Hello all--I am hoping to benefit from some TFL's patented expert advice and experience!

My father is having a 60th birthday party in July, and I offered to make the bread for the event. It's going to be a big open house, so lots of nibbles--bread and cheese being of course the world's best nibble option (IMO). I want to make 3 different types of breads, all of which I've been getting reliably good results with when baked as a single batch: sourdough baguette, walnut levain, and herb foccacia. I am thinking of making a triple batch of the baguettes (6 loaves), double batch of the levain (4 smallish boules), and a double focaccia (2 pans).

Here's my dilemma: my oven is TINY. It can really only fit one pan at a time (so, two loaves, or a single focaccia). And my fridge isn't so big either. So, I'm thinking of (trying to) mix/let rise all the dough the day before, having it proof overnight in loaf form in the fridge, and then baking everything sequentially in the morning. Does that seem feasible? And, some questions...

Should I make large batches of dough, or stick to the quantities I know I can handle? (I'm mixing by hand.) Is there a better time to put dough in the fridge for a "holding pattern"? Can I bake the loaves cold from the fridge? What about the focaccia? Any other tactical suggestions from the experts out there? (Is there anything else in particular to be careful of?)

Hi, I'm curious how everyone has learned this craft.  Through books and practice?  Baking Schools?  You Tube?  Divine intervention?

I'll share my experience, and then I want to hear yours...

I was given Jeffrey Hamelman's 'Bread' book a few years back.  Had no formal training and very little practical experience...just a love of eating good bread.  I mean I REALLY love good bread.  After reading the theory sections and thinking I understood much of it, I gave his Pain Rustique (Rustic French) a go.  Not sure how to describe the result.  Let's just say that after staring at the lump with my head in my hands for awhile, I decided to buck up and try again.  Next day the new lump was a little bigger.  The next was bigger still.  After a dozen or so attemps, I was actually able to, with a straight face, let my family taste my bread.  Not bad.

After months of practicing his Pain Rustique and attempting a few other recipes I felt that I could actually make pretty good bread.  I lurked on this forum for awhile and tried some of the more creative steam injection tricks...even bought a 6" half size hotel pan and a steam cleaner/injector.  Bread was getting better.  I'd say it was getting closer to local bakery quality.  Then, the wife did one of the things that makes me realize she's the one for me. She enrolled me in a bread baking course.

The instructor was a guy named Carl Shavitz who runs an artisan baking school in Italy and started doing a couple of courses in the U.S.  He was coming to Washington State (where I live) for an intensive week-long course at a great B&B.  It was all hands-on (no mixers) and the bread was baked in a wood fired oven.  Holy carp did we make some good bread.  White w/ Overnight Sponge, Grissini w/ Hazelnuts, fantastic sourdough, bagels, ciabatta, unbelievable foccacia, etc.  We had all our meals together (courtesy of the owner of the B&B) and ate huge quantities of great bread...and drank a fair amount of wine.  I can't even tell you how amazing that course was.  The attendees are even planning a reunion!

Anyway, I came away from the course making better bread than any local bakery and fully inspired to make this my future.  The bread has amazingly gotten better and better.  In fact, I'm starting a micro Artisan Bakery selling just 3 types of bread (for now): Sourdough, Rustic French, and Challah.  I already have a few regular customers and (to be confirmed over the next 2 weeks) 2 weekly wholesale accounts!

OK, enough of tooting my own horn.  What has your experience been?  Who did you learn from?  Who really inspired you?  I want to know.

Best,

Todd

I followed The Bread Baker's Apprentice's instructions almost to a T and it came out really well.  Just wanted to post a couple quick pics and look for suggestions for improvement.  Oh yeah, and I did not use parchment paper or a slipat or anything.  Was this a bad thing?  I think the bottom came out great.  I baked it at 450 for 12 minutes, then let it cool for 20mins before cutting into it.

On top was rosemary, oregeno, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and some garlic powder.  Next time I'll use real garlic, and I'll wait to put the toppings on until the bread is half baked.

I've been trying the Focaccia recipes from the BBA, and it's been turning out... very very well, Still perfecting the herb oil, but I'm extremely happy with the bread, I've been considering splitting the recipe in two as the resulting panned loaf is sometimes almost too high, certainly 2-3x the height of the bread pictured with the recipe, but we'll see. this creates a beautiful fluffy loaf with a great crust