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Today, I baked bread. ^__^ One loaf of wheaten bran bread, one of a rye-buckwheat country pumpernickel, and two of very, very complicated Russian black bread that's almost as good (but still different from) the bread I remember from Sankt-Peterburg. That's all. Nothing earth-shattering. Just a free day, and a plan to bake, and a few hours of effort, and I have product that I'd have to pay $25-30 US for at market (assuming I could find a market here that would actually >make< these, especially the black bread). ^__^ moderately #happy
Liz
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Also...
...so far, my hands don't hurt at all, despite having to really lay into the bran loaf. Dang, but that dough was >HARD< >.< It still came out really well, though.
Yes, I made them all by hand, from scratch. :-P It's more fun that way. Unfortunately, I don't have a mill, or I'd grind the grain for the flour myself, too. ^^;
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Local bakeries
There's a local bakery that would be able to do all of those loaves, though you might have to give them a day to get some of the ingredients. They do a corn-rye sourdough that is really good, and a simpler version of a black bread that just cries out for some cheese fondue. Cost, about $6 bucks a loaf for custom, $4-$5 for their standards. I love their crusty French baguettes, about $3. Make a sandwich out of half of one, then toast the other half tomorrow to eat with a salad.
I love homey local bakeries. My oven sucks so I can't really bake at home.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
re: Local bakeries
Unfortunately, none of the bakeries I can find around here have been willing to do custom orders like that. T_T Also, I always manage to get to them >just< after they've stopped a hiring cycle, so I've yet to get one of my dream jobs. *sigh*
I do love a few of the local Latino panaderias, but I don't speak enough Spanish (read: almost none) to ask about custom baking >or< jobs (nor would I be very good at communicating with their clientele. ^^;
I was told, when I was living in Russia, that the ovens in the apartments I lived in weren't capable of baking bread, either. :-P I still managed to bake fairly often, both quick breads (chemically leavened breads like banana bread or zucchini bread, for those who might read this and are unfamiliar with the terminology) and yeast breads (I got... bored... with making country-white boules after a while...). ^__^ Pizza from scratch, too, which takes a hotter oven. Bloody-mindedness can carry one pretty far. ^^; Of course, it helps that Russian apartments are pretty indestructible (pre-cast concrete; the only burnables are the parquet flooring in the main room(s) and the wallpaper, plus any furniture). ~__^
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Ovens
The problem with my oven is that I live in a forty year old mobile home and what with earthquake weather and all, the oven door does not fit well anymore. I need to have someone who knows how pull it out and put it back in so it doesn't lean forward and to the left.
I do have an electric oven sitting on the counter that I do some baking in, mostly quick breads, like you say, and some frozen stuff.
My mom was the baker though, breads, pies, cakes, pastry. I like to eat it but I've never been intense about it or that good at doing it. Still, it used to be fun back when I had a good oven to make up something like a sourdough with peppers and cheese in the crust.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.