October 14, 2014 - 9:49am
Hi from D.C., USA
Hi all. I wanted to introduce myself.
I'm 32, and I've baked bread as a hobby for many years, and I thought I was pretty good at it. Then I started reading up on the topic some more, and I realized I actually have quite a lot to learn. So I'm working on my oven spring right now, and I'm learning about sourdough starters, gluten, various qualities of different flours, etc. I hope that someday soon I'll be able to post pictures that are as gorgeous as the ones you guys put up on this forum.
Thanks!
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Mike Avery has a good site on sourdough at http://www.sourdoughhome.com. There are avid sourdough bakers here, also.
Ford
There is no reason to wait for a gorgeous picture before posting one. Post what you're getting now and see if people can give you any recommendations to get you where you want to be. I started baking last year so my experience is kind of limited. The best breads I have made come from Tartine Bread or Flour Water Salt Yeast.
Welcome!
The TFL community is full of experience that might help you get to where you want to go and beyond. That's why I agree that you should post everything, not just your inevitable smashing successes. I suggest as well that you consider working your way through a text book written for a bread baking course. The advantage of this approach, is, I think, that you have a reliable expert helping you build a knowledge base from the ground up. Take a look at these two texts: DiMuzio's Bread Baking and Hamelman's Bread. Both fit the bill but they're quite different, one from the other. Both may be in your local library. Both are surely available used at Alibris or Powell's books. I also found drowning myself in the many many videos online a way to learn what's out there. TFL has a video link you can start with. Soon you'll be confident that you can choose what advice makes sense for you and what doesn't.