Hello

[bluemoon]

Hi all.

I'm very new to this forum, just found it this morning!

I love to bake breads of all kinds, especially sourdough (still a novice at that though).

I also like to bake and cook all sorts of other things, but bread is my passion.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!

Cheers!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

We welcome you Blue Moon!

Love home baked bread!!! Do you use a bread machine? How is your sour dough doing? I think the best thing about bread making (besides eating it) is you get better and better at it each time you make it! Hope you will enjoy our forum, and become one of the regulars too
Cheers, CCCathy

[bluemoon]

Well, thank you for the kind welcome!

I have a bread machine, but find that I don't use it much. I love to get my hands in the dough! LOL

I currently have 4 different starters that I'm playing with, but I love my plain whole wheat and water starter the most. I think I read somewhere that after a while all the starters will become basically the same, taking on the characteristics of the wild yeasts that live locally, it will be interesting to see if that happens.

And, I agree with you, it's the process that keeps me hooked. Can I make a better loaf the next time, and what can I do that will make it better? These are the questions that keep me interested.

I am currently working on constructing an earthen oven outdoors to bake my breads in, I can hardly wait to finish it!

[jglass]

Hello Blue. I love to bake bread to. I have a bread machine I usually set on dough cycle and then finish it off in the oven. I do not care for the shape bread machines bake to dough in. I have a touch of arthritis in my hands so I really appreciate the machine doing the kneading for me.
My favs are brioche, challah, french bread and focaccia.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Welcome to Spice Place, bluemoon! We're a fine bunch of folks always seeking to increase our numbers, so we're happy to have ya!

[bluemoon]

Thanks jglass and chubbyalaskagriz (love your username), for the kind welcome.

jglass, I know what you mean about not liking the loaf shape from the bread machine, I love free formed loaves. That rustic look is beautiful. Focaccia is a favorite of mine as well. Yum!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Focaccia= a taste of heaven right here on earth!!! I think BluMoon is going to be a regular guys!!! Sounds like our kinda "foodie", and we'll all be so happy to talk "shop" with another baker. I found a great recipe book called "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day" and started their process and it is wonderful, and it really works, have you heard of it BlueMoon? If not you may want to sneak a peek and see what you think! I think it is swell.

[bluemoon]

Focaccia= a taste of heaven right here on earth!!! I think BluMoon is going to be a regular guys!!! Sounds like our kinda "foodie", and we'll all be so happy to talk "shop" with another baker. I found a great recipe book called "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day" and started their process and it is wonderful, and it really works, have you heard of it BlueMoon? If not you may want to sneak a peek and see what you think! I think it is swell.

I JUST found this book a couple of days ago! I want it! LOL

My baking library has a hole in it just the size of that book. Gotta fill it.

I saw a review of it on Amazon and it looks like a really cool book. I'm glad someone else has it too, I love to hear personal experiences about books before I get them!

[jglass]

I have never been able to master ciabatta even though I love it. I hate to work with really sticky dough. Im not a patient
person lol. Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden with grilled ciabatta is the best thing ever.

[bluemoon]

That sounds fabulous. I've got fresh basil growing in my kitchen window sill and cherry tomatoes growing in my garden...