New To Baking and I Love It!!
My whole life I've loved to cook and eat well, I am not a professional Chef by any means but cooking for myself, family and friends is always something I enjoy very very much.
I recently had vacation time accumulated at work and I decided to that my next project would be to learn how to bake. Next thing I know my wife and step daughter were on board with me and we drove to San Francisco from San Diego and I took a 5 day artisan bread course the at The SF Baking Institute and The course blew my mind and blew away that little knowledge I had about baking bread, I KNEW NOTHING.
I arrived 3 weeks ago and immediately started with baguettes, I wanted to make sure that what I learned I was going to be able to do in my home kitchen using stone in the oven, I wasn't 100% happy with my results only because the baguette didn't have the height I wanted and I think it had to do with the initial steam introduction after I put the baguettes in the oven, basically the bread didn't POP, but I was satisfied with the taste, the taste wasn't a problem.
The most enjoyable about the Christmas baguettes was when the family saw them and tasted them, seeing the excitement on their faces when they saw the bread and tasted it was enough for me.
Since then I have made some more baguettes and batards, I am really enjoying myself.
What I have not done and it seems that almost everybody on this site is doing, using starters. That part of the course was the second week but I didn't have enough vacation time accumulated to stay and take it.
As far as steam introduction in home ovens, if anyone has any pointers as far as creating steam that'll last 15 -20 seconds that would be awesome!!
Alberto Cafalli
A 5 day course at SFBI! What a way to start bread baking….first rate, no doubt! For steam, I use a cast iron skillet on a low oven rack and put 1/2 cup of boiling water in just after the dough in on the stone. I have never timed it for visible steam. (my 12 year old oven's window is such that I am not sure I could time with any accuracy) Some use ice cubes in a hot pan but I have not tried that method. There are home ovens made now with automated steam options….beyond my budget, but they exist.
Welcome to TFL…..we (especially me) would welcome stories about your experiences at SFBI. Embth
I use Mega Steam - One pan half full of water and kitchen towel rolled up (Sylvia's Steam)and pan pan half full of water with lava rocks inside (David's Steam) The pans go on the bottom rack one the preheated oven hits temperature then 15 minutes later the steam is billowing and the stone, which lags the oven temperature by 15 minutes is also up to temperature. Closets thing to a commercial stem injection oven.
Happy baking and get the sourdough starter going !