Baking techniques

BrownDog posted a test recently that showed there was not much difference between milk that is and is not scalded. But when I bake using scalded or unscalded milk my results are quite different.  Also the folks at King Arthur recommend scalded milk from their experience. So different people get different results from similar techniques.

It is beginning to look as if bread baking is more an art than science and that what works for one person does not work for another.

Another example is the salt and yeast topic that frequently is discussed here.  I find I need to separate the two but Julia Childs in her video does not appear to have a problem.  So again it seems truth is somewhat relative.

Do people have other areas or techniques that they find work but are contrary to the rules of bread making?