September 5, 2014 - 6:48am
Market Day 2 - video
This was filmed between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Wednesday September 3, 2014. I was getting ready for and at the final market of the season in Big Sky, Montana. Enjoy. :)
-Mark
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This was filmed between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Wednesday September 3, 2014. I was getting ready for and at the final market of the season in Big Sky, Montana. Enjoy. :)
-Mark
Comments
Are you sleeping in now? That was not allowed at my time!!
Thomas
(former intern)
Technically I slept in, since I started work at 0500, but since I got home from the market at 2200 I think it is acceptable. Yes I know it's not a 20 hour work day like we did a few of (in a row), but 17 hours is long enough for this old man.
-Mark
Can you tell this Sylvia, please!!!!!
I'm sorry, you are on your own with that one...
to share your long day. What a variety of baked goods. Must be great making so many folks happy with all that fine bread and pastry. Well done and
Happy baking Mark
Yes, it is great to see all of the smiling happy faces when they smell and get their baked goodies. Happy baking to you too!
-Mark
Hi Mark,
Just like with your first market day video, I was mesmerized. I love watching skilled hands work the dough. There's something about the repetition that I find soothing. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
:) Mary
There's a lot of repetition in baking and that's part of what I like also :)
-Mark
and what's the same as when I got to apprentice. Your output is still amazing, as is the quality of of the product. Good to see some of the customers really loading up. I remember the one lady who wrote a check for a single croissant.
Paul
Of course there's more pressure since the customers are watching from the front and behind too, but there are a lot of similarities. I still remember some of your banter with the customers in Whitefish - like when someone asked if we had anything gluten-free and you responded, "Everything we have is absolutely FULL of gluten." Or when a woman was trying to choose between a sweet and a savory pastry and you asked, "So. What's it going to be, naughty or nice?" :) I believe Deb decided to talk a walk from the canopy at that point.
-Mark
About the gluten, that is.
And then there was the look on the one guy's face when I said that you and I had met on the Internet...
Y'know, it's always the quiet ones that surprise people.
...that you said that to him for the shock value. It worked.
Once somebody who had seen my videos was vacationing up there in Whitefish stopped by the market. He said to me, "Is Mark working today?" I pointed to myself but didn't say anything. He repeated, "Is Mark working today?" I pointed to myself again and said, "I'm Mark." He kind of looked perplexed and said, "Oh. I thought you were a lot taller." I said, "I'm not."
Oh well.
-Mark
Inspiring, Mark. What an exciting ritual! especially when you know for sure that your produce will all be sold.
Thanks for sharing.
Khalid
Yes it is very exciting and rewarding to see all of the happy faces and satisfied people. Today at the market I just got back from (in Bozeman) I had a line from 45 minutes before the market started (the vendors buying) until I was completely sold out three hours later. That was really nice and even when a customer finds I'm sold out of their favorite pastry or bread, they're still happy to try something else :)
-Mark
So is that pizza dough in the plastic bags? Also nice tip on using the tray to cover the tray. Great to see your happy customers. So I'm guessing you don't get a lot of browsing. Once they climb up there they are going to buy something. Your scoring is inspiring. Love the 5 star. What knife are you using? Long, long day. Makes me tired just watching. Thanks for posting yet another fascinating video. -Varda
Yes, that's pizza dough. Those are 400g boules that are put in the bags at shaping time, then they go into the fridge. The customer in the video buys 10 at a time, then has a 'pizza night' with his wife where they make them into pizzas, then freeze the extra pizzas for dinners at another time. He used to have a pizzeria up there in Big Sky and he really likes the dough.
Sometimes people browse from the driver's side of the trailer. They can watch me work and check out the stuff as it's being pulled from the oven. Customers who make it to the window in the video have been waiting in line, so they buy something. The line at both Bozeman and Big Sky is usually about 10-15 deep.
These are the knives I've been using for the past few years. They are very cheap and sharp, plus when I retire them from scoring they become my steak knives :)
Thanks for the comments, Varda!
