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So, you ask, why was this web site created?
After deciding to start baking bread as a hobby and doing periodic experiments, I decided to create a repository where I could keep favorite bread baking resources and recipes. I decided on a web site, so I could access it anywhere I could get on the internet from whichever device I was using at the time. The intent was really never to publish this for others to look at, but instead to just keep my notes and recipes readily available and to keep a 'journal' of the various times I baked bread. Over time, I've shared the web site with a very few others who have expressed interest.
Following my retirement, I started the habit at the end of each year to identify some special hobby or new skill that I might undertake in the following year. The idea of taking on this annual challenge was to engage in some skill or hobby that I had never really had much direct exposure to, but might like to learn more about.
In December of 2011, I decided that I would learn how to bake bread and that this would be the new hobby/skill that I would dedicate some time to in 2012. Having never baked a loaf of bread in my life, I realized that this would require some equipment, supplies, education, and patience. I also realized that this hobby might require some experimentation and learning from the frustrations associated with failed experiments. The further I got into this hobby, the more I realized how fortunate it was for me to plan on failed experiments, for I’ve had many. Early in 2012, I set some goals (e.g., the types of breads I would make and the number of loaves on average that I would bake each month) and started off on my journey.
My first bread baking experience was interesting. I decided to go with a hearth bread, Mantovana Olive Oil Bread, based on a recipe from Rose Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible". I certainly learned a lot from this little experiment. Although the taste was decent, the loaf's appearance was pretty bad - flat.
While some of my annual new hobbies turned out to be a one year project, with much less commitment in subsequent years, bread baking turned out to be a little different for me. My bread baking started in 2012 as one of these annual new hobbies, but I enjoyed it enough to continue baking semi-regularly for years to come.
During a March-2012 trip to Atlanta, my son, Ryan, introduced me to Cynthia Wong, the Executive Pastry Chef at Atlanta's Empire State South. Ryan felt strongly that Cynthia was the top pastry chef in Atlanta and clearly one of the best in the nation. He was thrilled to be working with her and having her incredible skills contributing to the success of the restaurant. Cynthia was kind enough to take some time out of her day to talk with me about bread baking. She gave him several pointers; shared some of her favorite sourdough starter (6 years old); and sent me home with a fresh loaf of ciabatta - great appearance, texture, and taste!
As a result of my visit with Cynthia Wong and encouragement from Ryan, two months into my new hobby I was frequently replacing yeast with a sourdough starter.
Following my retirement, I started the habit at the end of each year to identify some special hobby or new skill that I might undertake in the following year. The idea of taking on this annual challenge was to engage in some skill or hobby that I had never really had much direct exposure to, but might like to learn more about.
In December of 2011, I decided that I would learn how to bake bread and that this would be the new hobby/skill that I would dedicate some time to in 2012. Having never baked a loaf of bread in my life, I realized that this would require some equipment, supplies, education, and patience. I also realized that this hobby might require some experimentation and learning from the frustrations associated with failed experiments. The further I got into this hobby, the more I realized how fortunate it was for me to plan on failed experiments, for I’ve had many. Early in 2012, I set some goals (e.g., the types of breads I would make and the number of loaves on average that I would bake each month) and started off on my journey.
My first bread baking experience was interesting. I decided to go with a hearth bread, Mantovana Olive Oil Bread, based on a recipe from Rose Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible". I certainly learned a lot from this little experiment. Although the taste was decent, the loaf's appearance was pretty bad - flat.
While some of my annual new hobbies turned out to be a one year project, with much less commitment in subsequent years, bread baking turned out to be a little different for me. My bread baking started in 2012 as one of these annual new hobbies, but I enjoyed it enough to continue baking semi-regularly for years to come.
During a March-2012 trip to Atlanta, my son, Ryan, introduced me to Cynthia Wong, the Executive Pastry Chef at Atlanta's Empire State South. Ryan felt strongly that Cynthia was the top pastry chef in Atlanta and clearly one of the best in the nation. He was thrilled to be working with her and having her incredible skills contributing to the success of the restaurant. Cynthia was kind enough to take some time out of her day to talk with me about bread baking. She gave him several pointers; shared some of her favorite sourdough starter (6 years old); and sent me home with a fresh loaf of ciabatta - great appearance, texture, and taste!
As a result of my visit with Cynthia Wong and encouragement from Ryan, two months into my new hobby I was frequently replacing yeast with a sourdough starter.