! Had to use a soup ladle to get some out of the bin. I’m trying it in a bread pan (it’d literally flow off my stone), but don’t have much hope for the loaf. Besides “Follow the recipe!”, any suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hi Dave,

      If you have any of the dough left you can add a bunch more flour to it and try to save what is left. The spelt has much less gluten and we typically add vital wheat gluten to the dough to create the structure the dough will need in order to be stored for any amount of time. If you are using spelt to avoid large amount of gluten, then you’ll just need to add more flour until it feels like the dough made with all-purpose wheat flour.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Well, it was far from a complete failure!
        It didn’t raise much, only about 1.5″ in the center, but it wasn’t a doorstop, either.
        Pale and thin but crispy crust – pretty standard for Spelt; somewhat dense, but good crumb.
        I do have a couple loaves worth of dough left, and will try adding enough flour to make a reasonable dough when I take some out.
        Next batch will probably be conventional flour, but next time I try Spelt, I’ll move towards 60% hydration; 75% is way too wet…

  24. From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Using the master recipe. 4-1 pound loaves don’t seem enough (big bread eaters) – so far for Christmas, will have 16 adults (not counting little kids). I don’t have room in frig to raise 2 batches. Can I alter the recipe by 1/4 or 1/3 to increase yield? Need min. of 4 baguettes (on top of a beef roast, salad, stuffed manicotti)Thanks.

    Reply

  25. Haven’t been to your web page for some 12 months because I’ve spent the past months learning how to make Sourdough Bread (SD) using my own SD starter. The reason I am doing this bread is because I’m Gluten Free. But in the process of learning how to make the SD starter and bread, I learned something important (which I actually learned from a website) and it turns out that your large quantity of premixed and fermented dough is what I’m doing only I’m using a SD starter. The gist of my story is that fermenting the bread dough no less than 20 hrs and preferably 24 hrs before baking the dough you have actually removed all the gluten from the dough as well as the phytic acid which are the offending elements for a gluten free individual. I can eat this 24 hr fermented bread and experience no gluten intolerance (like inflammation which is really life changing for someone who formerly had Rheumatoid Arthritis for many years [eating all the wrong foods]). Thought maybe all your followers and yourselves would like to know this very important finding. It turns out that even if you don’t make SD bread with the SD starter but instead use regular yeast and then ferment the dough in the fridge for minimum 20 hrs, the result is the same. You’ve eliminated the Gluten & phytic acid and have now created a prebiotic and probiotic supplement by eating your fermented bread. Guess now I need to get your books and have some more fun making bread as I generally bake bread every other day and there’s nary a crumb left and we’re only a household of 2.

    Reply

    1. Tiffany: I can’t vouch for any of the health claims you’re making here. They’re plausible, but not in the scientific mainstream at the moment. In particular, no one is at all sure of how fully gluten is digested or transformed by long fermentation (like our method). We certainly don’t want celiacs thinking they can eat wheat bread if it’s naturally fermented. As for gluten-intolerant folks– we simply don’t know. Also can’t make any claims regarding rheumatoid arthritis.

      I’ve also edited out the websites you cite– we can’t be seen as endorsing any health claims made on outside websites. My apologies, but I think it’s the right thing to do.

      I like natural sours for their flavor, and we’ll definitely include them in a future book.

      Reply

  26. Jeff: I am having a problem with making the master recipe on page 66 of Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day. After refrigerating the dough over night and baking it the next day, when it is baked it is so hard and dry it cannot be eaten. I’ve tried making the recipe three times, and it always come out the same. Hrd and dry. What am I doing wrong.

    Reply

    1. Hi Joan,

      The crust will be crisp if you are using steam and a baking stone, but shouldn’t be hard and thick. When you say that the bread is dry, do you mean the interior crumb? This is a bit unusual for our bread, so can you tell me a bit about the ingredients you are using? What brand flour do you use?

      Do you have an oven thermometer? Sometimes the temperature of the oven can make a difference.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  27. Zoe I followed the master recipe on [age 64 of GF Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day, using the all purpose GF flour on page 60 white rice flour, sorghum, tapioca, and potato starch, and xanthan gum. I’ve checked the oven temp. and that is correct. I’ve tried lowering the temp. and that didn’t work either. I’m baffled. Thanks.

    Reply

  28. My daughter and husband need to eat yeast and wheat free for health reasons. Purchased your gluten free book, but all the recipes require yeast. How can I adjust your recipe with a sourdough starter and what flour do I use to make the starter. Also can’t use potato starch or cornstarch.

    Reply

    1. Hi Mariane,

      We’ve used sourdough starter successfully with our wheat breads, but have not tried it with the gluten-free doughs. In theory it should work equally well, but I have not created a starter with gluten-free flours, so you will have to find a recipe for it elsewhere. Perhaps glutenfreegirl.com has created one that will work. If you have a starter, here is what we did with our wheat doughs: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2009/11/30/sourdough-starter-in-our-recipes

      We tested our doughs using potato starch in our all-purpose flour mix with very good results. You can try substituting another starch, like tapioca or arrowroot, but I’m not sure it will behave the same way, so you’ll want to make a small batch to test it out.

