February 3, 2011 - 4:01pm
G'day from Australia
G'day all, I've been a amatuer cook for 16years (in my 40s) and have been baking bread for ..oooh about 4 days! yep Brand spanking new ! (though I have always wanted to branch out into bread and baking) I bought a Mixmaster Cafe Series with bread kneading attachments and so have baked a loaf every day so far ..
This site has everything I have been looking for so I may wear out the keyboard with questions
cheers
John
ps: anyone like to use metric measurements?
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Hello John, Welcome aboard to a very friendly Forum, you will find alot of information and support here. There are quite a few Aussies here, me included.
Happy Baking.
Sabina
Hi Sabina,
thanks for the welcome. It will be good to be able to compare notes ! Main thing is for me is to find the products they have over in the States and Europe. I am near Sydney ..
cheers
john
Hello John,
I buy my Organic Flours from Woolworths, the Marco brand. Also, buy the Laucke Flour which comes from Strathalbyn. Last year, I purchased a Bread tin from the Laucke Mills. It is excellent, the dough does not stick, you only need to wipe it with a paper towel.
Check out my recipe for "Organic Spelt Bread" in the Forum which I won 1st prize in the Royal Adelaide Show last year.
Happy Baking.
Regards,
Sabina
You asked if anyone likes to use metric measurements: Yes! Although metric is not the standard here in the USA, it is not totally unheard of. I find metric measures to be the most convenient format for baking, especially when working with formulas expressed in baker's percentages. They fit together oh so well, and even I can multiply and divide by 10 in my head. :) I will use pounds and ounces when that is the way the formula is written, but it always makes me stumble when the formula calls for 19 ounces of flour, and my scale says 1 Lb 3 Oz. If it turns into something I bake repeatedly, I convert the formula to metric and flip the switch on the scale!
Welcome aboard!
OldWoodenSpoon
Hey Mate,
you and me the same . the problem here in Aussie we have recipies that alternate between grammes and cups as well !
Currently have a wholemeal loaf rising (heatwave here and so you can watch the dough rise in front of your eyes) and have put down my first ever preferment (as recomendended in the tips section) so I can give some french bread a burl tonight. oh and am just putting pizza dough together for dinner .. my wife is very understanding ...
With me, we just returned from 8 months in France so am now on a mission to spread the word on good bread !
cheers
Aussiejohn
Mine too! "You're willing to cook?! Go for it big guy!" I'll say, she "gets it" all right.
OldWoodenSpoon
She once gave me a recipe book inscribed , "happy Birthday Captain Cook, from Princess Eat " .. says it all huh ?!
I can't even find it here in the States. A large share of TFL members bake in metrics, i.e. grams.
Hi Anna, I have only had it a week ( no, less than a week!), and it has been running every day. something like 6 x 700gm loaves of bread, a maderia cake and a sponge cake plus I started the pizza dough in it ..
best part , I have been hunting down one for months/years and I stumbled accross it in a large department store and noticed they had it for half price! (to be honest, I think they had made a blue and put the wrong ticket on it !) I practically ran to the checkout waving my credit card in the air ...
as i mentioned, I have a very understanding wife ! :)
Welcome John from WA, what state do you live in? we have a couple of west aussies here on TFL, we look forward to seeing the results of your enthusiastic start into baking.
Hey there, Pity , I'm over in NSW, in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney .. .. I have to admit I am a bit daunted at putting any photos up until they have some semblance to the works of art i have seen so far!
about those "works of art" keeping you from posting pictures. This thread should convince you that not everything posted here to The Loaf is a beautiful bread!
Seriously, consider thinking of your blog as, among other things, a history of your development as a baker. You may not see much change from day to day (or perhaps you will!) but in a year or so you will be amazed to look back at some of your earlier bakes, compared to your more recent work.
Keep on bakin'
OldWoodenSpoon
and a very understanding wife, grin grin ....