I've been baking for about 6 months, and can now turn out a predictably pretty Sourdough Boule', I'm thrilled and excited to bake, and like to do it nearly every day.  Naturally, this has resulted in an over-production for our empty-nester household.  The solution is to occasionally surprise someone with a loaf.  Pure pleasure.  But, now that the word is out, I have people asking to buy bread.  Here's the problem: My personal history with crafts/arts tells me that when I cross the line from hobby to business the fun drains out fast.  So, I've refused to take orders.  I'm wondering if I made a big mistake the other day by telling a little group that I had considered accepting donations for my flour fund.  You should have the seen the speed with which money came whipping out of wallets!  I am reassuring myself that a flour donation doesn't constitute pressure, that I can just continue to gift people with bread as I please, but I am worried.  So, do any of you with a similar frame of mind have any experience here?  I keep looking at that money hanging on my fridge and wondering if I wouldn't be better off just returning it.

Giving away bread...or spreadin' the love, 1 loaf at a time.

I built a wood fired oven in the backyard last summer and quickly discovered I could bake more bread than I could eat! This was especially true after buying a used 20 qt. Hobart mixer.

So what to do?

Give it away!

I set a goal to give away 1000 loaves of bread this year and as of this writing, 7/21/09 I'm on track with over 600 loaves given.

A few days ago a firetruck pulled up investigating a complaint of smoke. So I showed them the oven and they said, "Cool!"

Wow, this gave me a great idea - to visit all the fire stations with a delivery of freshly baked bread! In fact I just came back from delivering to the 2nd station near my house. You can bet the firemen loved it and they are chowing down right now on a few of the 15 loaves of football shaped 2 pound "half whole wheat" loaves I just delivered.

If you have a story of giving away bread let's hear it...and I'll keep you posted on my goal of giving away 1000 loaves in 2009.

Jay Kaiser, Seattle