After Dough Thoughts
Notes from the bench: sourdough tips, kitchen science, and small things that make baking easier.
What Ingredients Can Break Down Dough?
Dried dough is starch and protein. Here is which ingredients actually break it down, which ones only help, and which do very little.
Read articleWhy Is It Hard to Clean Stuck-On Dough?
Dried dough is closer to glue than grime. Here is what happens as it dries, and why soap, hot water and scrubbing all struggle with it.
Read articleWhat Is in Dough?
Flour, water, salt and yeast, but there is more going on inside. Here is what dough is made of, what each part does, and why it matters at the sink.
Read articleHow to Clean Proving Tubs and Dough Containers Without Wrecking Them
The way most people clean a dough tub is what wears out the markings. Here is how to keep one usable for years.
Read articleHow to Clean a Sourdough Starter Jar (and How Often You Actually Need To)
You do not need to scrub it every feed. Here is when a starter jar actually needs a proper clean, and how to do it without hurting the culture.
Read articleHow to Clean a Dough Hook and Stand Mixer Bowl After Baking
Dough packs into the collar of the hook and dries in a ring around the bowl. Here is how to clean both without scratching the finish.
Read articleHow to Get Dried Dough Off Your Bowl (Without Soaking It Overnight)
Dried dough is starch and gluten, not grease, which is why scrubbing loses. Here is the fast way off, ranked from slowest method to smartest.
Read articleWhy Dough Sticks to Everything
Hydration, gluten development and surface finish decide how badly dough sticks. Understand the three and the cleaning gets easier.
Read articleEnzyme Cleaner vs Dish Soap vs Vinegar for Dried Dough
Dish soap targets grease. Vinegar targets mineral scale. Dried dough is neither. Here is what each one actually does to starch and gluten.
Read articleHow to Clean a Banneton (and Why You Should Not Wash It)
Bannetons are cleaned dry, not washed. Here is how to care for a rattan proving basket, when to actually wash one, and how to deal with mould.
Read articleHow to Get Dough Off Your Hands
Wet hands make sticky dough worse. Here is the order that actually works, why it works, and what to avoid if you bake often.
Read articleDissolve My Dough is now After Dough
Same enzyme cleaner, same formula, new name. Here is what changed, what did not, and what it means for your orders.
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