The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Hello from Te Wa'i Pounamu

PatMax's picture
PatMax

Hello from Te Wa'i Pounamu

Kia ora  , 

I have consulted this site on and off over the years , and yesterday I decided to sign on .

I bake mainly with native wheat 'yeast' flour starters  and occasionally with various other form of yeast ,

and have done so for about forty years .

 I've made loaves , rolls , buns , scones , pikelets , crumpets , pancakes ,  croissants , pizzas ,

frybreads , doughbouys , dumplings ,  and other stuff ,  

and baked with  cast iron camp ovens , and girdles ,  over , in and under wood fires  , and  with hot rock in earth covered hangi  ovens , 

 as well as with conventional electric and gas stoves ovens  and cookers .

  I'm not  a commercial baker , have never sold so much as a crumb of my bread . I have however  given far  more away than I have eaten .

The return on that has been fresh eggs , tomatoes straight off the vine ,  fish still dripping seawater , a newly woven harakeke basket , an excellent slab of wood that will turn well on the lathe ,  and the like , and of course ,  warm friendship .

Not as a barter system ,  but because that what friends and family do .  I sometimes cook at wananga ,  and turn out rewena bread  for the hakari .

My favorite  bread , my go to bread , is the staff of life , which in this  country  is the sandwich loaf . A  good all rounder  that never goes out of style .

Anyway , thats me , 

thanks for being here  , 

 nga mihi ,  

 Pat 

 

MichaelLily's picture
MichaelLily

Twenty Six Years

clazar123's picture
clazar123

Welcome to The Fresh Loaf! I would love to hear about what your favorite bread would be or some of the unusual bread baking experiences you have had. Esp. about how to bake bread on a girdle (I really hope that was spell check for "griddle").

 

PatMax's picture
PatMax

 Steam baking bread in a Hangi ( Maori 'earth oven' )  is interesting , and along with the bread , a full meal  is lifted from the pit , sometimes  with steamed plum duff pudding .

   Girdle is the correct spelling  .   A  Scottish girdle is a flat cast iron plate (can also be steel) with a hooped handle (for suspension over the fire)

 

 

Scottish Girdle

richkaimd's picture
richkaimd

What's your story of entering into the baking world?

What breads to aspire to get good at that you've never baked?

Do you have local bakeries that make better bread than you?

Do you sell anything?

 

PatMax's picture
PatMax

 slowing  down a tad  will get you a far better response .

 Thanks for the welcome  

Pat