A Picture Guide to Breadmaking

I know growing up that I rarely got the chance to see bread made by hand.  And, sadly, those times I did get to see the process, I was too young to etch into my memory the crucial points necessary make a mouth-watering loaf on my own.  I've tried to learn from trial and error how to make a delicious bread, but I have definitely failed numerous times along the way.  None of my creations were ever inedible.  But some of them certainly wouldn't have been described as "amazing" or any synonym thereof.

I do know that early on, it would have been helpful for me to see some of what the process looked like.  I am a visual person and when I read something, I have to see it in my mind before I really feel like I can understand what I'm reading.  So, in an effort to give you a little more insight if you're a beginner, or, to give you some motivation if you haven't tried it yet, here is my picture guide to breadmaking.  Do bear in mind that some of these steps don't hold true for certain breads (like gluten-free breads for example), but most breads would use this same process.  Once you get these basics down, you'll be able to make almost any bread you want!  Is your mouth watering yet?

This recipe is an herb bread based on this.