> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.kneadapp.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recipe Step Types: Active, Passive, and Equipment Time

> Learn how active, passive, and equipment step types tell The Sweet Spot how to plan your real workload.

## Overview

Every recipe in The Pantry can be broken down into the steps you actually do to make it. Each step carries a **time category** — Active, Passive, or Equipment — and that's what lets The Sweet Spot plan your real workload instead of guessing. Active time competes for your hands, passive time fills the calendar without tying you up, and equipment time locks a resource like your oven.

You'll find steps on any recipe page (`/pantry/recipes/[id]`) in the card titled **How it comes together**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/kneadapp/GEXsIwkkXZhBlwIA/images/recipe-steps.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GEXsIwkkXZhBlwIA&q=85&s=84d4413dfc6611bccb2adfa3d4bc5f12" alt="The How it comes together card with Prep, Bake, Rest, and Decorate steps and Active/Passive/Equipment badges" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/recipe-steps.png" />

## The three time categories

* **Active** — hands-on work like mixing or decorating. This counts as labor competing for your attention.
* **Passive** — unattended waiting like proofing, resting, or chilling. It occupies the calendar but not your hands.
* **Equipment** — ties up a named resource. **Bake** is Equipment and locks the oven, so the calendar schedules around it.

## Built-in step types

Knead ships with these step types, each with a default time category:

* Prep 🥣
* Bake 🔥
* Rest ⏳
* Freeze 🧊
* Chill ❄️
* Decorate 🎨
* Assemble 🏗️
* Package 📦
* **Custom** ⚙️ (generic, for anything else)

## Adding and editing steps

1. On the recipe page, find **How it comes together**. If it's empty you'll see: "No production steps yet. Tap below to break down how you make this — the calendar will thank you."
2. Click **Add a step** and pick a type card.
3. Expand the step to edit its details:
   * **Step type** — the chip row to switch types.
   * **Label** — only for Custom steps (e.g. "Overnight proof").
   * **Hands-on time** — accepts formats like `1h 30m`, `90m`, or `1.5h`.
   * **Waiting time** — e.g. `1h`, `2h`.
   * **When you make more** — scaling behavior (see [Scaling Constraints and Batch Limits](/production/scaling-constraints)).
   * **Max yield per session** — caps how much one session can produce.
   * **Notes** — anything else worth remembering.
4. Use **Move up**, **Move down**, or **Remove** to reorder or delete.

If a step has no time entered, you'll see "This step has no time set — is that right?" as a gentle nudge.

<Note>Good to know: Collapsed step rows show an Active, Passive, or Equipment badge, and the card summarizes everything in one line — e.g. "3 steps · 1h 30m hands-on · 2h waiting".</Note>

## Creating custom step types

If you do something repeatedly (piping, cooling, a special proof), make it a reusable step type:

1. Go to Settings → **Capacity** (`/settings/capacity`, the "Capacity Configuration" page).
2. In **Custom Step Types** ("Create reusable step types that appear alongside Prep, Bake, etc. in the recipe editor"), click **New type**.
3. Fill in:
   * **Label** — e.g. "Pipe", "Proof", "Cool".
   * **Emoji** and **Color**.
   * **Time category** — Active, Passive, or Equipment.
   * **Equipment used** — shown only for Equipment types; this is the resource lock.
   * **Default hands-on (min)** and **Default wait (min)**.
4. Click **Create Step Type**. It now appears alongside the built-in types in the recipe editor.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/kneadapp/GEXsIwkkXZhBlwIA/images/custom-step-types.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GEXsIwkkXZhBlwIA&q=85&s=93362d0df1d7f8e84f72c90fc1e43164" alt="The Custom Step Types form under Settings, Capacity" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/custom-step-types.png" />

## Tracking equipment

Equipment lives in the **Equipment** section above Custom Step Types ("Track ovens, mixers, and other equipment so the calendar knows when they're in use"). Set **How many?** to your quantity and click **Add Equipment**. Once equipment exists, you can attach it to Equipment step types so the calendar knows when it's in use.

<Tip>Pro tip: Be honest about active vs. passive time. A four-hour proof shouldn't block your whole afternoon — mark it passive so The Sweet Spot can stack other work on top of it.</Tip>

## Related Articles

* [Recipe Phases and Production Timing](/production/recipe-phases-and-production-timing)
* [Scaling Constraints and Batch Limits](/production/scaling-constraints)
* [Using The Sweet Spot](/calendar-and-capacity/using-the-sweet-spot)

***

*Still need help? [Contact us](mailto:hello@kneadapp.co)*