Fresh bread

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D.L.Ruth

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I used to have a bread maker and would make bread quite often. The bread maker broke a little while ago and I thought I'd try my hand at doing it the right way. Here was my first attempt yesterday at some baguettes. They actually turned out pretty good.
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Just ran into this youtube channel. I found this somewhat relaxing and worth watching. For a video this long (42 minutes), it's pleasant.

If you feel like trying, scroll down into the comments. Someone calculated the measurements to make a single loaf.

Gochujang Sourdough from Start to Finish

 
trusting your "expertise" beyond your knowledge, or as they used to say, "writing checks your ass can't cash."

So a guy I know asks me to help make some bread. Same guy in some of my stories about arguing facts and who because he had a couple weeks working with the forestry department while training with the Marines, thinks he knows exactly how forests should be managed, where the West coast is making all their mistakes, and everyone else is a bunch of idiots.

I wasn't really there to help, but to hang out and keep them company. Making sweet bread. I'm reading the recipe as he goes. I should have guessed, but we weren't going to follow the recipe. Because he's an expert bread maker because he made bread with his church group a handful of times. Knead for 10 minutes. Nope. Squished it between his fingers for a couple minutes, and that was the kneading. Called for X amount of sugar, but because he likes sugar, he 1.5ed that amount. Cream the butter. Nope. Just mixed it all together in one shot. Doesn't call for oil, but he adds some vegetable oil.

A couple hours later I get a call that it hasn't risen. Come to find out that the last time he made the bread, which was also his first time, it didn't turn out. I finally asked if he'd considered kneading it. I'm not a bread expert. I've only ever made 4-ingredient beer bread. I just know that there's a recipe for a reason, and he wasn't following a good 25-30% of it.

I don't understand people (ie men) who think they're experts at things because they've done it a few times or because it is a common thing or because they're so trusting of their superior self that they don't need help or guidance to do something. You've made the bread twice now. Neither worked. Why not follow the recipe to the T for once?
 
I don't understand people (ie men) who think they're experts at things because they've done it a few times or because it is a common thing or because they're so trusting of their superior self that they don't need help or guidance to do something. You've made the bread twice now. Neither worked. Why not follow the recipe to the T for once?

While in college I worked in a bakery for about a year. I was the cleanup guy who came in after the others had finished their day but I would be asked to do some things they hadn't finished up.

One of those things was baking cookies. Cranking out cookies by hand with a machine onto baking sheets and putting them in an oven that bakes 60 dozens at a time was fun.

The smell of the little proofing room was magnificent.

I learned enough to know that making fancy breads is an art. Nothing really difficult about it but you have to know what you're doing and when to do it. Even making a simple pizza dough takes a bit of thought and muscle (I make pizzas from scratch at home.)

Those baguettes look great!
 
I learned enough to know that making fancy breads is an art. Nothing really difficult about it but you have to know what you're doing and when to do it.
It really is. Bread making is huge on youtube, and I've watched my share. I find the process relaxing, and even fascinating, to watch. I have enough carbs in my life, so I don't need something like artisanal bread. I'm still there for it, though.

Back when this youtube channel was more about making bread and less about business, I used to watch it as I made meals. Tons of information there.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ProofBread/videos
I've considered starting my own sourdough mother, just for the heck of it. I like the idea of using organic fruit skins in the beginning and years later being able to smell hints of that fruit in the mother. I've read that if you, for instance, use organic grape skins, that the yeast that naturally occurs on the skin will aid in flavor development. Has to be something that hasn't been washed and then waxed for supermarket consumption.
 
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