      Good luck. Because you may have to make so many changes, these recipes may not suit your needs.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

    1. Hi Sue,

      Our method is based on making a large batch of dough, enough for 4 loaves, all at once. You can bake it over 2 weeks, when you’re in the mood. That is how we save so much time. A bread machine wouldn’t be large enough. We also prefer the crust when baked in the oven.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  30. I have New Artisan Bread in 5. I see that 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (p. 134) bakes at 350 for 50-60 min. while the next recipe, American Style Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (p. 137), bakes at 400 for 50-55 min. Just wondering what accounts for the difference in temperature. Also, what’s the best temperature to bake a loaf using the master recipe (p. 54) in Healthy Bread in 5.

    Reply

    1. Hi Laura,

      It is a mistake, thanks for pointing that out. Both doughs have a fair amount of honey, so they are best baked at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. The master recipe can be baked at the higher temperature for about 45 to 50 minutes, since it has no honey.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  31. Recently started using your books and recipes. Since I need to be considerate of sugar spikes I use Almond flour in my bread dough. I also add ground flax seed. I use your master recipe in your book THE NEW ARTISAN BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY. It even makes good pizza dough. It rolls out thin super easy. Just thought you would like to know. Just ordered your Healthy book. I read my first book page by page, all the recipes and compared all your recipes with each other. So far about four complete times plus. Love your ideas and products, thanks

    Reply

  32. Hi, just picked up your revised book and wonder about halving the recipe; anything to consider? Our refrigerator is kinda small and we don’t go through loaves very quickly. Thanks; excited:)

    Reply

  33. You give increased baking time for 2lbs plus. What about just making 3 loaves instead of 4 lb, approx. 1.3 each? Trying to expedite Christmas am. Thanks.

    Reply

    1. Hi Maureen,

      You can increase the baking by about 5 to 10 minutes. If you are baking more than one loaf at a time, it may take a few more minutes.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  34. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada. I am making your Roasted Garlic and Herbed Potatoes Bread, p. 103 in the Healthy Bread in Five book. I have measured all the specified ingredients correctly, but the dough is very wet and more like a batter than the dough that your other recipes produced. (I have done the Master and the Challah from the New Bread in Five book.) Is this normal?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynne,

      Some brands of spelt flour seems to have even less gluten structure than others and I wonder if that is the case with the kind you are using. If so, it is an easy fix. You can just add more spelt and/or whole wheat flour to the dough. Once you do that, let it sit for about an hour so it can absorb the excess water.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

    1. Hi Louise,

      If you have the Pizza in 5 book we have a recipe using 00 on page 73. 3 cups of water to 7 1/2 cups caputo 00 flour.

      Thanks! Zoë

      Reply

      1. thanks Zoe, I use your ABin5 book and we are traveling in an RV (limited storage), so if all other components are the same, I’ll just change my books recipe.

  36. Hi, I just received several flours as a birthday present. Among them is a millet flour. Can I use it in your Toasted Millet and Fruit Bread (from Healthy Bread in 5) instead of millet? If yes, what adjustments do you recommend? BTW I got flour for my birthday because I am crazy about your books and baking bread!

    Reply

    1. Hi Yulia,

      How cool and happy birthday! You would really want to replace a bit of the flour and not the millet. Because the millet flour has no gluten, you don’t want to add too much or your dough will not have enough structure. If you replace 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with one cup of millet you should be just fine.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  37. I have a friend who is allergic to wheat, not gluten, just wheat. I would love to make her some bread, but it cannot have any wheat products in it — no wheat flour, no vital wheat gluten. Rye is OK. Do you have any suggestions? I have all of your books.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ashley,

      No plans so far, but we would be thrilled if a French publisher wanted to take on the book. We’ll post the news if it ever happens.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  39. Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day
    Oatmeal bread page 94

    I do not have maple syrup, can I substitute honey?

    Thanks.
    Love your books.

    Reply

  40. Thanks for the tip. I added 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and the next loaves have acted more like dough. I notice I’m also learning to accept a looser consistency, and a denser, more compact loaf. My husband and I love the garlic-potato bread. I still wasn’t sure about the success of my efforts though, until a friend from the Ukraine commented, before she’d even tasted it, Oh that’s good bread, just by its size and consistency. Then ate seconds and thirds!

    Question: I notice that some of your Healthy recipes, like the one for Whole Grain Brown Rice Bread, p. 140, do not include directions for possibly freezing the dough, where other recipes do include this. Does this mean these doughs are better not frozen? I have a batch in the refrigerator that I may wish to freeze a portion of, in order to try still another recipe (we’re not buying bread anymore!). To freeze or not to freeze, that is the question.
    Meanwhile, garlic-potato bread will be our contribution to the family’s Christmas dinner. Whoopee!
    Oh, I also gave a box of your Thin Crispy Bread Sticks (p. 92, p & fb in 5) to my hairdresser. He loved them and wondered about a gluten-free version, so I shared your gluten-free recipe, p. 258, and referred him also to all your books for more of the same.
    Thanks for these wonderful recipes.

