Zoë François Reveals The Secret To The Perfect Homemade Bread - Exclusive

Everyone has had that phase — the homemade bread phase, that is. If you didn't, then rest assured, your time is coming! Homemade bread is one of those foods that you can slather with butter and feel instantly comforted. Plus, the aroma that fills your house from the oven can't be beaten. If you categorize yourself as a bread maker, then Zoë François has some pro tips for you.

In an exclusive interview, Mashed talked to the pastry chef about her recent cookbook, "Zoë Bakes," and her time as a judge on Netflix's one-hour special "Silos Baking Competition." François' new cookbook includes interesting loaf recipes that are easy to make for your dinner parties (or yourself!). Along with her series of books called "The Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," François has become a bread connoisseur. The television personality attempts to take the "intimidation" out of bread by removing one standard kitchen item altogether.

When asked about special tricks for homemade bread, Zoë François had no shortage of advice. She said, "Basically, all you do is dump all of the ingredients into a big container, and stir it up with a spoon. You don't even need a mixer, you don't need to knead it, you just stir it up." She continued, "Then, you let it rise, because you have to let the yeast rise, and then you can take a piece out, form it, let it rise and bake it." After you complete the aforementioned steps, you can save the leftover dough in the refrigerator "for up to two weeks."

Sounds easy enough — and if you're uncertain of how to handle yeast, François has a solution for that too. She explained that hot water will kill yeast, so be vigilant of the temperature of water you use (warm or cooler water is safe).

The pastry chef's skills don't end with bread-making, as she guest-judged "Silos Baking Competition" for Magnolia Network. The competition crowned Annie Paul for her Summer Berry Bars, and the seasonal treat will now be available at Chip and Joanna Gaines' Texas bakery. Bread and summer treats? That's a win-win all around.

"Silos Baking Competition" is available to stream on Discovery+. Head to Zoë's and Annie's Instagram pages to keep up with their current projects.