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It feels so strange to stop for a minute and think back over the week ... It has been a blur of oven firings, dough mixing, baking and cleaning.

In some ways it has been a week of major milestones ... the FIRST bake!

... but now that I am test baking everyday in the oven it really feels down to business. I have entered into a relationship with this wood burning beast and I need to tame it.

I now often think of something that Chris Bianco said about woodfired ovens - he said they teach you about heat.

Just pre-ordered Chad Robertson's next book, due out Nov. available through Amazon!

I'm sorry about the pictures on this post.  We can't get them to line up no matter what my apprentice does :-) 

Sometime things just happen because they are triggered subtly and naturally by our senses.  We are reminded of something and then these thoughts lead to other unrelated ideas.  Next thing you know you have a new bread formula designed by the simplest of things - in this case smell.

Do you get tired of kneading? Sometimes, I do. Especially if I find myself with nothing interesting to think about. Because, let’s face it. Kneading is somewhat repetitive. It’s hand-wringingly repetitive.

Others clearly have the same feeling. Some people resort to using machines to knead. But I’m not wild about using machines. They take up so much room and they’re so loud. And they aren’t easy to clean – I’m always worried about cutting myself….

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Hi All

I am new to bread making but want to make a gluten free loaf that doesn't turn out like a brick!

I am wondering if I can use yeast and baking powder to make it lighter - as there is no gluten to "stretch" and lighten, no kneading is required.

Help?

    I made this bread because my whole family love Italian food and baguettes and homemade sun-dried tomatoes are just heaven! I dry them in my oven and soak them in olive oil with Italian spices. I use them in everything and one day I heard someone was using them in bread and I designed this recipe so I could put everything I love in it.

I'm a "newbie" to baking, got Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" for 2012 Christmas gift which seems to be a great book for beginners.  Reinhart says '"You can keep this (Pate Fermentee) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days ...".  If you are not going to use it until 4 days should it be frozen in that first three day and then unfrozen, or just go the 4 days in the fridge?