Mastering the Art of Baking Freshly Milled Bread

Baking bread isn’t just a science experiment — it’s the moment where everything you’ve done so far finally comes together. The mixing, fermenting, scaling, and shaping all lead to this step.

When you bake with freshly milled flour, understanding what’s happening in the oven helps you get consistent, reliable results instead of guessing and hoping for the best.

In our last segment of 📘The Fresh Milled Bread Method Series, we covered 💡 Shaping Bread Dough

🧠 Understanding What Happens During Baking

When bread goes into the oven, several important things happen in a specific order:

• Yeast produces a final burst of gas, creating oven spring

• Proteins set, giving the loaf structure

• Starches gelatinize, forming the crumb

• The crust forms and browns, locking everything in place

This is why proper proofing, shaping, and temperature matter — the oven doesn’t fix mistakes, it reveals them.

💡 Washing the Dough (Optional, but Powerful)

Before baking, you can apply a wash to the surface of your dough. This affects both appearance and crust behavior.

Washes can:

• help toppings stick

• delay crust formation slightly (allowing better oven spring)

• change color, shine, and texture

Common Bread Washes

• Egg wash – glossy, golden crust

• Water wash – crisp crust, no added color

• Milk wash – softer crust, gentle browning

• Butter wash – rich flavor, soft shine

Use what fits the bread you’re making — not every loaf needs a wash.

👉 Silicone Pastry Brush

Toppings (If You Want Them)

After washing, sprinkle toppings onto the damp surface so they adhere well.

Some ideas:

Savory

• Sesame seeds

• Poppy seeds

• Caraway

• Garlic or onion (powder or bits)

• Sunflower seeds (toasted or raw)

• Chopped nuts

Sweet / Neutral

• Rolled oats or barley

• Flax seeds

• Cinnamon

• Shredded coconut

💡 If you sift bran (which I don’t recommend), at least use it as a topping or fold it back into the dough.

🧠 Scoring the Dough

Scoring gives bread a planned place to expand.

This is especially helpful for:

• French loaves

• Italian bread

• Hearth-style loaves

Use a sharp knife or razor blade and score right before baking. Scoring can also help compensate slightly for under-proofed dough by directing oven spring where you want it instead of blowing out the side.

Baking the Bread

Once the dough goes into the oven, handle it gently. No dropping or slamming — that knocks out gas you worked hard to build.

Steam Matters

Steam early in the bake:

• delays crust formation

• improves oven spring

• creates better color and crust texture

Baking by Bread Type

• Hearth breads – baking stone or steel for strong bottom heat

• Pan breads – middle to lower rack for even baking

• Dutch oven breads – preheated pot traps steam naturally

🧠 When Is Bread Done?

Bread is done when the internal temperature reaches:

• Lean dough: 190°F or higher

• Enriched dough: up to 210°F

Other clues:

• darker crust

• hollow sound when tapped on the bottom

If it’s not there yet, put it back and check again in 5 minutes.

💡 Pullman pans and Dutch ovens tolerate longer bake times because they retain moisture.

💡 A Note on Oven Accuracy (This Matters)

If your bread:

• sinks after baking

• feels gummy inside

• won’t bake through

There’s a good chance your oven isn’t actually at the temperature you think it is.

An inexpensive oven thermometer is a game changer.

🧠 I rely on temperature, not time. Once the bread hits temp in the center, it comes out — no matter what the clock says.

I use this
👉 Instant-read thermometer

Estimated Bake Times (Starting Points)

These are guidelines, not rules:

• 40–45 min – Standard 9×5 pan, Pullman 9×4×4

• 30–35 min – Pullman 8×4×4, 8.5×4.5 pan

• 25–30 min – Small loaf pans (¾ lb)

• 15–20 min – Mini loaves, rolls, bagels, pretzels

🧠 Always check temperature earlier when baking hotter.

Baking Temperature Guide

Lean Dough

• 400–425°F

• Strong rise, active yeast

Enriched Dough

• 350–400°F

• Prevents over-browning

Sourdough

• 425–475°F

• Steam encouraged for crust

💡 I often preheat hot, then lower the temp once the bread goes in — oven spring first, color control second.

Final Thoughts

Baking with freshly milled flour isn’t about memorizing times and temperatures — it’s about understanding dough, heat, and cause-and-effect.

Once you bake by feel and temperature, you’re no longer stuck following recipes. You’re baking with intention.

Next up:
💡 Cooling & Storing Freshly Milled Bread