The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Hello from Seattle

joaninha's picture
joaninha

Hello from Seattle

Greetings and thanks for this forum and site.  I joined a few months ago, but hadn't yet  gotten around to introduce myself.  I'd been looking for a bread-bakers meetup, but couldn't find one in Seattle, but am very glad to have  found thisi virtual community.   My recent interest in baking bread  (which I'd learned to do years ago when living in a rural  Western US community where the only kind of bread available was the  balloon bread type)  was due to new food allergies , as well as for taste & economy. I'm allergic to barley, and discovered that most commercially-sold wheat flour, and products made with wheat flour , even by local artisanal bakeries , contain barley flour.  This is true of almost all brands of unbleached  flour and sometimes whole wheat flour too.

So I'm enjoying making bread and experimenting with new ways to make crusty bread at home.  And if any Seattlites are  interested in meeting up to talk about bread, let me know.

Cheers,

Joana

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Good to see you here and I look forward to seeing your work.

There are a few members in the Washington and Oregon area. The founder is in the latter.

Eric

Niashi's picture
Niashi

Welcome to Seattle!

Hope you enjoy the area, it'll be a bit chilly for a bit. I wish you luck in your bread-baking adventures!

 

Niashi's picture
Niashi

I'm a little up north, in Shoreline. Currently getting ready to bake me some sourdough!

bnom's picture
bnom

I'm Barbara and I live in north Seattle.  I've been baking artisan breads for many years but have found the ideas presented on this blog have really been a boon to my technique and a great source of inspiration.

I envy communities like SF were they have bread bake-offs I think it would be very cool to organize something similar in Seattle. (I say bake off but I see it more as a sharing activity than a competition. We have some great professional bakers in this city but surely there are enough amateurs who'd want to connect in.  I'd be interested in people's thoughts.

 

 

fullmoon's picture
fullmoon

...I'm in. Sounds just like what I have been looking for. I am in the process of building a wood fired oven in my back yard. Anybody have a thoughts/info on that...Keivn

bnom's picture
bnom

Hi Keivn,

That's great that you want to build a wood fired oven.  I know there are postings on this site about how to build wood fired ovens.  When you get that thing fired up, let me know!  I live in the Maple Leaf neighborhoood. 

I think I'll check with folks involved in artisan bread baking fests in other cities to see what I can learn about how those came together.  I know some people in Seattle who could probably be a big help in sponsoring/promoting such an event (like Tom Douglas and Nancy Leson). Let me know if you have any ideas.

Barbara

fullmoon's picture
fullmoon

Hi'

Thanks Barbra. I have been away for a few days but I was thinking of starting a facebook page for "Seattle bread bakers". Anyone have any thoughts about that?  Could we start something here that might be fun? It would take me a moment to do and I would be happy to...Kevin

Niashi's picture
Niashi

I'd definitely join. I'm quite new to bread baking personally, so something like that would be nice =.)

I post mostly about my bread baking lately, although most are failures.. I am learning.

fullmoon's picture
fullmoon

 

I just did it. "Seattle bread bakers" is on Facebook. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Famous last words, I know. But I think this could be a good site for the local bakers. The bread in the picture is mine. Please post any and all things that strike you in the moment. And invite any and all people who have an interest.

Only time will tell...that is what I tell myself every time I put a loaf in the oven. Kevin

bnom's picture
bnom

THanks for doing that Kevin.  I'll sign up.

joaninha's picture
joaninha

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for doing this.  I'll sign up too.

How is your oven building  project going?  Interesting ,in another part of my life, I heard last week about someone in Seattle who is building an oven in his yard from recycled bottles. Is that you?  

Thanks to everyone who replied, and sorry for my delay in responding. Juggling many other things is the reason why I was a lurker on this list for so long. 

Barbara, sounds like we may be neighbors.  I live in the Ravenna Valley area ( N of NE 65th).

My next projects are trying sourdough  and no-knead bread.  My past attempts at sourdough spoiled. 

Enjoy the sun today,

Joana

 

sortachef's picture
sortachef

Hi, I'm Don and I live right between Green Lake and Wallingford in what used to be called Honey Bear country.

I built a woodfired oven a few years back and have been recently been blogging as Sortachef on www.woodfiredkitchen.com.

If anyone in Seattle wants to try the woodfired thing, or wants advice on how to build one (Kevin?), feel free to contact me.

Flame on!

bnom's picture
bnom

Hi Don,

Our mutual friend Posy told me about you yesterday and I was planning to say hello.  I would love to check out your wood fired oven. 

Nice easter bread btw!

Barbara (in Maple Leaf).

fullmoon's picture
fullmoon

Thanks to all of you for droping by. I would love to come look at you oven Don. And no I am not building one out of "bottles" If you find it let me know.

I am leaving town for the holiday. I am going camping and I will try my first loaf in the snow over a fire. Have a good weekend. Keivn

sortachef's picture
sortachef

The same goes for Kevin, Joanna, and everyone else in the Seattle baking community. Rather than me making my email public, if you leave a comment at www.woodfiredkitchen.com , I can get back to you most easily.

Have a great weekend!

Don

Niashi's picture
Niashi

Aaahhh you made that wonderful Greek Easter Bread I saw on WildYeastBlog! Looks so tasty, I thought about making it when I saw it =.)

sortachef's picture
sortachef

Hey there. I'm pleased to meet you and would love to show you the oven. You can contact me best by leaving a comment on www.woodfiredkitchen.com, which will give me your email.

Cheers,

Don

Niashi's picture
Niashi

Hey all, I joined on Facebook and I will be doing a lot of bread baking today, if you like I can try and post my results to the page.

 

Today will mostly consist of sandwich breads, Sourdough.

joaninha's picture
joaninha

Hi Don,

I went to your woodfiredkitchencom website ( very nice!  great photos!), but could not figure out how to leave a comment or send you a message there.

Could you let me know how it works.  If possible, I'd like to make arrangements to visit your outdoor wood oven.

Thanks,

 

Joana

 

bnom's picture
bnom

I had the same problem Joana had.

Barbara

sortachef's picture
sortachef

Hi Joana and Barbara,

On my website, you have to click on the blog title (for example, on 'Woodfired Roast Chicken') to go to the actual page of the blog. At the bottom are comments, where you can leave a message if you put in your name and email. Wordpress will send your comment to my inbox for me to moderate. I just tested this and it works without you needing a URL.

Optionally, you can contact me as sortachef at gmail.com (you put it together, hint, hint) which is an account that I just set up recently. Sorry to be cagey, but I get a lot of spam and weird contacts.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

-Don