A blogger comes to visit....(Zen and the art of bread baking!)

Sometimes I dream of opening a neighborhood bakery. But right now I have a full time job as a chef. And weekends, when I'm not doing chores with my wife, visiting my mother, or riding my bike, I bake as much as I can. For now, I'm a bakery for a core audience of family and neighbors in Sunnyside. 

 

Today though was different. I shed my namesake moniker of the "lazy baker" and  was up early. Taking notes, calculating water temperatures, etc. I was getting ready for a visit from fellow blogger, Zen chef, someone I've admired for some time. He asked for an invite to my apartment for a on-the-spot story about my bread baking. Interesting since he hadn't even tasted it. I was both nervous and humbled. This was a visit from fellow "culinarian" (someone who genuinely knows as well as loves food), and I wondered how he would guage my skill on what I do when moonlighting as a baker at home.

What I wanted to show him was that anyone can bake bread at home, with levain being the master. Well, ultimately he seemed satisfied by what someone could do even in a small kitchen. A full four dough batches baked in one bake off - not too shabby!

I am sorry I didn't snap any pictures worth looking at, but Zen chef and I sampled the bread with some fine charcuterie from my pal Johnny. Everyone needs their own local butcher like Johnny. Anyway, until his post about his visit is up, I will encourage him to learn the basics of percentages, hydration and all the inner workings that make for a good loaf.

Merci Stephane!

Eskerrik asko lagun eta zoriontsu gozogintza

 

 

Comments

[Jeremy]

Maedi,
Thanks so much,I hope to make it down to Van Diemans land one of these days soon, to bake but also to meet you once and for all! Hope Graham is good, I always want to shout out to him on the video cam when I see him baking!

Cheers,
Jeremy

[Maedi]

I know you'll setup that bakery one day Jeremy, you're too damn passionate! Please come down and see us sometime. Graham would love to bake with you.

[Kitchen M]

I wish you were my neighbor! You can teach me how to bake bread and I will do your laundry!