Master the Art ofBread Baking
From sourdough to artisan loaves, discover everything you need to create exceptional bread at home with traditional techniques.
Why Bake Your Own Bread?
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a fresh loaf of bread from your oven. The aroma fills your kitchen, the crust crackles as it cools, and the taste surpasses anything you can find at a grocery store. Home bread baking connects you to a tradition that spans thousands of years, from ancient Egyptian ovens to medieval European bakeries to the artisan bread renaissance happening in kitchens today.
Beyond the sensory pleasures, baking your own bread gives you complete control over ingredients. You know exactly what goes into each loaf—no preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup, no unpronounceable additives. For families managing food allergies or dietary restrictions, home baking means peace of mind. You can mill your own flour from ancient grains like einkorn or spelt, use organic ingredients, and adjust recipes to suit your nutritional needs.
The economics of home baking also make sense. A bag of quality bread flour costs a fraction of what you would pay for equivalent artisan loaves at a bakery. With basic equipment and ingredients, you can produce bread that rivals professional bakeries. Many home bakers find that once they start, they never go back to store-bought bread. The difference in flavor, texture, and freshness is simply too significant.
At Kitchen Kneads, we have been helping home bakers succeed since 1973. Our store in Ogden, Utah, has served generations of bread enthusiasts, from complete beginners making their first loaf to experienced bakers perfecting their sourdough technique. We understand that great bread starts with great ingredients and the right tools, which is why we carefully select every product we sell.
Your Bread Baking Essentials
Premium flours, tools, and starters for crusty loaves and perfect crumb
Types of Artisan Bread
The world of artisan bread offers endless variety, from tangy sourdoughs with complex flavor profiles developed over long fermentation to hearty whole grain loaves packed with nutrition. Each bread style has its own techniques, timing, and traditions. Whether you prefer the convenience of no-knead methods or the hands-on satisfaction of traditional kneading, there is a bread style that matches your schedule and preferences.
Sourdough
Traditional fermented bread using wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria, creating complex flavors and improved digestibility through long fermentation
Artisan Loaves
Crusty European-style breads like baguettes, batards, and boules featuring open crumb structure and caramelized crusts from high-heat baking
No-Knead Breads
Perfect for beginners, these breads use time instead of labor, developing gluten through extended fermentation with minimal hands-on work
Ancient Grains
Breads made with heritage wheats like spelt, einkorn, and emmer offer nutty flavors and may be easier to digest than modern wheat varieties
Getting Started with Home Bread Baking
Starting your bread baking journey does not require expensive equipment or professional training. With a few essential tools and quality ingredients, you can produce remarkable bread in your home kitchen. The key is understanding the fundamentals: flour, water, salt, and yeast or sourdough starter work together through fermentation and baking to create bread.
Begin with a reliable recipe and focus on developing your feel for the dough. Bread baking is as much about touch and observation as it is about following measurements. Over time, you will learn to recognize when dough has been kneaded enough, when it has proofed properly, and when it is ready for the oven. These skills develop through practice, and every loaf teaches you something new.
The right flour makes a significant difference in your results. High-protein bread flour provides the gluten structure needed for chewy, well-risen loaves. Whole wheat flours add nutrition and flavor but require slightly different handling. We carry a carefully selected range of flours, from everyday bread flour to specialty ancient grains, all chosen for their quality and performance in home baking.
Essential tools for bread baking include a kitchen scale for accurate measurements, a bench scraper for handling dough, proofing baskets (bannetons) for shaping, and a Dutch oven or baking stone for achieving professional-quality crust. As you advance, you might explore additions like a stand mixer with a dough hook, a grain mill for fresh flour, or specialized scoring tools called lames.