Chad Robertson’s book Tartine Bread teaches the intuition of bread making. Chad layered his knowledge into the instructions, giving the first time reader a step by step guide that hides hints that only make sense on later reads. Only after multiple reads (and many more loaves) of the country loaf recipe did I understand the feeling of what he meant by "…the dough will feel aerated and softer. A well developed dough is more cohesive and releases from the sides of the bowl when you do the turns." On my first read I thought I understood it without knowing what it actually meant, what the clean sides of the container look like when the dough pulls away but leaves a tackiness, what fluffy aerated dough feels like in your hands.

The rhythm of baking naturally leavened doughs forces the learner to practice. Each day you must feed the starter. The night before making a dough you must make the preferment. The mixing and folding and turning of the dough is the same every time. You get good at it fast.

Making bread from just flour, water, and salt is a skill worth learning if you’re interested in baking. Baking the Tartine country loaf over and over gave me confidence to make more complex doughs. I recommend Chad’s book.