Here’s the real secret: trust your senses more than the timer. The recipe is a guide, but your oven is a wild beast you must tame. Write down the exact time it took your oven with your pan, and you’ll have a perfect cheat sheet for next time.
Also, if your loaf starts cracking deeply on top (like a desert floor), that’s actually a good sign—it means the crust formed and the bread expanded perfectly. You’re doing great. Seriously.
