Uprising...mon histoire de pain - or my on going history with bread

It's been sometime since I started baking bread, inspired by a book by Dan Leader. Today, I am the guy who is known (not always happily) for leaving a trail of flour on kitchen counters, or stuffing the refridgerator with my levains. Call it a hobby, passion or just obsession for wild yeast. Lately though I have cut back on my bread baking. But as hard as I try to not buy more bread books and stop purchasing grains and flour... I can't! Call me a bread head, a  natural yeast evangelist, or just a man who can't ignore the power of the genuine dough.

While researching to prepare for an interview recently, I saw a video of the Spanish baker, Iban Yarza. In it he talked about his amazement at the "revolucion of homebakers." Quizás una revolución, pero yo prefiero decir una levantamiento - in English, perhaps a revolution, but I prefer to say an uprising! Funny how bread is so full of symbols, myths and analogies in whatever language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My inspiration, mentors, companions, panophiles in my revolution - it's led by pro bakers like Dan Lepard, Wolfgang Süpke, Richard Bertinet, Graham Prichard, Dieter Buschmann.

 

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention all of my fellow and first time Bethesdabaker's, which put me in contact with a bevy of bakers and my first bakers conference! They're coming up on a 5th Anniversary in Bethesda next July... sorry Mick, you know my schedule!

 

Then there are micro Bakers; Mick Hartley, Rick of Mair's Bakehouse, David Aplin ...Blog bakers, Susan, Marie Claude, Nils, Hans Joakim, Petra..Javier Marca,and there are more. The list is growing. There are some I have met and some yet to be acquainted with. The world of great bread, it seems to perpetually flower, no pun intended.

As for my own dream? Well it's not yet fully formed. Still in flux, it plays out both in my mind but also in real time - in the kitchen as I bake. Slowly proofing, it's all in my hands ready to shape but still developing!

If I left you off this post, sorry, just burning the candle from both ends, Teresa!

Comments

[David Aplin]

Just discovered this post, thanks for the mention Jeremy, it's very appreciated. Remember that inspiration flows both ways and it does; I always come away from your blog more emboldened to bake something new...and I do! So keep tracking flour all over your apartment, it's the price of all the delicious breads that you craft.

[MC]

Jeremy, I am so honored to have been mentioned in this post. Thank you!
I too have been bitten by the bread bug and cannot resist bread books any more than flours and grains. Oh well, there are worst obsessions. At least what we make gets eaten and disappears instead of gathering dust somewhere on a shelf... Plus people are always happy to get some!

[Hans Joakim]

!!

:D

[Teresa]

Oh Jeremy, you are terrific, Thanks! :)

[Teresa]

Gee, you left me out Jeremy! I agree with it being an obsession though.....