The things we got wrong
This is a log of the mistakes we made in our recipes, methods, or advice—things that should never have gone out, or that failed when someone tried them. It’s not a list of what we do well, or even a list of what we fixed.
It’s a record of what we got wrong, and how we corrected it.
A site like this is only as good as its last correction. If you see something here that doesn’t match what you’ve tried, or if you spot a mistake we missed, you’ll know exactly what to do: the contact page is where we want to hear about it.
This page exists to prove we listen.
Three we had to fix
These are the three biggest mistakes we caught before they became habits. Each one cost us time, trust, or both—and each one taught us something we now check every time we publish.
How we correct mistakes
- 1The sourdough starter that didn’t rise
The first version of our ‘No-Knead Sourdough’ guide claimed a 72-hour bulk ferment was enough for a reliable rise. It wasn’t. Readers in humid climates sent photos of dense, flat loaves, and one in Portland baked six failed attempts before messaging us. We tested the recipe with a hydrometer and discovered the starter’s activity dropped after 48 hours in their kitchens. The fix? A two-stage ferment—48 hours bulk, then a 12-hour cold proof—and a warning about humidity. Fixed by Nina Faulkner.
- 2The Dutch oven that warped
Our ‘Artisan Crust’ tutorial recommended preheating a cast-iron Dutch oven for 30 minutes at 500°F. Within weeks, three readers reported warping rims or cracked handles. We replicated the issue in our own kitchen and found the metal couldn’t handle that heat without distortion. The revision lowered the preheat to 400°F and added a note about checking the oven’s manual. Fixed by Nina Faulkner.
- 3The mislabeled gluten-free flour
A batch of our ‘Almond Flour Brownies’ used a blend labeled ‘1:1 GF Flour’ in the ingredients, but the linked product was actually a rice-based mix with a lower protein content. A reader’s brownies crumbled instead of holding shape. We swapped the recommendation for a chestnut-rice blend with xanthan gum and updated the note to specify ‘high-protein GF flour’ where possible. Fixed by Nina Faulkner.
What those three changed
These mistakes forced us to build new systems: a climate-adjusted ferment chart, a ‘test before you publish’ rule for baking tools, and a double-check on ingredient labels. None of them were obvious until they failed.
Rules that came from mistakes
- Always test baking tools (like Dutch ovens) at the max recommended temp before publishing—from the sourdough starter failure.
- Specify flour protein content for gluten-free recipes—from the brownies disaster.
- Run ferment times through a hydrometer or proofing test in multiple climates—from the no-knead loaf collapse.
The people behind this
Nina Faulkner is the founder and editor of *Bread Recipes Knead*. You’ve already met her through the mistakes she’s owned up to here—and that’s the point.
This isn’t a polished bio; it’s a record of someone who publishes a correction log because she’d rather admit a failure than let it linger in someone’s kitchen.
Keeping a log like this isn’t comfortable. It means writing down the exact moment you realize you’ve led someone astray, even if it’s just for a day. It means updating old posts when you find a flaw, even if no one complained.
But it’s the only way to earn trust when cooking is on the line.
One mistake that wasn’t public? The time I swapped salt and sugar in a focaccia dough. The bread turned out fine—salty, not sweet—but I had to throw out three loaves before I noticed. That’s the kind of small, stupid error that makes me triple-check every recipe now.
Go to the contact page and tell us exactly what went wrong—and how you fixed it. That’s how this log stays real.
There will be a next one
This list isn’t finished. The next correction could be ours, or yours: if you spot something that doesn’t work, we want to know. The contact page is where to send it. And if you’ve ever baked a recipe from here that went wrong?
Tell us how you recovered—we’ll add it to the next update.
The recipes are grouped by category: Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Main Courses and Reviews.