A favourite quote of mine is from a kindly Singaporean professor, who said to a student who had just given a particularly fraught presentation “My dear girl, what is the point of arriving if you haven’t enjoyed the journey?” (Imagine an Indian accent). If you’re going to take on a commitment like bread making, you want the process to appeal to your situation.
It seems like there are almost as many bread making methods as there are bakers, and if you’re making bread regularly then you’ll probably have found a method that suits you. For beginners there’s the full range of methods online to choose from. If heritage authenticity floats your boat, then search out that 300 year old French recipe and start sifting for weevils. If you want speed and convenience then use a yeast dough, minimal kneading and a baking tin. It’s all good and you will most likely make something that tastes and looks great.
I think in cooking there are a lot of procedures that have become redundant but are maintained, because we all want the recipe to work, so take no chances. An example is when people ‘sponge’ dried yeast, that is, start by putting the yeast in sweetened water or milk and wait for it to bubble. A lot of methods, including those in bread cookbooks include this step, and it’s kind of appealing to know the yeast is going before you add it to the dough. However, I worked with a major dried yeast producer and I can say for sure that this is counterproductive; the yeast re-activates best if it is mixed with the flour before the water is added (less rehydration shock).
Kneading is another step where it pays to know why you’re doing it. My kind of bread is sourdough (or yeast), shaped into a lozenge (batard) and baked on a hot tile. These formed breads need the strength developed in kneading and shaping. The kneading also makes a chewier loaf. But a lot of people go for the no knead/ low knead style, which is fine for certain types of loaf. No knead is usually baked in a tin, like a cake, because the dough would spread flat on a tray.
You can also bake good bread with a single rising step, although some methods go for three (!) risings.
At the other extreme are the specialty breads like baguettes, brioche and croissants, and these are all technique. There’s only one way to get that baguette that’s so sharp it cuts your mouth when you bite in.
A lot of techniques, like slashing the top of the loaf, have important functions in certain loaves, so it’s good to know why and how to use them.
For the serious enthusiast, you’re going to be spending a lot of time and effort in baking, so I think it pays to read books like Emily Buehler’s Bread Science, where all the processes are explained.
For hand-shaped breads the procedures I outline all contribute to the final product; a pre-hydration, kneading, the first rise, shaping, the second rise, slashing, and baking at two temperatures.