Hello

I'm new to the site and have been baking for quite a while.  Mostly bread with a few pies thrown in for fun.  I was able to take a patisserie class in Paris a few years ago and I occasionally try my hand at laminated dough tarts, croissants etc. however I don't think that the pros in Paris have much to worry about.  I currently have some sourdough baguettes in the Anova oven (a gift from my kids last Christmas) and a recipe of Anis Bouabsa's baguette dough in the fridge to bake tomorrow night.  I look forward to sharing ideas and experiences with other bakers on this site. 

I'm retired and live in Eugene, Oregon.  Go Ducks!  My wife Connie and I enjoy travel, which we hope to be able to do again someday soon, golf, bridge and dining out with friends.  We have kids and grandkids who all live about an hour and a half away in the Portland area and we enjoy spending time with them and spoiling the grandchildren.  I was lucky enough to take a lot of consumer cooking classes at the Oregon Culinary Institute before they figured out that they could make more money by adding a professional baking course on weekends and stopped the consumer classes.  Since then I've taken any cooking and baking classes that are offered in the area.  Connie retired from cooking when I retired from working full time as a lawyer so I do most of the cooking these past few years but that doesn't stop her from providing helpful observations and advice.

Thanks for creating a great site for bread enthusiasts.  I look forward to participating and following fellow baking fanatics progress.

Mike Layne