Newbie in Atlanta
Hey :) I'm totally new to baking, really, and to this site, but it's been extremely helpful so far. I just made my first batches... two of the Daily Bread recipe (I wasn't certain the poolish looked right the first time so I did it twice and made two batches) and one of the Pain de Provence, but with rosemary from my garden in lieu of the herbes de provence which I didn't have. The first daily bread loaves looked just ok... kinda pale, decent shape... but taste fantastic, especially with some butter and homemade strawberry jam. The second batch.... well, it got wider when it rose but not much taller. Kinda flat, you know? Maybe I needed to add more flour, I'm not sure. It was still so sticky when I put it in the oven that it didn't keep it's shape very much. It's still baking so we'll see, but I'm afraid it'll be too heavy. However, the rosemary bread looks and tastes like something you'd buy in a real bakery and I am SO proud of myself.
<> So, in case anybody's interested: my name is Marcy, I live in Atlanta, am 27, and own and run a small high-end gardening business. I love art and books and traveling and my cats and husband, and apparently,now, baking. If you have any advice whatsoever for someone just starting out, particularly as pertains to my very flat (and even the good batches were very slow to rise, despite being in a warm spot) dough, I'd be very very eager to hear it. Thanks!
Welcome aboard, Marcy.
If there is any question about baking, I am sure it will be answered here. I just started baking in January and I have learned so much from this site that I could probably write a book.
But we Okies can't write, so I won't. Seriously, a great bunch of people from all over the world here.
I think that baking bread requires LOTS of patience. What turned out great one time may fall flat the next. One thing I've learned is that when I find a recipe I like that turns out well is to bake it over and over until the get the feel of what a good loaf looks like. It takes time - Good Luck - and be warned this is a very addictive hobbie. :-)
Trish
Thank you, and you're SO right. I made my first bread on Sunday, and have so far already made two batches of the daily bread, one of the pain de provence, and one of the whole wheat honey. I can see that there's a lot to learn but as others have said, at least the mistakes are delicious :) I have already seen a vast improvement both in method and the overall flouriness of my kitchen!
Pain de Provence- first-ever loaf baked!