Mark your Calendar! We'll begin baking on March 21, 2007!
Do you yearn to to bake your own bread?
Then you've come to the right place!
Do you yearn to to bake your own bread?
Then you've come to the right place!
We're going to spend the next year sharing
bread-baking tips, techniques, resources, and recipes.
We'd love to have you bake with us.
More details will be posted soon.
bread-baking tips, techniques, resources, and recipes.
We'd love to have you bake with us.
More details will be posted soon.
In the meantime, please join our mailing list.
posted by Farmgirl Susan at
8:52 PM
Click here to see A Year of Bread in pictures."
79 Comments:
I'm trying to work up the courage to build a wood-burning outdoor oven. Any oven building going on?
I'm just starting to bake my own bread and am really looking forward to this site. Oh..got here through Farmgirl Fare, which is wonderful.
Hi Marcy,
Welcome to A Year In Bread!Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. While we don't have plans to build any wood-fired outdoor ovens in the foreseeable future, there are two excellent books I've come across that might be of interest to you: Build Your Own Earth Oven and The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves & Masonry Ovens.
Here are links to them on Amazon.com (sorry, Blogger wouldn't let me make them hot links):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBuild-Your-Own-Earth-Oven%2Fdp%2F0967984602%2Fsr%3D1-3%2Fqid%3D1169589071%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBread-Builders-Hearth-Loaves-Masonry%2Fdp%2F1890132055&tag=farmgirlfare-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
If you do end up building your own wood-fired oven, we would certainly love to hear about it. And don't forget to take photos of the process!
Hi Anonymous,
So glad you stopped by! We're really excited about this new project--you wouldn't believe how many e-mail messages have been flying between the three of us. And of course we can't wait to start baking. Looking forward to having you join us.
P.S. Thanks for the kind words about Farmgirl Fare. : )
You guys rock! I've been chatting with Kevin lately and love checking in on Farmgirl regularly (howdy, great pics and stories), so I think I have a taste of the quality that will come forth. Drop by and let me know whats up, 'cause I'm always looking for a reason to feed my starter (and I often dream of making my own wood fired oven). I found the link through bay area bites and a comment from Kevin about coriander cream.....
is it spring yet? lol. im a carb addict!
D-man,
Welcome aboard. As you can see we're still proofing the dough, but as breadies know a slow, even retarded, proof makes great bread.
BinB,
We've set a launch date -- March 22, the Spring Equinox. We'll have an update on our plans shortly (lots of emails, IM sessions, and phone calls going on). We're also hoping to do some live events if we can work out the details.
Yay! It's almost March...
Maya,
As you can see, we've set an actual date now.
Can't wait.
Mary,
Us too.
I'd love to join bread making is such an interesting topic and I am curious :)
Astrid,
Welcome to the fray!
great am looking forward to this.i have book elizabeth davids english bread and yeast cookery which has some good recipies i want to try good link to bakers in england is danlepard.com/guardian
Andy,
Thanks for the link.
I can't wait to see the bread you all bake! I LOVE baking bread and know that there's tons I could still learn.
Ohhhh, sigh, do you think any of these tips would help me bake a better gluten-free bread??
This sounds like lots of fun, but no wheat-laden flours in my house!! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!!
Barbara,
Thanks for stopping by. You know, I'm sure there is a lot we can all learn! While even the three of us do this all the time, I'm always discovering some new bread-baking tip.
Christian,
I don't know much about gluten-free breads, but it is one of those things that's long been on my list of things to figure out. We'll have to see if we can find some great gluten-free bread to try out.
Count me in! FarmGirl makes it sound like I really can do this. So, I'm going to give it a go. I've always dreamed of making homeade bread.
How lovely! I love to bake - so I'll definitely try to join you! :)
DeDe,
It should be greak fun.
Anne,
Good to see you here.
Thanks so much for inviting us to tag along on this adventure! I have been wanting to start bread making forever but never had enough motivation or ideas. Thanks for giving me both!! I can't wait to start!!!
Tina
I can't decide if I'm excited or annoyed! Another blog to be addicted to, oh no! Bread Alone found its way to my Berfday Wishlist via Farmgirl's site (my primary blog addiction) and my wish granted by the hubby. I'm trying to perfect the process, some days are good some are bad! This should be really fun, tho!
Wonderful!!!!!
I am desperate for a whole wheat pizza dough that can be started the day/morning before and only takes about an hour after I get home from work.
Hopefully something along these lines will show up in the great Pizza section?
I have both my paws ready!
