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artisanbaker

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Posts posted by artisanbaker

  1. rochioli; sign up for the svds

    the 04 svds are wonderful expressions of rrv pinot and built to last. i was lucky to have someone share their allocation with me at cost. estimated wait is 6 years.

    williams selyem also but you must be on the list. i can't call for you or i would. maybe somone in your group is on the list?

    woodenhead in forestville maybe if it's not too far? burt williams influenced vintner.

  2. Marco

    I feel comfortable answering on Ted's behalf...shiz is actually short for shizzle dizzle. In brief, it means excellent. The artist Snoop Dogg has basically invented this descriptor. Maybe Ted can provide more in depth historical background.

    So, judging from knowledge of Mr. Bajard professional compentencies, of those who are scheduled to instruct, the pics on the website, and the testomony of bakerkel, the school might be described as being the shiz.

    Best,

    Rob

  3. i just had some for the first time and i can say that it's the best stuff i've had this side of the atlantic. rustic flavors, plenty of fat, and NO HEAT. i hate the heat i get from the additives in most dried salame.

    looking forward to trying some of the other products in moderation as they can be costly (no implication that i believe it to be overpriced)

    http://store.framani.com/index.html

  4. no matter what you're welcome to say hi at the model bakery. i'll propose a "breakfast sandwich" of an english muffin with canadian bacon, egg, and cheese.

    bouchon is the only restaurant i've been to that you've mentioned and it is good.

    have fun; life is good in the napa valley

  5. sfbi is not well known because there's *no glamor* in being a bread baker and that's what they specialise in.

    there is no place, no place like france. i worked there for a year and a half and i wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

    french pastry school might be the next best place for continuing ed (read guest chef) classes in *pastry*... i would be scheduling another trip back to france to http://www.ecoledelapatisserie.com/ if it wasn't for my kids...

    best

  6. grampa jacks is a wondeful suggestion but they win the prize for the most expensive veggies in the usa

    that said i manage to find some change for their potatoes, which are remarkable. must be the leftover horse doo doo from the former track that their farm is on...

  7. OK to follow up...

    Whenever I worked in North Carolina, I was selected as a candidate for the World Cup of Baking. I developed, on company time, a formula for a long fermentation baguette sur poolish that was shaped by hand. It was for *my* competition, *not* for company purposes. Of course, the company stood to gain a lot from my recognition and indeed the TV channels/newspapers came etc etc.

    Whenever I decided to go back to France, I left the company. Of course I knew the formula; I had "invented" it. As a matter of fact, I knew it better than any dough I had previously worked with. So, I "took" the formula with me one might argue. I have since executed the same formula or a minor variation thereof in another company.

    Point is: even though I made this product/formula; since I did it on their time it is theirs. I did not "take" the recipe whenever I left because I "invented" it. On the same token I have the "recipe" and I can make it any time I want to (as long as my boss wants to sell it).

    For the competition they sold it as the Robi baguette (endearing name I suppose) and we sold a lot of them. This company still sells it (although he's gone to just one cut instead of the five that I was doing) and I suppose it still does pretty well.

    Just because I'm not there making it doesn't mean much. It's a bit of my legacy and in a sense, honor. This honor I will gladly receive because I put my blood, sweat and tears into this company, once working for 2 months every day 12 hours min per day.

    People will remember me and still probably do as the one who brought this product to the table. If one day it goes away then so be it. I have had the good fortune to aquire a wonderful set of skills and years of experience practising them. I expect there to always be a good market for a quality baked product and *my* work will be appreciated by the discriminating customer.

    Coincidently, they've recently updated their site and I will share this link. Keep in mind that *I* developed this product. Don't be mislead.

    http://www.lafarmbakery.com/HTML/Breads.html#

    click on history of hand rolled baguette

  8. taking recipes that you have executed at an establishment is totally wrong if you ask me

    instead just change them slightly so that they won't work after you are gone

    (just kidding)

    i've taken the low road and the high road upon leaving poor work situations. it's been better for me to be the bigger person and leave graciously even if you're notice is short. you can chalk this experience up to your accomplishments and be able to negociate a better situation next time.

    your cake business "on the side" using your employers equipment is something that i would never ever recommend doing as it can complicate professional relationships...

    good luck

    edit: i should specify. i have taken recipes that i have made. i have taken recipes that i have developed. but i have left all recipes behind (in their orginal state).

  9. Qui:

    No, most bread flours do not contain the same amount of malt. They possess a similar enzymatic activity that malt is used to attain in the event of a deficiency. This activity is measured using another machine and the reading is called the falling number. Malt is used to adjust the falling number.

    The word artisan is in my opinion one of the most buzziest words that have come of age in the last decade. Marketing depts have taken note.

    (as well as bakers using messageboards...)

    Happy baking

  10. malt is almost always added to all flours destined to be fermented to aide the yeasts. it helps the yeasts convert the complex starches into more easily fermentable sugars.

    whether or not the flour contains malt has little (if anything) to do with it being artisan. artisan flours' protein content usually weighs in at 11ish%. That combined with a favorable alveograph reading determines whether or not the flour should be marketed for the artisan audience.

    what is "favorable" you might ask? favorable meaning a good balance of extensibilty and elasticity after sustaining a "lengthy" fermentation.

    regards

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