I'm back!  After a long season of being "small business owner", the cooler weather slows down our seasonal business but allows me to return to baking!  I look forward to the upcoming months reading the different blogs etc on TFL.  Missed it very much.  I still have problems with scoring but am very happy with "Bubbles"a our SD pet.

hello from australia

...or near Boston, rather (Somerville). I'm finally getting serious about bread making. I've made the occasional loaf over the years and about 15-20 years ago was on a kick for a while to make a good french bread. The best I arrived at was using Julia Child's slow ferment recipe, but I never did get a really good crumb but in those days I didn't have access to the ingredients (like, say, bread flour!) or information that I do now. I've been making a lot of corn bread and graham quick bread lately and I guess it was inevitable that I jump back into yeast bread finally.

I've been using Peter Reinhart's BBA, and repeatedly making the Pain de Campagne so I can compare apples and apples from one batch to the next as I get the basics down of dough feel, kneading, etc. I'm up to batch numnber 6 or so now, I think.

I've learned a lot by browsing and searching on here already. I feel like I'm in the right place because a lot of you folks are as obsessively detail-oriented as I am! I have some questions but I'll post them in the relevant topics rather than here.

Eric

Hello TFL members!

I am so happy to finally sign up on TFL after a few years of obsessing over baking tips and hints so generously shared by the members here.

My baking is hit or miss, mainly because I am not patient and diligent about the processes.  Oh, and I'm forgetful too!  So I have some challenges to overcome, but with all the help on this site I see no reason why my baking talent shouldn't soar!  So many talented bakers here!

Mainly I bake for our family and friends and lately we (my college age son and daughter bake along with me) have been experimenting with the White Whole Wheat recipes on the KAF site.  Some of our 'tests' have been very successful, and others, not so much.  We are trying to reduce refined flour in our diet for health reasons (like so many others) and so we have taken up bread baking in earnest. 

Other than WW baking, our other recent challenges include: (perfect) pizza dough, pan de mie, soft pretzels and finally a Cincinnati specialty called 'Spreken' ( sweet bread).

We are looking forward to spending lots of time studying the site!  Judy

Hi everyone, been lurking and reading for a couple weeks now, so I thought I'd jump in and say thank you for all the great content here.

I'm a French expat living in New Jersey and making my own bread. Initially it was homesickness but now it's for the fun. I'll put my best foot forward and share this picture of a couronne I made recently:

Between the proof and the oven spring it closed up the hole in the center, and I realized at the last minute I had no idea how to slash this kind of loaf, but it tasted fine.

See you all soon in the forum!

HellO! What a wonderful resource this site is! I've been digging around for a week-ish and am loving what I am finding. My family is coming to breadmaking from necessity. My partner is allergic to corn in all its forms. ( try finding commercially made loaves without corn in them for under $4 US a loaf. Not happening, even where I live where the cost of living is allegedly lower than a good chunk of the nation.) I have insulin resistance and PCOS. White flour and even wheat are bad for me. But with a family of 4 to feed on a limited budget, we are having to be creative. We have had to banish white flour from the house entirely. Thats my fault. I can never simply -not- touch it. I just have to have a little piece with everyone else. The corn had to go because of the same problem with my partner. We know its bad for us, but if the rest of the family is having it.. then why cant we?? So now my quest is to find lower glycemic index methods and means to keep my family fed.  With a picky 13 year old convinced that the wierd food mom wants him to eat is going to KILL him I've got to find the tastiest means possible. He just doesnt get that he's got all the signs of being pre disposed to diabetes himself. So the end result : I've got to take over the production of the baked goods in the family, even though the prospect is scaring the living daylights out of me. The last time I used yeast was in 1986. I made rolls for 4H in high school. They were good but I couldnt tell you how I did it. I dont remember a thing. Conveniently blocked from my mind. So I'm looking for ideas and I'm grateful for those who have posted their experiences here. I don't feel as lost or alone now. Keep it up everyone!

Beaux

Since there's not a Philosophy of bread section, I guess this shoudl go here.

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_reinhart_on_bread.html is a talk Peter Reinhart made a TED.  If you're not familiar with TED, you should be.  Go look and be amazed.

Mike

Hi, I found the awesome site while searching for sourdough cookie recipes.

I have been baking bread since the early ‘80s. My first bread book, from which I learned so much, was Beard on Bread by James Beard. I enjoyed trying different types of breads and got started with sourdough from a fabulous whole-wheat recipe in a honey cookbook. I was introduced to Herman when a friend in Colorado gave me a cup of starter and all the recipes to go with it.

Along the way, it has been my pleasure to teach friends to bake bread. Also, I enjoy giving away loaves of my homemade bread. I used to make small, low-salt loaves in tiny pans for my husband’s dear grandmother. I like to make Irish Soda Bread and quick breads too. Most recently, I am using recipes from old bread books and searching the net for info on sourdough and starters. I love baking all kinds of bread and am so glad to have found this forum. I cannot wait to learn more!

Suz

Hi, I've been lurking on this website for a while and I guess it's time for a first post.  I've been baking pizzas for over a year now using high temperatures and gradually moved on to using sourdough starters to replace yeast in my recipes. You guys have a lot of information on using starters and a great community, I love it.

Lately I've been expirementing with making baguettes as I like the simplicity of the ingredients but the challenge of the process. I've been getting good results and just got a couche from KA for authenticity and I never thought it would have such dramatic effects on the dough.

I had a problem with my first use of the couche that it dried my batars. My process was bulk fermentation for 24 hours then I formed the batars and placed them in the couche. The batars in the couche went into the fridge for another 24 hours and I made sure the couche covered them even from the top. When taking them out of the fridge, the batars had a very dry crust. I learned that the couche draws moisture from the batars and I wonder if it's that extreme.

Did I use the couche correctly by placing the batars in it and proofing in the fridge for 24 hours? Or is the couche supposed to be used just in the final proofing for few hours when the batars are out of the fridge?

Saad

Hello everyone,

I found this site to be an excellent primer on making bread, and I followed some of the basic instructions. My first loaf was very small, as I only used two cups of flour, but it made a nice, bun? It wasn't really even a loaf, I don't think.

The next time I used 4 cups of flour and got a perfectly sized, if a bit squished on the ends, loaf, that my neighbour and her friend tore into with abandonment.

The third loaf I think was my downfall. I used about six cups of flour and two cups of yeasty water, but only one packet of yeast. I also added in the variable of a cinnamon sugar filling and cinnamon sugar over top of the loaf. It looked beautiful, but was doughy on the inside. Oh well, there's always going to be more yeast at the store, and plenty of flour. It's cheaper than buying premade bread at the store, anyway.