Hi from Newbie in Cleveland Suburbs; seeks advice and mentor
Hi everyone,
My name is Wendy and I'm on an extended visit to my hometown of Cleveland. I'm new to bread making and anxious to learn. I was happy to find this site a few years ago and now I finally have the time to utilize it. I welcome any advice and ideally would love to have a mentor.
I love cooking and most of what I know I learned at my Mother's knee and like her (ATTN:Ladies), I'm proud to say, I got my hubbie because of my cooking. Due to her death however, there are gaps in my skills that I've been trying to fill; like bread-making. Being from the South, Mom made biscuits almost everyday and dinner rolls regularly as well. She only made traditional bread once in a blue moon when she found a recipe in the newspaper or from a friend and I never got around to having her show me. I've heard what a generous and caring community this is. I'm hoping you all will take me under your wing and guide me through this process. To be honest, getting help from other cooks makes me not miss her so much.
I usually wait until I come home to hone my skills because her kitchen is much bigger and better equipped than mine is in Maryland. Mom made Dad buy the house because of the kitchen. He likes to eat so he didn't protest too much. Lol. With double wall ovens, two refrigerators and tons of counter space, it's a cooks dream. From the cookbooks I've read on bread baking so far, I'm gonna be using every inch of it! So far I have The Village Baker, The Bread Bible, Artisan Bread Every Day, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
I've decided to begin with starters. Today, using King Arthur brand flours, I'll be starting Peter Reinhart's pineapple starter and Joe Ortiz's cumin starter. When learning a new skill, I like to compare different schools of thought to see which one comes out the best.
I'll be happy to post photos along the way. I just need to know where to post them. I look forward to being part of the community and making new friends.
Your new student,
Wendy