As you know, I've been thinking about starting up an e-biz directed at amateur bread bakers and have raised the issue here a few times.

At last, I'm very pleased to announce (with Floyd's consent) the opening of my new company, THE NEW YORK BAKERS, and our website, www.nybakers.com.

The goal of THE NEW YORK BAKERS is to offer home bread bakers a source for all of the the ingredients, supplies and equipment that we typically can't find at retail, in sensible quantities and at reasonable prices.

As hobbyist bread bakers, I think we all understand the challenges of finding what we need, and it was my dissatisfaction with what's currently out there that motivated me to make THE NEW YORK BAKERS a reality. Over time, I'm hopeful that it will grow into a valuable resource for all of us who love baking bread -- not to mention sharing it.

Again, our address is www.nybakers.com. Please stop in and have a look around. There's lots of good stuff there, and more to come.

Elagins aka Stan Ginsberg, Proprietor

Have you ever developed an original recipe? Most people think it is some long drawn out process, but remember you are not Pillsbury test kitchen with thousands of dollars and test kitchen cooks to address ever question or issue.

When you find a recipe that is good, reliable and consistent...that's a keeper. If it is not, you have a couple of choices. Rework the recipe, refine it so it works, put it in the "to-do" pile for a later date or toss it. What you do depends on how much time you want to devote to recipe and only you can answer that question.

As you test, and retest, you will find a pattern to the process and it will fall into an everyday groove. I would suggest that you schedule time each month to test or at least review the recipes you are working on. Remember it's not just about recipes, this is a listing of products you can enter into contest, feature in a magazine or newspaper, include in a future cookbook or sell in your home-based bakery. When your bakery is up and running and a local journalist ask...may we have a recipe to attach to your story? What will you say, no they are all secret...

Always have a dozen or so recipes that are uniquely yours that you don't mind sharing...just in case.

You may also want to place a recipe in your marketing materials...not that people will prepare them necessarily, but to show you are open to sharing your knowledge and skill. You are a great baker and this is not the time to be shy!

Now with that said, you don't have to give out your best recipes, just things you don't mind sharing. Give it some thought.

There is an old saying, there is nothing new under the sun, and it is so true. It is easy to add a new twist to something, but food companies spend millions to create new products, it's a real challenge; but every once and a while an independent culinary innovator comes up with a unique and inspiring food, spice or taste. Take a look at what is missing out there on the grocery shelves... get creative. I would love to see an alternative to buttercream frosting, but I have not yet figured out what it should be, something sweet, creamy and not made with all that fat.

I'd love to find a store that sells a great selection of flour, preferably in larger quantities, like 5 pounds or maybe 25 pounds for a staple like bread flour.  Living in DC, I'm able to get just about anything I want, but many times they are in small packages and expensive.  For example, I can find a rather pricey 2# bag of spelt (I think it was about $5-6) or even Teff flour at a local egyptian grocer.  There aren't any farms in the area; the closest spelt seems to be north of harrisburg, which would be a long trip.  Shipping flour is quite expensive; for example a $30 bag of 25# of spelt is like $11 to ship and ends up being a better, but not exactly great price at ~$1.60/lb. and 25# of flour is a lot to keep around of kind of flour for an individual baker.

Any ideas on where I could get a good selection of specialty flour in semi-bulk packaging?  I love this sourdough spelt recipe but at $7/loaf its a bit steep to justify making all the time :)

I'm considering setting up a business that provides commericial and hard-to-find flours, e.g., first clear, white rye, high gluten, buckwheat, and other ingredients like malt, seeds and compressed yeast, in smaller quantities that make more sense for hobbyist bakers. In addition, I plan to include a line of low-cost, restaurant-quality equipment == and all at prices well below what King Arthur charges. 

Any interest?

I have been reading the ingredients on breads from bakeries. You can order them like from Boudin in SF. The only list flour, water salt. Is it the starter that is responsible for keeping the freshness? Since there are no conditioners or additives to keep it fresh.

My name is Hayley Mick and I'm a writer with the Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper. I write for the Life section, mostly about health issues but also about people's extracurricular pursuits.

Right now I'm researching a story about how rising food prices are affecting amateur bakers (particularly Canadian bakers!). Have you been forced to bake less? Or maybe you're getting more creative with your recipes -- Or discovered new places to buy ingredients at a discount. 

If you're able to chat, I'd need to speak to you this week, by Wednesday at the latest. Just send me your number and I'll give you a ring, or my numbers are below. 416-585-5118. email hmick@globeandmail.ca.

Thanks, hope to hear from you soon.

Hayley

Does vegetable oil work as a substitute for butter in baking yeast breads? I use it (or applesauce) in baking other stuff. I don't have access to butter or shortening.

I'm new to baking-bread-from-scratch but trying to learn...

I just moved to a rural area in China where they don't sell bread. My husband misses it a lot, so I'm trying to learn to make it. However, what I'm reading on here sounds a bit intimidating. I've baked yeast breads in the states, but I had any ingredient I could want and just did step by step recipe instructions, without trouble. Here, I just have the basics.

I asked around on grouprecipes.com's bread group about ideas. I was recommended to check into the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes' master recipe and Irish Soda Bread (but I don't have cream of tartar here).

From what I've read online, the master recipe (and maybe some others?) would work for me in some ways, but not others. Here's what ingredients and equipment I do and do not have access to:

*UPDATE* - I looked around and found more available ingredients: soy flour, black and purple rice, sesame seeds, millet, sticky rice flour, corn flour and corn meal, lotus root starch, sorghum (milo) and sorghum flour.

INGREDIENTS I DO HAVE:

*white flour
*rolled oats (and a small mill if I need to grind them)
*buckwheat flour
*honey
*soy oil
*yogurt
*applesauce (can make it)
*fruits of all varieties, inc. dried like raisins
*white sugar
*brown sugar
*salt
*cinnamon (can buy the whole bark and use mill to make it ground)
*soy flour
*purple rice
*black rice
*sesame seeds
*(yellow) millet
*sticky rice flour
*corn flour
*corn meal
*lotus root starch
*sorghum (milo)
*sorghum flour

EQUIPMENT I HAVE:

*small countertop oven (with options for turning on both elements, just the top, or just the bottom)
*refrigerator
*electric stovetop
*cookiesheet
*rolling pin
*mixing bowls, spoons, that type of thing

I can get (from a city an hour and a half away):
*baking powder
*baking soda
*packets of dry yeast

I do NOT have & don't have access to:
*whole wheat flour
*bread flour
*shortening
*butter
*margarine
*sour cream
*cream of tartar
*'coarse' or kosher salt - not even sure what this is
*vanilla
*peel
*baking stone

Any ideas? I'm considering buying the book but not if I am lacking something for all the ingredients. General tips about baking without a baking stone, or about alternatives for it, and ingredient subtitutions related to my lists above, and that kind of thing are also appreciated. Thanks!

I'm frugal. I've watched the cost of flour go up 50% in less than a year. I'm now paying 30¢ a pound (50 lb bag of enriched bleached bread flour from Costco $14.99)

There has been a lot of discussion of flours available in the U.S., continental Europe, the U.K., Australia, etc. The German and French flour types are government regulated, in both cases according to ash content. In the U.S., we categorize flours by protein content, mostly. But one mill's "bread flour" often differs significantly from another's. So, communication about ingredients across continents has been largely a guessing game.