Ok, this is bed rock ignorant but here goes: artisan baking is all about the details and I have not figured out about the cooling part.

Peter Reinhart says he enjoys his bread warm but that his Parisian baker friend says the bread must cool 2-3 days for it to mature.  Others say that as well.  Who is right?

And when cooling is it necessary to cover it with cloth and if so why?

I mixed up the artisan bread master recipe as found online at several news sites. I knew the dough was supposed to be really wet, so I didn't pay much attention. I let it rest 4 hours, then stuck it in the refrigerator. Brought it out to make the next day (that's when this pic is).

I shaped it into a boule (ball) on a very floured cutting board, let it sit out an hour, preheated the oven, poured in the water and slid my bread onto the back of a pizza-type pan (actually came with my microwave oven.

I'd forgotten to cut the X in it, but it formed a perfect one, anyway, as it rose and tore. The only part of the form I thought was strange was that it mostly rose straight up in the middle - it rose well but was more like a volcano than a half ball, for example. Had to leave it in the oven over an hour to get any brown.

After 30 minutes, the X it split itself was obvious.

Eating-wise, it came out mostly amazing - very crisp crust - but a gooey middle even though the bottom was blackened.

I later found out I should have been using the top and bottom heating elements. The dough didn't rise much pre-oven, but had incredible oven spring (isn't that what it's called?) - I was afraid it would hit the top of the oven! The crumb looked good, but like I said was too gooey.

I was really quite excited about (the holes of) nothing!

By far, in my opinion, the best Ciabatta recipe out there.

I am currently enrolled in college for Baking and Pastry Arts in Ontario, Canada and I am very interested in furthering my knowledge in the bread field, specifically Artisan bread baking. However, I am unsure as to where to turn next. After I receive my degree from college I do not know of any place to continue learning about this field. How did you start? Any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you

My favorite bread changes as often as a teenager changes boyfriends. Here's this week's:

Dan Lepard's Walnut bread. It has yeast and leaven both; what makes it wonderful is the paste of

ground walnuts, honey and butter that infuses the dough with walnut flavor and a hint of purple.

After seeing the beautiful breads Meedo and Zainaba have made, I'd like to try them myself.   Does anyone have suggestions as to where I might be able to get rose water, especially in the Midwest? 

I've thought about making my own, but I don't have roses, and have read that using store bought roses may not be safe because of pesticides. 

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Colleen 

After years of making baguettes with almost every type of AP unbleached white flour commercially available, I decided that bringing type 55 flour to the US would be the only way to solve the famed baguette debate. I researched flour suppliers and found one from Turkey. If you have ever been to Turkey, you know how good their bread is. In fact, their standard loaf is much like the bâtard and many mills in Turkey supply flour to France, including the one I have sourced for my flour.

Hello Fraternity of the Floured Counter

Looking for a dairy free recipe for homemade grissini - preferablly wholegrain.  Made in the true artisan way - each one hand formed into a long thin stick.  I want to server these standing upright in a tall glass as part of a cheese and antipasta spread I'm doing for Easter?  Can anyone help?