bread making formula -- draft in progress

Ingredients

• FOUR BASIC INGREDIENTS + OIL (OR WATER)
• - bread has four basic ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water.
• - oil (olive or vegetable) or water are used to keep the dough from sticking to the counter or your hands.
• - (shaping the bread on a "well-floured" surface as some recipes recommend risks too much flour and a dry, dense, heavy bread.)
• MEASURING INGREDIENTS BY WEIGHT
• - flour cannot be measured consistently by volume. weather, speed of filling the cup, pressure used to scoop the flour, all change the amount of flour in a cup by a ratio of as much as 2:1. too much flour = a brick not a loaf.
• - weight of ingredients is given in grams rather than pounds and ounces because grams are easier to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
• - inexpensive digital kitchen scales usually can work both in pounds and ounces and in grams.
• - a "tare" or "zero" button on a digital scale cancels out the weight of whatever bowl you measure the ingredients in.
• BAKERS' PERCENTAGE