Keeping notes

Tracy, for any new formula I might be trying, I use one of those yellow steno pads to make notes while I'm working, noting my experiences as I go along and including any adjustments I might be making in a certain process.  Then I transfer my notes to a document on my computer, print them out and file them in a three ring binder in the kitchen.  The 3 ring binder becomes my working copy and, when I work from that source, I write on the working copy and edit my computer notes to reflect any changes I might make.  If I'm experimenting with a pretty good formula that I simply want to "tweek" in some way, I edit the document in my computer to reflect my work and file the edited version along with the original using a different but related file name (e.g. PR's Biga, PR's Biga Var. 1, PR's Biga Var. 2, etc.).

To avoid unnecessary confusion when trying to determine why something did or did not work, I try never to make more than one change at a time with any given formula.

Levenger's Circa system.

Tracy, I too am a devoted circa system user, but I don't use it for the purpose you're asking about here. I use it for filing the recipe printouts that I use regularly. I keep two separate notebooks, actually. One for recipes I want to try 'soon,' and another for the keepers (which has grown into my own personal cookbook). I just move the pages from one to the other (or to the trash), once I've tried them. I also use circa systems for my gym notebook, for my planner, and for scientific reference articles. I love Circa  : )

But, for perfecting recipes and refining methods in my baking, I have gone to journal-type notebooks with numbered pages (black, with labels for the spines, which I number 1, 2, 3, 4...). I originally started in a spiral notebook, and that functioned perfectly well, but after working with that for awhile, I wanted something attractive enough to keep on the bookshelf, so it's handy at all times. I have expanded to 4 notebooks currently---a separate book for each recipe or formula I'm working on, and I keep my recipe development to no more than 3 at a time. Once I've finished a recipe in one book, I can turn the page and start a new recipe, noting the page #'s in the front of the journal as a table of contents (recording the page that I start a recipe, and the page of the final version).

You can't take too many notes  : )
-dw

I do almost the same and I put mine in sheet protectors. On the back I slide in another page with notes or a quick glance larger quantity. The sheet protectors also allow me to "mark" through an ingredient once it is added with a dry erase marker.

Since I have been a long time spread sheet user, I put all my recipes  into a spread sheet.  New spread sheet for each recipe.  I even transform a recipe that looks interesting on to a new spread sheet file.  I keep everything in grams or convert every thing into grams.  Then the spread sheet when printed has a series of boxes that I check off when I have added a given item -- I don't forget the salt that way.  But here is the part that has to do with this tread.

I have space on the sheet for notes as I proceed with the mix, rise, bake etc. etc.  Also what I think of the bread being made.  If I decide to adjust the recipe I go back and do that on the computer for the next time I bake that bread but I keep the paper copy with the hand written notes in a file.

Works for me.

Dave

I have many recipes on a flashdrive. I also have a laptop that I use primarily in the kitchen. It's easy for me to add comments to recipes and to sort them into files organized the way I like them.