Blog posts

I'd like to start a discussion on the direction that the baking industry is going in. Why is something so fundamentally essential to qualities of human life, trending towards inhumanity. Frankly, the logistics are this; It's a difficult industry to make a living at, the personal costs are innumerably higher than most professions and the overall quality, including of staff as well is decreasing dramatically each year.

In case you missed it, here is the latest instalment of my bakery adventure blog. 

http://thesnapery.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/loaf-refinement/

Hope you enjoy it!

Richard.

After the last bake of this bread, I wondered if I could get a more open crust by doing all the mixing by hand, rather than some by machine. So, that's what I did. The formula was the same as that used in Pane Valle Maggia, ver. 2 3/7/2014, except I did not take the time to grind fresh whole wheat flour. I used Giusto's Organic Fine Whole Wheat flour instead.

My procedure was as follows:

This is my first attempt at tartine country without messing with its flour blend. Yew~~ this is really difficult not to add more whole grains. 

My basic white bread recipe with the following additions:

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs. cinnamon

2/3 c. Craisins

1/3 cup Sunflower seeds

Powdered sugar glaze.

Used the recipe found here:

http://www.food.com/recipe/pretzel-dogs-448353

Lately I've been a lurker on TFL and not even a very good one.   But the urge to post is too strong.   I must post.   After a disappointing several weeks at the Winchester Market - some good weeks and some bad weeks, but not really a nice place, or a very well run market, I finally participated in a really great market in Cambridge Massachusetts.   A few days before the market, I called a baker who had been there before me, and asked how much he sold.   He told me close to a hundred loaves.   I gulped as that's around 4 times as mu

I got the idea from King Arthur Flour's website. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/shortcut-russenzopf-recipe. I used the brioche recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible. 

From the side

From the top

and of course, the interior

Hey everyone!!

I have a new bakery blog post here about the refinement of my first product for my bakery. The Field Loaf.

http://thesnapery.wordpress.com/?p=66

Go have a look.

Richard.

Years ago I came across these buns when I went to Basel a lot.

They are sold only during lent, and only in Basel area.

The taste and texture were very memorable - unlike anything I had tasted before.
Next Saturday I will participate in a pop-up market and thought these Faschtewaije might be an interesting candidate.

I found a few recipes and saw what made them special. Lard.

I wouldn't be able to sell a lot of goods containing lard on this occasion (I am going with Hot-Cross Buns)
But my fingers itched and I tried out the recipe.