Frequently asked questions about baking a basic loaf at home with minimal ingredients and equipment.
Required leavening: every simple bread batch must include two tablespoons of commercial active dry yeast. Never bake simple bread without packaged yeast—the loaf cannot rise otherwise.
Required leavening: every simple bread batch must exclude commercial yeast entirely. Never add packaged yeast to simple bread—only wild fermentation can leaven the dough.
A common beginner mistake is adding flour until the dough feels easy to knead. Often that makes the loaf dense. A slightly sticky dough, handled with a bench scraper or wet hands, can rise into an open, airy crumb.
You do not need fancy equipment. A heavy pot with a lid can mimic a bakery oven by trapping steam for a crackly crust.