-Mark
It really shows how your market day goes. Looks like you have some very happy customers.
Thanks for sharing the video!
David
Thanks. I think it's a pretty accurate portrayal of the market day, plus I've been told by those who know me that both of the market videos are very 'me'. Yup, lots of happy customers and one happy baker. :)
-Mark
I've enjoyed (and learned from) your videos for a long time and am way overdue in thanking you, they're great! You have such a great touch with the dough I could watch you all day. Amazing how much you can produce in such a short time, too.
Thanks again, Sue
Thank and I'm happy to hear that you've been enjoying the videos. Of course there's tons of preparation that goes on behind the scenes, but that doesn't make for such an interesting video. ;)
-Mark
That of the things videoed, the one that is the most frustrating is the making of the boxes!
That's a good guess. Folding brochures is another one of my least favorite jobs; that one didn't even make it into the video!
-Mark
Maybe there is a neighborhood kid whose parents will be happy to have him earning $10 here and there for doing the dirty work (origami).
Hi Mark,
Late to this one. A busy weekend and I wanted to sit and savor every moment.
Glad I waited.
Like others have said - I love watching you work with dough. You make it look so easy. What I see is a dance and it is mesmerizing; the moves, the timing and the final result all choreographed to perfection.
Thank you for taking the time to film your process too. That is no small feat especially with the editing involved and all the different shots/angles you had to set up in advance.
Thank you for sharing it all here.
Take Care,
Janet
It's funny that you say it's like a dance. When I shape baguettes, my feet make a certain sound on the floor during the repetitious process of shaping and putting it in the couche. There's a rhythm that develops and it's odd because sometimes I feel like I shape at a specific speed to keep up with the rhythm. I was thinking of filming one time at foot-level for this reason, but I thought for most people it just wouldn't make sense. :)
Thank you for the compliments and I'm happy to hear that you took the time and enjoyed the video :) Take care,
-Mark
Given the many different ways described to bake bread, if you showed your footwork, I believe there will be a cult following of people attempting to mimic the dance steps in order to get your bread.
And then I suppose I would be forced to install lower windows in my trailer so people could see my foot-movement underneath the table? Then I'd REALLY have to keep the floor clean :)
HaHaHa. You underestimate those of us here on TFL…..How many people 'out there' would save a special time to sit down and watch a silent video of some guy in a white apron baking bread in a trailer?
I know I am not the only one here who would love to see your feet next time. :*)
Janet
And second all the comments from those who find everything about these videos inspiring, from the rhythm, to the dough handling, to the beauty of the products (when oh when will they develop the smell/taste/texture plug-ins for web browsers????), to the evidence of careful planning coming to beautiful fruition, to the completeness of the story of each day.
Mark, if I could shape loaves the way you do I'd be a happy woman. That alone is poetry in motion, AND I especially marvel at your easy handling of my particular bugbear, those pesky ends. Thank you for the close-ups of that process; I keep rewinding and watching them over and over again, mimicking the movements. I've been making progress, but I've got a long way to go, and you've given me something to aspire to.
(Also... cracking up over the "Expecting Someone Taller" reference. Anyone else here remember that book?)
In the videos I try to capture the parts of my profession that I find the most enjoyable and the dough handling is my favorite part, whether it is the stretch-and-fold part or the shaping part.
side note: Another popular thing to say to me (since you liked the 'expecting someone taller' bit so much) is something like, "Wow, you're hair has gotten really gray." I have a whole bunch of snarky things I'd like to say when someone says that to me, but I usually just respond with, "OK.", or "Yup." ;)
Yes Janet, I guess people who spend this much time baking, talking about baking, thinking about baking, and then spend their spare time watching someone else baking might want to watch my feet while I'm baking. :)
-Mark
It's a hell of a life.
:*)
I got tired just watching you work, nice video too bad we don't live near your business.
Gerhard
That's funny Gerhard, because not only did I get tired doing the work, but I also got tired later when I watched myself on the video doing the work :)
-Mark