Farmgirl Fare is one of my favorites. A Year in Bread will definitely be in the lead--recipes, tips and pictures--does it get any better--well, maybe having the hot, fresh bread delivered to my home!! I can't wait.
Can't wait, just had to chime in! Y'all started this just in time for me--I JUST bought a new pizza peel and bread book(one nudged by Farmgirl ;) )WhooHoo!!
~~
Count me in! I can't knead any more (bad hands), but I bought a KitchenAid Artisan mixer for this very reason. I love bread and can't wait to bake again.
I've just started baking bread and need some real help. I have two fabulous recipes and am looking for as many more as I can get. Please offer a novice help with adding the additional flour (after the liquid has been added to the first dry ingredients) and kneeding part. I have a very old and beloved Kitchen Aid and a dough hook. I need help knowing proper consistency and if it's better to add the remaining flour by hand or if the dough hook can do all the work for me.
Sorry for the long comment and question even before you get started, but I'm the only one I know (at least in my state) who bakes their own bread and I would love some tutoring. It sounds like you guys are the perfect place to start. Good luck on your site, I'll be waiting with bated breath.
Kate,
The simple answer is you can let the KA do all the work. But consistency is a matter of judgment and depends on the particular bread.
I use my KA for 90 percent of the mixing and kneading, but always dump the dough on a borad and finish kneading by hand because I rely as much on feel as appearance and time to determine when the dough has developed enough gluten.
I've tried making whole wheat sourdough once or twice, but not with much success. I hope you guys do some experimenting with sourdough so I can pick up some tips. Looking forward to everything else as well!
(I got here via Farmgirl Fare, btw!)
Wow! Look at all these people (not to mention the yellow dog) who want to bake bread.
Smoore, I am so happy to hear from you! While Kevin and Susan both do some sourdough and other breads using starters, I am seriously into these multiple day bread projects (sourdough and otherwise) so expect me to sneak in some of those while the others aren't looking. grin Have you tried the white whole wheat flour yet?
Beth,
Hah! I knew you'd come slipping in on that request. Why not just admit you start making bread and then forget you were doing it for a day or two?
At some point you're going to have to write a post explaining the difference between sourdough, biga, and poolish.
kitchenmage- I haven't tried it with the white whole wheat flour, so maybe that's the trick ;-). thanks for the tip!
I can't wait. I am a bread lover since I had my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Good luck and see you then on the 21st.
I've already left a message in Farmgirl's blog, but I just wanted to say again, YAY!! I can't wait! :)
Kevin, Kevin, Kevin,
You call it forgetting, I call it livin' on country time. Besides, I am a busy mage and I lost my little time-stopping gizmo. There is something nice about being able to do 5 min of work on bread, then throw it in the fridge until tomorrow, when you do 5 min more.
Smoore, let me know if you get a chance to try. I've got a bag of the flour but haven't opened it yet.
Rose and Christine, welcome! It's getting close now, which is my excuse to bake lots of bread. Tough job, but someone has to do it.
I hope you guys help me solve the problem that my beautimous new 5-qt kitchen aid mixer can't seem to do the breads from Bread Alone all the way to the end. My dough starts creeping over the top of my hook! It's so sad! Then it's a battle with the cat for the lower surface for me to knead the dough... she has to watch the chickens thru the window, y'know!
Michelle,
That's a common problem with KAs and heavy doughs (but not with cats, then again most of us don't have chickens). Anyway, when starts climbing I just pull it off the dough hook into the bowl and then continue. It's a hassle, but it works.
I don't use the splash guard on my KA, so if dough tries to climb up the hook I just hold a spoon or scraper against the top edge as it rotates and push the dough back down.
Also, I notice that Emeril and others on tv spray the dough hook with pan oil before use. Maybe this nhas something to dom with it too?
Is leaving a comment "joining the mailing list"??? Hope so as I couldn't find a link otherwise.
Susanne,
There's a subscription form just below the Amazon store in the righthand sidebar.
It sounds fantastic! how can I help? please keep me posted.
Un abrazo from Panama :)
Melissa
This comment has been removed by the author.
Melissa,
Hey girl! Nice to see you here and I love your current photo. Very sexy.
Jump in wherever you can. This is about bakers talking to bakers. If you (or anyone else) want to contribute a post we'd love that.
Looking forward to A Year In Bread.
Please, please, please consider posting the recipes using metric as well as volume, for those of us who weigh ingredients!
