The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

5 minutes at The Back Home Bakery

mcs's picture
mcs

5 minutes at The Back Home Bakery

This is a five minute snapshot from last Saturday at our bakery.  We were fortunate to have Paul and his wife visiting at the time, so you'll catch a glimpse of Paul (PMcCool) doing his thing.  Enjoy.

If you'd like to read a detailed account of Paul's internship, check out his blog entry here.

 

PS Thanks a bunch Paul for all of your help.

-Mark

http://TheBackHomeBakery.com

rainwater's picture
rainwater

"This is a private video. If you have been sent this video, please make sure you accept the sender's friend request"....this is what the screen says when I try to play it....bummer.  It doesn't work....

mcs's picture
mcs

I think I just switched the viewing preferences to 'public' instead of 'private'

-Mark

rainwater's picture
rainwater

Thank you....cool video.

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Wow what a great video. You all look like a team churning out a rather large amount of bakery products. Mark I love your technique for shaping that large mix of fermenting dough during folding. Since you showed me that, my folding and dough expansion has been much better.

Poor Paul looks like he is about to drop at the end at the market.

To me, it's very inspirational to see the high level of product you are turning out every day. The Croissants and the other pastry's are absolutely perfect looking. Beautiful breads. The folks living around Kalispell are lucky to have you in business.

Eric

mcs's picture
mcs

We had a lot of fun and Paul's one hard-working farm boy.  We were all pretty dead at that time, but when the selling started, Paul definitely turned on the charm.  Thanks for the compliments - hope you can make it back to the valley some time.

-Mark

DanOMite's picture
DanOMite

beautiful looking products, love it, wish there was a place around here that was like this that could take me under their wing

clazar123's picture
clazar123

Thank you for sharing this! I learn more from 5 minutes watching your video than reading 10 books on "how to" something. You guys worked hard! Beautiful baked goods!

 

mcs's picture
mcs

Thanks for the compliments.

-Mark

Jw's picture
Jw

thanks for sharing. great way of handling the dough (folding technique), clearly a professional at work. kinda a shame your bakery is out of the way (for me).

note: it is 1 in the morning here now, time to go to bed (time for the bakers to get to work?). I assume it is illegal to smile on the video?

Happy baking!

Cheers,
Jw.

mcs's picture
mcs

Glad you enjoyed the video.
As mentioned by Paul, smiles are frowned upon at the Back Home Bakery.  Paul learned his lesson the hard way as he was consistently penalized with sink duty.  My wife still occasionally smiles and has her pay docked accordingly. 

-Mark

pmccool's picture
pmccool

although you can tell that my contribution to the franchise wasn't speed.  For any of you who are wondering, "Paul" is the slow-moving furry object that shows up in some of the frames.

Smiling in the bakery is punishable by dish-washing.  (grin)

Eric is right that I was about out of gas.  I did manage to stay awake for a few more hours, though.  I even counted back change correctly!

If you think Mark's stuff looks good, you ought to taste it!

Paul

tssaweber's picture
tssaweber

 Well Paul you were in better shape than I, I had even difficulties to operate the calculator and little kid from Sharon's school gave me the total of the 5 or 6 things her mother bought......

mcs's picture
mcs

The funniest part was when I walked over while you were talking to a customer and he was practically yelling, "YES I WANT THE REST OF THE BREADS!  THAT"S THE THIRD TIME I'VE TOLD YOU THAT!" 
Next, we were sharing 1/2 of a pain au chocolat and another customer came over and yelled at us for eating the only food left at our bakery display.  Oops.  Hey it was the first thing we'd eaten since 8:30 the previous night.

-Mark

Debra Wink's picture
Debra Wink

I saw no dish-washing ;-)   But it did look like a fantastic experience.

Nice video, Mark---thank you for sharing.

mcs's picture
mcs

As is clearly evident in the 5 minute video, Paul did absolutely no dishwashing while at the bakery.  Perhaps his retelling of his experience at the bakery was just clouded by excessive sleep deprivation.

