Blog posts

More than two months has passed since my last post on TFL, yet it feels like a brief moment in the grand scheme of things...

Anyway, never mind that. Updates, updates, updates. A few major, life changing events have happened in the past couple of months. And today I finally have a break from my bakery (in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Southeast Asia), so now’s my chance to reconnect with my fellow TFLoafers.

Newly registered, though I've been lurking long enough to bake the Rustic Loaf twice and David's iteration of Bouabsa's baguette 3 times all in about 3 weeks.  Each time is better w the baguette.... but I'm waiting for a lid to completely cover my loaves so the first 10 minutes of steam cannot escape. 

Seems like people aren't crazy about the Gosselin (a la Reinhart) recipe for baguette.  WOndering if I should try or just stick w the Bouabsa which everyone in my family loves (served 3 of them and the Rustic for the holidays).

Thanks for reading.

Dough was from pg.22, sauce was New York-New Jersey on pg.28, finished with garlic oil from pg.29, cheese was fresh mozzarella (grated, easier said than done) I made 3 pizzas. The first two in 500 degree oven using pizza stones placed at specified oven locations. I used top stone first then moved to bottom stone. Allowed about 10 min recovery time before loading another pizza. For fun I did my third pizza with the broiler. Once the oven recovered I turned off the oven and broiler to high. Gave it about 5 min then loaded the pizza on top stone.

hello,

I am after a copy of Le Gout du Pain / The Taste of Bread by R. Calvel to borrow (ideally in French) and am wondering if anyone would be kind enough to lend me a copy? I know it has a lot of value these days, reason why i cannot afford to buy it, but as an artisan baker interested to open my own place (in London UK) this sounds like the book i need to get my hands onto.

I know i have very little chance to get to see a copy, but i thought i d ask :-)

many thanks,

xx alex

I received a new My Weigh KD-8000 scale to replace the Oxo scale that developed some form of digital psychosis recently.  More capacity and an even easier to read display make it a pleasure to use.  It's already received quite a workout just since Christmas.

Bulk fermented for 5.5 hours (not by choice). Too tangy for my liking but kinda shreddeable n soft. 40g yeast water used.

We were invited to some friends annual Boxing Day party. It's always fun. It's a pot luck with wonderful food. There is always live music. This year it was a Celtic string band. I get to visit with friends that, since I retired, I seem to see only once a year, at this party.

I was asked explicitly to bring bread. I brought a large loaf last year, and they never served it. Oh, well. This year, my wife made a delicious shrimp dip, and I baked SJSD demi-baguettes to slice for the dip. I also made a couple small miches using the original SFBI formula.

I haven't been posting/reading much on the fresh loaf lately and I haven't been super pleased about it, but due to lots of work around the holiday season and general lazyness my TFL activity has decreased but my bread baking is still at a fever pitch.

Merry Christmas, all, and many thanks for the wonderful resource that is TFL.

Today I used my rye starter (converted from white mother) and decided to make a batard.  Decided to slightly underproof, added extra steam a la dabrownman (pyrex with rolled cloth steaming) in addition to my normal steam pan.  I watched in amazement as it cooked! the steam obviously made the rise much better!!! I have NEVER made a batard this good.  I am over the moon!  and very happy with the crumb.