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynne,

      I’ve had good luck freezing just about all of the doughs. I didn’t have a chance to test each and every one of them after freezing, but I am confident it will work.

      Happy Holidays! Zoë

      Reply

  41. In your books, 1 cup of water is given the equivalent of 225 grams. Other sites give it 236 grams. When I measure 1 cup of water, then weigh it, I get around 255 grams! What measurement do you personally use?

    Reply

    1. Hi Elizabeth,

      We used the following for water 1 cup = 8oz = 225 grams for all of our testing. The true conversion is actually 226.79, but we rounded down. That small amount is not enough to make a difference in your recipe.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. This is why professional bakers always use weights (and still have to adjust for humidity, etc.), rather than volume measures. Not all “cups” are the same volume, so even liquid measurements may vary. On the other hand, if you use the *same* measuring cup for both flour and water, the ratio will be correct, even if you get slightly more or less dough than planned.

    1. Hi Pat,

      You sure can, but you may have to use a touch more water if you are using a significant amount of brown rice, since it absorbs more water.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  43. My interest in your bread books began with a reference in My Beef with Meat by Rip Esselstyn. I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of the recipes I have tried in your three books, but am now anxious to get back to the plant-based diet I began based on Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. To do that, I will be eating no meat or dairy, and no added oils. Basically, vegan. I know that there are egg substitutes, both commercial and formulaic: a tablespoon of flaxseed meal to three of water. Have you any experience using these in your baking? As ingredients or as egg wash? And what about reducing or eliminating oil?
    Do you know of anyone who is baking bread this way? Have you any advice to offer someone like me who is considering it? Or any plans to develop recipes of this sort?

    Thank you for your reply.

    Reply

  44. Do you have any guidelines for replacing the regular all-purpose flour with white spelt flour in the master recipe found in “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”? I’ve found that I really like the flavor of white spelt in some other breads that I’ve made.

    Reply

    1. Hi Steve,

      You can use spelt, but it requires using a more flour to get the right consistency. If you replace all of the all-purpose flour with spelt the bread will be a bit denser since it has very little gluten.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

    1. Hi Carrie,

      We will put together a page of all our baking product recommendations, but for now you can find them all on the left hand side of the website in an Amazon Box labeled “For Baking Bread.”

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  46. Thanks for the feedback Zoe.
    I will try the flax egg replacement. One of the recipes I love the most is the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread on p. 92 of Healthy Bread in 5. I use it for burger buns, with beet burgers. Delish!
    I really want to try eliminating both the eggs and the oil. So I will halve the recipe, then replace the eggs with the flaxseed-water mixture, and also replace the oil with applesauce. Do you think this will work? Any other suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynne,

      The results will be a denser loaf than the original recipe. Good to start with a small batch.

      Enjoy, Zoë

      Reply

  47. I live in Arizona. Having anything moist is a challenge. I’m wondering if there is a device to stick in the dough to tell you it has the correct moistness. I have those meters that stick in the garden dirt. Anything like that out there? Might be a good invention. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Wow, I’ve never heard of anything like that. Closest we can come to that is to measure by weight–including the water, and you’ll have the same hydration we specify. All our books but one have weights– which one do you have?

      Reply

      1. I have the incredible Gluten Free book and just ordered The New Artisan (to make wheat bread for husband).

  48. Question: it is possible to make Rugelach dough that is gulten free. I have a great recipe from a Cook magazine, can I substitute your basic all purpose flour for the 2 1/4 cups in the recipe. The rest of the recipe has 1 1/2 tbl sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 sticks butter, 8 oz cream cheese,and 2 tbl sour cream. Do you think I might need to add more GF all purpose flour to get the stiffness to roll out

    Reply

    1. I just used our regular Brioche dough, so I”m guessing our gluten-free brioche would work. Which of our books are you working from?

      Reply

  49. On Kindle Reader location 2058 of 4954 of your book “The New Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day”. The recipe for Maple Oatmeal Bread calls for 3/4 cup wheat bran. How can I alter the recipe without using wheat bran? I do not have it nor can I find it sold in my area? I would greatly appreciate your advise.

    Reply

    1. Just increase the flour a little. Not 3/4 cup, but maybe 1/2 cup. This’ll be an experiment though, haven’t tried this…

      Reply

  50. What wonderful books. Can you tell me how to make Italian bread that doesn’t come out so heavy?
    Do you know what New York bakeries put on top of pumpernickle bread that is white under the Russian Caraway seeds?

    Reply

    1. We have a number of Italian breads in the books, but the publisher will kill us if we put all our recipes here on the website!

      My guess about what you mean about the seeds– probably cornstarch wash, which can look that way.

      Reply

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