I’m still not going to reveal my secret bread recipe, but I’ll share some of the little things I’ve learned that help me bake a good loaf:
- Blending different bread flours gives a better flavour than just having one type.
- Ratios really matter! It took time, but I found that a strict connection between quantities of flour, yeast and oil really help. For every 100g of flour, use 2g of instant yeast and 5ml of olive oil
- Knead less, prove more.
- Longer proving in general seems to lead to better flavour. Dough that rests in the fridge overnight nearly always tastes better.
Whatever the recipe, for whatever the situation, tinker with the little things. Tinker, repeat and see what happens. The big ingredients or steps can take you so far, then the little things help you find big differences after that.
Back to your PhD and your viva.
What little things did you try in your PhD? How did they help? Where did you see great gains for trying small changes? And how could those small changes help you now in your viva?
What small things could you do now that might make a big difference for your viva?