Expat
Wowee! I'm looking forward to baking bread this year...for some reason I have become allergic to the kitchen ;)
I haven't baked bread for a while and this looks like a good excuse to get back into it! I hope there's room here for those of us who don't have a Kitchen Aid. I love kneading by hand and look forward to finding some good whole grain rustic bread recipes. Lead on, Breadheads! =0)
Ahem, Kevin... Kevin!
Geez, we leave you alone here for a minute and you're hitting on the nice ladies! Melissa, I know you know he's harmless, but still...sorry. grin
expat, I am with you on weighing things and I believe we will be having both weight and volume measurements. I'll be sure to include metric in mine (and if I forget, you remind me, okay?)
Beth,
Melissa is a fellow personal chef. I commented on her photograph as an observation from one professional to another.{hmph}
Lisa,
Anything done with a stand mixer can be done by hand -- it's just more work.
Oh, this is going to be good!
1. I love baking bread.
2. I want to do more.
3. I laughed out loud reading this post.
4. You guys are FUN!
Count me in.
Andrea
Hi all: Was just wondering how this was going to work. Will there be a recipe posted before the baking date? I usually have most everything on hand to bake bread, but would like to be sure. Looks like I might be the grandmother of this group. Look forward to learning from you young whippersnappers! judyinknoxville
Oh man, I like those cool pictures. High tech.
Hey Andrea. Good to see you here.
JudyinKnoxville,
I'm in Koxville, too. And I ain't exactly a spring chicken.{g}
We'll each be taking turns posting a recipe and notes on the current theme about once a week. In addition we plan to include other material such as interviews with authors who have written bread books, additional recipes, and hopefully some contributions from readers.
Awe.Some! Have been a breadie since A&M days (thx to Floss Dworkin!). I don't use a mixer -- the angst of the day goes away in the kneading :) Looking forward to learning and sharing with ya'll ... maybe some ciabattas and sourdoughs?
mtnmaggie,
We're all looking forward to this - sourdoughs and ciabatta, you say? Sounds good to me! Then again, we could use a 24 month year for all the breads we want to make!
This sounds terrific. I've invited my neighbor to join us, my daughter in Seymour, and a friend in Maryville. Hope they all decide to give it a whirl.
I wouldn't mind learning how to do some flat breads. We lived in San Antonio for a while and I tried the flour tortillas, they were good, but a pain; a one at a time deal. Surely there are other flat breads easier. Of course I love ciabatta (I have never made this), with all those little holes to fill up with butter or melted cheese, a big bowl of home made soup and we have a little taste of the good life. I used to make a lot of sourdough, but with the empty nest, I don't make it any more. Just want to keep my hand in the dough though. ha
Guess how I found this place. I was searching for a recipe for corn pudding, and pulled up a page of listings. I glanced over it, and saw Seriously Good. I thought, hmmmm, serious and good, first one I pulled up, made the corn pudding, my husband ate three helpings. As I was reading, I saw Cruze Farm mentioned, and I thought, I wonder if there is more than one Cruze Farm. Checked Kevin out and found out he was here in Knoxville. I am so excited, I had checked out some blogs before, but nothing concerning food. You all have wonderful blogs. Farmgirl, I just love the photos of the lambs, and Kitchenmage, please broaden my understanding and tell me what mage means. I have a feeling it is akin to magi, magic?? Am I wayyyyyy off? Oh well, want be the first time. Okay, I am ready for blastoff!!!! judyinknoxville
Judi,
I was pleased with that recipe corn-pudding recipe. I t really is a dessert and not a side dish, but only barely.
Perhaps at some point, if you and your neighbor, friend, and daughter are interested, we might do a joint baking session and post an account of it.
We'll play it by ear, but it might be fun and useful to others.
re: wood-burning ovens there's an excellent yahoo group on this:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brick-oven/ Very friendly there and lots of experience
This sounds great! I'm looking forward to see what's going on here. I'm addicted to bread baking for quite a long time, you can see the results in my blog or here
Hi Kevin: that sounds great, I hope they all subscribed. I'm checking on everyone today. We were gone all last week to Hilton Head Island, and wooohooo, I got to go to Savannah and eat at Paula Dean's restaurant. Just had to find a way to get that in. lol I am just now getting caught up on things here at home.
Hi Petra: I loved your blog, the food looks great, but I couldn't understand a word you said. haha judyinknoxville
Hi there!
I am bookmarking you! I baked a rustic kalamata/rosemary bread from Cook's magazine this weekend and the only problem is that it is addictive and now I need a ten step program! Looking forward to the bread making tips and recipes!
Petra,
Beautiful bread!
