Here's a Canadian's first attempt at corn bread. It turned out extremely well. I baked them in a stoneware dish that has spaces for four loaves. The other two were promptly eaten with dinner. I wrote more about the recipe here: http://jeremyskitchen.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/corn-bread/ Any suggestions for my next baking project? 

Just a quick question:

 Will the recent increase in prices for food and fuel make you want to bake even more? 

 My kids haven't successfully made the leap to dad's bread from the store stuff, and more than a few kids at school are jealous of the larger than average sandwiches they get. And even if not all of it is homemmade, it is closer for me to ride my bike to the local bakery than to the supermarket. It's not a huge thing, but I'm sure not having to run and drive 4 miles for bread would add up over the summer.

 Marc the Wombatq

http://onetanksummer.blogspot.com

Hello All,

Glad to have found you all! Been baking sourdough since the age of 9 with varying degrees of success. Wasn't till recently that I decided that it wouldn't hurt to improve the skill set some. What a surprise! The old bread recipes of flour, water, salt, scalded milk, sugar, and oil or shortening (think Sally Lund here) has given way to the Bread Law: Flour, Water, Sea Salt and Sourdough only. One other item is time. I've found that working bread baking into my schedule took a bit of wrangling with recipe and technique.

I happened upon Daniel Leaader's book, "Local Breads" some weeks ago and the old flame was rekindled. Since then I've acquired "Bread Alone" and "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart. The enjoyment of organic artisan sourdough breads with my Wife's artisan organic jams is really something to annoy other people with. Also, open faced sandwiches of poached egg with slivered smoked salmon and fresh chives is unbelievable. The accentuation of food with artisan bread is hard to describe without samples so I'll quit that subject now but I'm sure many on this site are already there and I'm glad to join you all.

Bon Apetit,

Wild-Yeast

P.S. The best sourdough in San Francisco is baked in La Brea...,

Help Please!
I'm making round loaf, rustic breads and I'm not sure how to know when to "improve" the flour/dough with something to optimize the bread. I know its done ahead of time in Europe for bakers which is apart of why the bread is so fabulous...please assist
Thanks

Hi. My name is Mike and I was just watching an anime called Yakitate Japan. Even before watching that anime I wanted to get into the culinary business, but now I'd like to focus on making different types of bread. While watching an episode on this anime they made Melon Bread (I've seen it's called by many names, I'm just sticking to this one). Anyway, being inspired by this I went to google and searched for recipes to make the sweet Melon Bread. Being a fan of asian culture I'm very determnied to get it right. However, when I found the recipes on this site (as directed by google), no recipe said anything about how to add melon flavoring, and if one did, the person reported the dough did not rise properly or the flavor left. In the anime however the main character used two ovens to bake the top and the bottom on this bread, and added a melon paste in between to give it the melon flavoring. Is this possible and if not, are there any recipes out there that can help me make it?

Please note I've had no previous culinary experience or anything close to baking bread from scratch before, I've just recently become inspired by this anime. So if it wouldn't be too much trouble being able to explain it in a way a total newbie like myself could understand?

I just got Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice and intend to make many of his breads over the next few weeks. It's slightly unfortunate timing, since it'll be Passover in a month and then summer in a few more weeks (I'll wait, impatiently, until fall to put up a sourdough starter), but that just means I need to make as much bread as possible each weekend.

My first loaf was the pane siciliano, made with semolina flour. The nine-year-old promptly dubbed it "the best bread I've even tasted;" he'll be getting sandwiches made from the batard loaf this week. I'm going to try adding some whole grain flour to the recipe in the future.

I made a triple batch of his pate fermente on Thursday. One pound went into this bread; the other two are frozen for future use. The bread dough is made with the pre-ferment, high-gluten bread flour, semolina flour -- the nubby kind you make pasta out of -- a little honey and olive oil, salt, yeast and water. I kneaded, fermented, and shaped on Friday. It was an extremely flexible dough, stretching out like a baguette with no springing back at all. It went into the fridge overnight to proof. (I was out of sesame seeds, and the nine year old doesn't like them anyhow.)

I baked it this morning in a very steamy oven. (I preheated the oven to 550 degrees, with a cast iron skillet on the floor. I poured in simmering water and closed the door quickly, twice. The oven was incredibly steamy, despite no additional misting of water). When the bread went in, I turned the heat down to 450. After 15 minutes, I separated the breads, because they were touching; ten minutes later, they were done (205+ on the thermometer.)

Unanimous verdict? Yum.

For next time:

• Try replacing about a third of the flour in the pre-ferment with King Arthur white whole whole wheat.

• The batard loaf is a little small for sadwiches;maybe make one large batard and one spiral next time? It also should probably be slashed; it split some on the side.

• After 15 minutes in the oven, take the bread off the pan entirely and put them directly on the rack. The middle load stayed white and soft on the sides because they didn't get enough direct heat.

The following are the ingredients that are used in my recipe for 1 batch (3 loaves) of homemade sourdough bread:

6 cups bread flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups warm starter
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 envelope regular yeast

Today, I purchased a 1lb. block of Fleishman's Instant Dry Yeast. I need to know how much of the IDY to use that would be the equivalent of the single envelope of regular yeast. Also, is IDY the same thing as the rapid rise? If so, after the bread dough is blended, do I go ahead and divide it into 3 loaf pans for only one rising? Please respond to . THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!

I'm from Germany and have always made my own bread. Since I moved to America 3 years ago I have always wondered what exactly Artisan Bread is? What makes bread Artisan?
It's just a question that's always foated through my mind. Maybe you can help me out.Martina

Hi everyone,I am an avid baker and lover of anything baked. Currently I am writing a paper on the advent of artisan bread within America for one of my Journalism. I was wondering if you could just message me with:
-WHAT 1ST INTERESTED YOU ABOUT ARTISAN BREAD? -HOW HAVE YOU INCORPORATED THIS INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE?-WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN BAKING? -WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO COME UP WITH NEW RECIPES or DO YOU PREFER TO STICK WITH THE TRIED AND TRUE? (please add your name, state and the bakery you are affiliated with- just so that I can get all my sources right)
It would be a great help for me. Since this is a subject that lies close to my heart, I would like to incorporate stories and oppinions from bakers across America.
Hope to hear from you soon!!Martina

This is my first bread book and I find his way of making the dough is really easier and make the bread softer by giving more air to it comparing to the conventional way of kneading. It is less tiring too.

I have just started baking bread for over 2 weeks and now addicted to it that I am almost baking every other day. I even baked in the chalet after a day of skiing.

Happy Baking! 

Janet