Hello from Puget Sound, WA

Hello, I'm Phil, a new home baker. I started with "5 minutes A Day" and have learned quite a bit in the last year. For instance, there is bread and then there is Bread. I find I much prefer the latter and am having fun experimenting to get to my perfect loaf. 

I'm pretty dialed in with my process for commercial yeast artisan boules, but need more flavor!!

I just recently found this forum and love reading through everything. I have a new sourdough starter that seems active and healthy, in fact, my first dough is on schedule to be started this morning after work. I've been following "northwestsourdough.com" and so far so good. Looking forward to this loaf, and all the possibilities going forward.

I thank everyone of you here for sharing your successes and failures so that the rest of us can learn.

I enjoy the exacting nature of homemade bread, (it fits in with my OCD). I also get to eat delicious bread. I plan to explore baking with sourdough and getting into more whole grains and moving out of the AP flour comfort zone. While I love my dutch oven boules, I would really like to try different styles of loaves as well, so I'll be on the look out for methods and equipment to get even heating and  good steam retention for that oven pop and crispy crust from my less than professional home oven.

Thanks again, I'll be around.