The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

What are Community Bakes?

mollyonatrolley's picture
mollyonatrolley

What are Community Bakes?

Hi,

I am new to this site, and I was going through looking at ways to participate and what type of information is here. I came across references to Community Bake events, for example, this post, but I could not find anything explaining exactly what it is and how it works. If someone wouldn't mind explaining or pointing me to where I can find out:

What are Community Bakes? When are they? How do you participate?

Thank you!!

Molly

cfraenkel's picture
cfraenkel

Community bakes are, (I hope I describe this well) where someone posts a recipe or a challenge, and the community all bakes the same recipe or challenge. Past community bakes for example were rye breads with at least 50% rye, or baguettes, you can search for community bakes and find others.  They are open to everyone, newbies to pros,  and are a great way to meet bakers around the world. Everyone bakes, and then we share results and stories and photos of our breads.

They happen when someone want one to start...there is no schedule that I'm aware of, and you will find it on the home page.

mollyonatrolley's picture
mollyonatrolley

Thank you!

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Hi, Molly.

 Welcome to the bread club. First, let me explain what the community bakes are not. The community bakes are not a contest to see who can bake the best example of the selected formula. While showcasing our skills is always fun, the best thing about our community bakes is the ability to catapult our knowledge and understanding of the subject type of bread. By using the collective knowledge of the hive, having many skilled/novice bakers all making the same type of bread, we can see firsthand in a short amount of time what small experimental changes in ingredients or procedure can accomplish. In a few days, we can learn what would take a single baker months/years to learn. As an example please direct your attention to the two baguettes below. #1 is the result of my first community baguette bake. #2 is my best baguette community bake. Quite an improvement, if I do say so myself! All that being said, Community bakes are fun too!

mollyonatrolley's picture
mollyonatrolley

Thank you and your baguettes from your best community bake do look amazing! What a great way to learn.

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Welcome Molly!

The post you linked to,  https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/69775/community-bake-rye-bread

isn't just a reference to a Community Bake, it is a Community Bake... just a post with comments that contain text (descriptions/explanations of what you did) and photos.

To participate, just:

  • read others' comments,
  • bake it in your home kitchen oven, toaster oven, grill, wood fired oven, work-place oven, school oven, wherever.
  • photograph it,
  • upload the photo(s) in the File Browser tab of your Account page,
  • post a comment with text and photos.

Feel free to ask questions of others in your comments.  You may also just ask questions, without baking/posting your own bakes.

Also, in that rye CB, in the original post ("OP") Abe gave a list of links to most of the previous CBs.  They're always "open" so feel free to add something of your own to any of the CB posts.

Enjoy!

mollyonatrolley's picture
mollyonatrolley

Thank you!

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

Here is a list of our Community Bakes thus far. They remain active, so if you choose to participate in one or more, post your bakes and others will reply. They are consistently monitored by most participants.

The following are links to our Community Bakes

Danny

mollyonatrolley's picture
mollyonatrolley

Thank you!