Hi Folks
Been lurking for a while and figured I should introduce myself. I live in Vermont and I've been a professional artisan bread baker for most of the last 15 years. My passion lies with sourdough, but yeast breads are almost as much fun.
I recently finished up an (abruptly) short apprenticeship with a local baker here named Gerard Rubaud, so now I find myself between jobs and using the time to get reacquainted with home baking. I first started as a home baker, but quickly jumped into the profession and have done little home baking since.
It's a different beast.
This forum's been great for learning the ropes. It's amazing what some of you can accomplish from home! Professional quality, no doubt. I hope to achieve that same level of quality. Gonna take some time though.
Cheers!
Trevor
apprenticed under a fine baker after being in the business for quite a while. Very nice. One of the great things about baking at home is that you aren't constrained in any way with the typical commercial baking problems of meeting a specific schedule, making a profit, using mechanical equipment to make big batches, making breads that sell or fit into a maximum cost structure. It is really quite liberating being a home baker It really allows the creative juices to flow.
Happy baking at home Trevor.
Thanks dabrown! Freedom and a relaxed pace are some of the home baking perks I'm looking forward to the most. And also the challenge of getting professional quality from a home environment. What I've seen here simply impresses the hell outta me -- I just didn't know such beautiful bread could be made at home. Now I want in on the action . . .
Cheers!
Glad to have you with us. Your professional experience will likely provide you with an added dimension to your perspective. You'll find a wealth of knowledge and support here. We'll look forward to seeing what you bake!
Cathy
Thank you Cathy! My professional experience will likely be both blessing and curse. I understand the fundamentals very well -- dough and I are like old pals. But that's in a production environment. What's "best practice" in a commercial bakery may not always apply to the home kitchen.
Sometimes it's best to start from a blank slate.
But I'm a fairly open minded fella. Hopefully I can avoid stepping on my own toes. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Cheers!
How was your time with Gerard?
Jeff
Hi Jeff, my time with Gerard was brief. He's a notoriously difficult person to work with. I knew that going in, but risked it anyway. And while I like Gerard on a personal level, I simply couldn't work with him any longer. Don't misunderstand -- he's a good guy and a great baker -- we were just butting heads too much. Still, I came away with a few valuable insights so it was time well spent.
Cheers!