Hello, world. About me.
Favorite Baking Books:
Tartine Book No. 3, by Chad Robertson.
Whole Grain Breads, by Peter Reinhart.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Reinhart.
Tartine Bread, by Chad Robertson.
Flour - Water - Salt - Yeast, by Ken Forkish.
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Hertzberg and Francois.
The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Hertzberg and Francois.
Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Hertzberg and Francois.
The Tassajara Bread Book, by Edward Espe Brown.
Local Breads, by Daniel Leader.
Bread Alone, by Daniel Leader.
The Village Baker, by Joe Ortiz.
The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, by Laurel Robertson.
The Italian Baker, by Carol Field.
Beard on Bread, by James Beard.
Location: Indiana
Interests: Near 100%, and at least 70%, whole grain loaves and flat-breads, mostly sourdough.
Baking Vessels: Lodge 3.2 qt cast iron combo cooker. Glass covered caserole. Lodge 9" cast iron griddle. 8", 9", 10" cast iron pans. 5 qt enameled oval dutch oven. Synthetic (cordierite) baking stone, 14-5/8", $10 from Aldi. Lodge 14" cast iron pizza pan/griddle. Crofton 1.75 qt enameled cast iron sauce pan with lid, from Aldi. Also bake in 1 qt and 2qt Pyrex/Anchor borosilicate measuring vessels.
Other Gear: Schule grain mill, hand crank, for cracking grain (does not make flour.) Wonder Junior Deluxe (hand operated), from WonderMill. Vitamix blender (regular blade, not the one for grains) for fine milling of pre-cracked grain. Cheap $10 electric coffee/spice grinder for spices and small batches of flax, millet, amaranth, chia.
Top Two Grains: Prairie Gold (Hard White Spring) from Wheat Montana (purchased thru CLNF), and Kamut (also from CLNF).
Favorite grains/flours: Prairie Gold, home-milled and store-bought flour. Kamut, home-milled. High extraction durum flour ("Fiber Wala"), from Sher Brar Mills, available at Indian/Pakistani stores. Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Spelt, home-milled and store-bought flour. Hard Red Spring Wheat, home-milled. Teff Flour, from Patel Brothers, or other Indian/Pakistani stores. Flax seeds.
Favorite Suppliers: Country Life Natural Foods, www.clnf.org [1], group orders. Patel Brothers, and other local Indo/Pak stores. E&S Sales, Shipshewana, Indiana, has 50 pound bags and repacks of dozens of grains/flours. Group order (4000 pounds, minimum) direct from Wheat Montana.