Judi,
Savanah's gorgeous at this time of year.
Ginger,
Baking bread is addictive.
Yippee! I can't wait to try the recipes. I've posted a feed to your blog on my Squidoo lens, Tender, flaky, delicious whole wheat pie crust. Hope you plan on makin' some stone ground whole wheat breads while you're at it. Yum.
So glad I checked in to see how things are going. I love baking bread and I am looking forward to finding things here to bring me out of a lazy bread basket rut.
Well, you've got me going...I was looking for the kalamata/rosemary bread recipe (sounds delicious), when I came across this black pepper pullman loaf on Emeril's website. Sounded easy so I made it, really interesting flavor, I like it. Will make a great sandwich. Could not find what I was looking for; hint, hint to Ginger. Don't know what I will do with all the bread with just two of us. Guess the neighbors and friends might get blessed. Well, I'm off to check out the new Wal-mart that's opened up down 411, gonna look for something interesting to put on my pizza I'll be making. Ready, set, go. . . . judyinknoxville
Anonymus:
Rather than take up space here, why don't you email me and I will type in the recipe! Layanee@yahoo.com
You will love it!
Thanks Ginger, the email is on its way. judy
Came here from Kitchenmage. Am looking forward to all things breadly. Bring it on!
Geez, is there a party here or something?
I'm happy to see you Kathleen, especially since Kevin's got all those people from Knoxville here. Judy and Ginger seem like they could be a handful! (and where are the pictures, Judy? haven't you baked pizza already? come join our flickr group - see K's last post for details.)
Hey ya'll, I'm back from the mountains and I am ready to parrrrtttyyy. The bethCookies (from KM) were a biiiggggg hit, and now I have to send 2 copies of the recipe out in the morning. I am so glad I have two pieces of my pizza left, and I'm having them for dinner. Hubby will have to take care of himself. We call it dog eat dog night. In other words, it's a dog fight to see who can get the best leftovers out of the fridge first. lol
I have two large fresh caught trout in the fridge. Anybody got a good recipe? I had thought about grilling one with herbs inside, and wanted to try a pecan crust on the other one, but don't exactly know how to do it.
Also, and please don't think I have gone over the edge, does anyone know if I can make caviar with the trout eggs? Yes, I will try anything once, well, here I am talking about cooking only. ha
Okay, I need a really good bread to have with my trout. So let's get baking. judyinknoxville
ps KM: what is flickr? and how do I get there?
Judy, Judy, Judy...
bethCookies are the best! I am so glad they were a hit. Weren't you debating which nuts to use?
Trout is not on my fish I cook much list - I live in the land of salmon - so I am no help there, sorry. You will be much amused to read this however: homemade caviar on kitchenMage (made w/salmon roe, naturally) because I am nothing if not fearlessly obscure. I'm not sure I'd use my recipe, I shoved them in the back of the fridge and forgot about the jar for many months so never tasted them (don't ask, just go read) but it was amusing.
flickr is a photo-sharing site. You can sign up for a free account and have ~100 images or something. Go here to sign up and then here to join the group
Hey ya'll! I am amazed at the KM's recipe for caviar. I did grill one of the trout and it was delicious, but I may have to pass on making the caviar, and I do not have a weak stomach, but just don't know how much I want to play with those little trout eggs.
I joined the flickr, but I must confess I am a bit computer stupid, so I don't know if I will ever figure out how to put a picture on there. I will try to get my granddaughter (she's 13 going on 21) to show me how. I don't have a digital camera, but my neighbor said I could use her's. But, you know Mother's Day is coming up; that would make a nice little present for a sweet mother like me. lol
I'm ready, set and go for this week's bread recipe, sooooo, what's it going to be?! Bring it on! judyinknoxville
I like to bake breads and rolls. I am always frank for new recipes.Mah
Ostwestwind,
Welcome! It's good to see one of my favorite bakers show up.
I've ALWAYS wanted to make my own bread. The bread machine I have just doesn't cut it. I'm so glad I found this site -and it's not too late to join - it should be a fun, fun year. looking forward to baking with you. I had even bought the Bread Baker's Apprentice, but didn't get too far in it. This is a much more fun way. Love the photo's too.
Plongstocking,
I've never been impressed with the results from a bread machine. I think you'll find using your hands is better and more fun.
I can't wait. Carbs again; it is the mother ship calling me home.
Daydreaming already...
olive fougasse
pissaladiere
dense, big holed Italian bread
baguettes
Anonymous,
Hey, we've already started!{g}
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