Hi from North Carolina
I am so happy I found this site! I am newly retired as of January 1st. Soon after, a friend gave me her recipe for simple homemade French bread. Almost as a lark, I gave it a try--not fantastic, but good enough to make me poke around with this "homemade bread" thing some more. Long story short, I found "the fresh loaf" and started fine-tuning what I was doing, learning something new all the time. Most recently, I have discovered the joy of baking my measured weight, which I think will make a big difference. I'm visiting Bed Bath & Beyond weekly for new baking equipment, got a danish dough whisk off Amazon.com...you get the picture :-)
About me: My husband and I are empty-nesters who live in a log house in the northern Piedmont area of NC. Between us, we have three adult children (the eldest passed away 2 years ago) and five grandchildren. I am an early retiree at 54, and spent 32 years in the social work field--long, unpredictable hours. This is the first time I've had time to do things like learn bread-making. My husband still works and is loving the domesticity! We have a spoiled sitzu mix and two cats.
And thanks to this site, I've not bought a loaf of bread, bread crumbs, or pizza in weeks :-)
Kathryn
Welcome, Kathryn,
I too live in Carolinia (the "North" is superfluous) and have enjoyed this forum for 3 + years. There are many interesting and informative notes posted here.
Happy Baking,
Ford in Raleigh
Welcome to the site I hope you enjoy it here because I know I have!!!
I myself live in E. Tn and again welcome to the site neighbor!!!!
Howdy! It's good to see more folks local to NC here. I'm another Wake County resident. If your curious about bread, this site is the place to be!
Oh, and Ford, what about South Carolina? Is the South superfluous there as well?
Nah! But they usually leave out the word "of" in the name, the state should be called "South of Carolina." I'm just trying to stir up trouble with a little local humor. It is like saying North Carolina is the "Vale of Humility" between two mountains of Conceit. That knocks both SC and VA.
Resident Conservative Curmudgeon, Ford
PS: I like all three states.
Hi Kathryn and Welcome.
I am also a newbie here (about 1 year) and love the sight. I am moving to Granville County from New Jersey in March and had serious issues with the bread situation there. (lack of good Italian bread) I am actually more of a reader to the sight than a bread baker but do have a strong desire to make bread weekly. I'm told it is all in the water you use!! I will also miss the pizza! Have you found any good pizzareias in the area or do you make your own?
To chromite!, I will be working in Wake County. Any good bakeries or pizzareias there?
I am afraid I really do not know of any good bakeries. That is why I bake my own bread. There are a number of fine restaurants who bake their own bread. As for pizza, you might try Pulcinella's, 4412 Falls Of Neuse Rd., good, small Italian restaurant that also serves good pizza.
Ford
Hi Ford! Do you know anything about La Farm Bakery in Cary? The owner/baker, Lionel Vatinet, is one of the presenters at the Asheville Bread Festival in April. I keep thinking I might check it out when we're in the area but other plans keep getting in the way! They have a nice web site and apparently offer classes though they seem pricey.
~Peg
The reviews sound good, but I have no idea how trustworthy they are. I'll have to investigate it.
Ford
Welcome from another newcomer to the site and to breadmaking! I live in the foothills and am another retired empty nester. I retired about 10 years ago and have enjoyed trying all the things I've wanted to do but didn't have time to do before. Our blended family includes 5 adult children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren. All five weddings and the births of all the grandchildren have happened since I retired, so I've been slow getting around to some things! All but a daughter and family live in the Triangle area so we spend a fair amount of time on the road. This site couldn't be more encouraging!
~Peg