Dahomechef

Galettes it is. We have some nice looking berries at Whole Foods. For next weekend, how about the amazing looking Baba or the Vanilla Hazelnut cheesecake? Or the Savory Brioche Pockets? SethG--any preferences?

SethG, your epis are awesome! I also took a look at the King Arthur link arbuclo provided and it certainly was much clearer than the instructions in BWJ. I have the opposite problem, as my baguettes turn out lovely and with pretty decent slashes, but I'm going to have to take another whack at those epis. They just look totally great to break off into little rolls. The mixed starter bread is a fantastic and adaptable recipe, and the gradual fermentation really builds depth of flavor. Glad we made this!

Arbuclo- I use King Arthur 90% of the time. It's available here (about 20 miles north of San Francisco) at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. For specialty flours I usually order from the King Arthur catalog. Rhea, your crumb looks great--light and airy. Yum. I'll have to add the walnut bread to my wish list. SethG, I've made matzoh (from The Bread Bible) and it's fun! Looking through the book this evening, I was also quite taken by the Savory Brioche Pockets. Too many recipes!

mdt- I usually bake bread once or twice a week. Many recipes call for retarding the dough in the fridge "overnight" to allow the flavor to develop. For a better understanding of the yeast/lactobacillus relationship, there are detailed discussions in both The Bread Baker's Apprentice and The Bread Bible. ChzHead-remember there were croissants long before there were cuisinarts! You can use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the butter into the flour. You're just looking for the right texture at the end of the process. Arbuclo-thanks for the link! It all makes sense now (I think). What a difference their detailed instructions are, and the "wrong" photos look very familiar! I'm a big fan of King Arthur also but haven't done their courses. Maybe I should take a look.

mdt--I'm also tryingg to figure out how to work this rising schedule. I ended up chilling my dough about 13 hours instead of the 8 (maximum) in the recipe. Didn't seem to affect it too much, tho. How about the Berry Galette? Looks pretty yummy.

Okay, here's my shot at the mixed starter bread: The 2nd baguette disappeared (before I could get my camera) in a blizzard of melting butter and Vegemite. My pathetic attempt at an epi was actually pretty funny. After making the first cut, with the oven hot and waiting, I realized I didn't have a clue how to cut the damn thing. Flipped open book to gorgeous color photo--not much help. Anyway, the bread tastes fantastic and i will definately make this again, probably soon.

I've used the Benrined for a couple of years. It's really handy. Like Jinmyo, I like being able to just stick it on a bowl and slice/shred right into it. Easy to clean, adjustable, cheap. Don't wear a glove, but pay attention. Lotta bang for the buck.

mdt, your bread looks awesome. What was your verdict, would you make it again? Mine's in the fridge for baking tomorrow.

Nice kitchen--would be great to see it "accessorized." Used to live in Buffalo, at least they had good local beers in upstate. Still true?

Incredibly hot, spicy, lemongrass-flavored beef jerkey (from a coworker), hot wasabi peas (hey, it is a vegetable) and Quaker cheddar cheese rice snacks.

Hey, still playing catch-up. Made the brownies yesterday. Very gooey, but the taste is fantastic. I actually put these back in the over for a while to see if they would set up any more, since the family is firmly of the "cakey-brownie" persuasion, but they are still gooey. Here's my not-so-good-looking brownie bake, showing the effects of a rush of chocoholics before I could get the camera. So is it the mixed-starter bread? SethG, there are so many tasty and fun looking recipes in BWJ, I vote we stick with this book for a while. After all, part of the fun is baking stuff one might not ordinarily bake, and making our way further into this terrific book seems like it might encourage that fun, yes?

I've been out of commission for a couple of weeks, but I'm having a good time catching up. Made the potato bread. Interesting dough, very soft. The breads baked off well, but I'm not sure I'm one who appreciates the potato taste. Here's what mine looked like: Next I'm onto those brownies.

I've often brought tarts into work the day after with no problem. The only downside is sometimes the bottom crust may get a bit damp. I haven't looked at this tart recipe yet, but some recipes call for "glazing" the bottom of the crust to minimize moisture invasion. Anyhow, haven't had a complaint from coworkers yet--and they better not! Joel

Another newbie here. Fascinating discussion. After skimming this prodigious thread, went and counted: 47 in the kitchen, 5 on the nightstand, and about 75 in boxes, total of 127. Humble, but they're mine. Recent favorites: RLB's "The Bread Bible" and, just purchased in order to participate in another EG thread, "Baking With Julia." Joel

Another cyclist here. I like to stick to the dirt, so I don't do the kind of miles you do, but after a 2 or 3 hour ride hucking it over the hills I do work up one ravenous appetite. Lately I've been trying to actually ignore the nutritional "experts" and see what my body wants (hopefully something currently in my fridge, yes?). While carb lust is high on the list, I've been adding more and more protein to it. For me that would be pasta (of course) but I might throw in some diced leftover chicken, or crisp up some bacon and stir it back into the leftover risotto. I find the combination really satisfying. I'm usually too whacked and too hungry to actually start something from scratch. Must.Have.Food.Now. kind of thing. I also like heat for these feeds, and not sure why clothier reported this is not a good idea--haven't had any repercussions. Do you GU on your rides?

Newbie here. I'd like to get in on the weekly baking fun. Now $40 lighter, and armed with "Baking With Julia," I'm good to go. Is it going to be the rustic potato bread this week? They look fantastic.