OK maybe a little dishwashing.

 

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Great team work and you all look quite bright eyed and bushy-tailed given that 1:00 a.m. hour.   A baker's life sure isn't for the faint at heart (or for those who like to sleep).

The breads are beautiful, the pastries mouth-watering, and Paul looks as if he's worked in a bakery for years.  His handle, McCool, is a perfect fit.

No coffee or tea at the farmer's market?  Looked a bit chilly out there.

A neat video to watch - thanks for posting it.

Mark, you used a machine that was some type of press.  What was it and what did you compress?

cake diva's picture
cake diva

I would work for free every Saturday, Mark.

Lindy, it looks like a dough press for making rolls, probably Mark's delicious Portuguese sweet rolls- speaking of which, my daughter and I made some just a few hours ago.  We filled some with almond paste, and half the batch with sweet bean paste.  Those rolls are also great unfilled. --- cake diva

 

mcs's picture
mcs

Yes, that's a dough press and yes, those were for the Portuguese Sweet Rolls.  Glad you like the rolls.

-Mark

tssaweber's picture
tssaweber

Hey Cake Diva,

that would mean you have to show up every saturday morning at 1 am and be able to see the numbers on the scales very clearly...

Thomas

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

One more example of Mark's graciousness in sharing his knowlege and experiences. 

Thank You Mark,

Jeff

mcs's picture
mcs

Glad you enjoy the posts and videos.

-Mark

calliekoch's picture
calliekoch

I showed it to my parents to give them an idea of what I was doing at 1 am Saturday morning. They couldn't believe how early I had to get up for work, but I explained that you run a stringent business (with the afforementioned no smiling rule tightly enforced).

Lindy, Sharon (in the video) kept us well supplied with tea while doing the morning's work and Mark kindly fixed us up with a satisfying cup of coffee at the market. It was indeed cold, but oddly, not cold enough to keep the bees away from the pastries!

 

Callie

mcs's picture
mcs

It's way past your bedtime.  Good night.

-Mark

pmccool's picture
pmccool

when trying to explain what you were doing, doesn't it, Callie? 

Looks like you had a satisfying and enjoyable week, too.  Your apfelstrudel 'lacing' looks every bit as good as Sharon's work.

Paul

Marni's picture
Marni

When do you sleep?  If you are up at 1:00am for the baking followed by the market and then you take the time to edit videos for TFL?  I can't even write that in a complete sentence, let alone do it!  Well, I'm grateful you do - another very educational video.

I too was wondering about the press.  Do you bake the rolls in the pan and then pull them apart?  Great device, looks very old fashioned.

I'm going to rewatch the video. 

Marni

pmccool's picture
pmccool

into roll-size pieces, Marni.  Those pieces are then rounded up into final shape and, in this case, baked on sheet pans with enough space between the rolls that they don't touch during the final proofing and baking.  That gives them a nice, uniform brown crust all the way around.

Paul

Bread Buddy's picture
Bread Buddy

Thank you for sharing the video.  I really enjoyed seeing the coordinated movements of professionals. 

jannrn's picture
jannrn

I MUST say that dough Mark was folding looked like a CLOUD!!! It has really inspired me to get off my duff and try to get something that light going!! I worked in Massachusetts twice in the last 2 years and the Portugese Sweet Bread was my FAVORITE thing ever!! I have tried to find a decent recipe but just haven't been able to. I don't suppose anyone has one do you?????
Also, where is "the Valley" and can I PLEASE come play one night???? I will bring coffe and alot of southern charm....I PROMISE no smiling!! I HATE washing dishes!! I am AMAZED at all the product you put out in that one night!! Just incredible....looked like a well oiled machine!!

tananaBrian's picture
tananaBrian

I'm shocked at the amazing extensibility of that dough ...It's my main shortcoming, other than scoring (!).  How the heck to you get the dough to be so extensible like that?  I've never seen dough like that...

Brian