another bread day...

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business is picking up...

Baked nine loaves for two clients today and just got a double order of croissants for Monday.  Finally gave in and started an Instagram account for my bread photos.  89,97,49,0,B

FedEx snafu...

FedEx was supposed to deliver my hard white wheat 2 days ago.  I got an email that said it was delivered but I was here all day and they never came to my house.  I filed a claim with FedEx and contacted customer support at Walmart.  Walmart was very accommodating and sent out another shipment free of charge right away.  FedEx finally called me this morning to say my shipment was left outside by a gate a mile away from my house - a gate that has no name or address but plenty of no trespassing warnings.  I told them where I was in relation to where they left my order.  I found my boxes there right after they called.  FedEx bites the bullet on this one for not delivering to the address on the shipping label and just leaving my order by the road - and I get a double order for the price of one.  That is of course if they actually deliver here tomorrow...  79,92,53,0,B 

What's in your multigrain bread?

Store bought multigrain bread

Field Lab Solar Oven Seven Grain

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new learning curve...

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taking the next step...

I made an executive decision and decided to take the plunge in regard to milling my own flour.  I was leaning toward going this route and just got pushed over the edge when Ginger Hillery contacted me today about a really good deal on 50 pounds of a whole 7 grain mix she had available for me from her supplier - hard red wheat, oats, triticale, rye, barley, soft white wheat, spelt.  Looks like I am going to have to stop giving away my bread (except for any visitors that show up wearing a BE LIKE CHUPA tshirt)... 62,70,60,T,W

Taste and See

Had a nice visit with Ginger Hillery yesterday - owner of Taste and See bakery in Alpine.  She gave me a thumbs up on my bread flavors..."Amazing bread! I love it! Great crumb, terrific taste, and yes, goes well with butter. I liked the honey wheat with oats, but must say the Chupa was delicious and a favorite with my employees. Actually I enjoyed every loaf and am thinking that you folks down south are gonna be lining up to buy his bread!!"   She uses only fresh milled flour in her baked goods and gave me 4 cups of her Montana Prairie Gold to experiment with.  Prepped two batches this afternoon to compare them when they get baked tomorrow - one with my Blue Bird flour and one with her fresh milled hard white wheat flour.  Since I first contacted her last week, I have been researching milling my own flour.  If I decide to make the switch - I need some of my loyal followers to order Chupa mugs and tshirts so I can buy a grain mill. (free loaf of Field Lab Solar Oven Bread to any visitors that show up wearing a Be Like Chupa tshirt!)  77,91,51,0,B

a load of bread

Baked 14 test loaves over the last two days.  Taking some to Alpine tomorrow to get a critique from a local bakery.  87,94,46,0,B

perky...

From The Bread Lab:  Altered the chemistry and cooking technique and finally got a "perky" loaf on the third test batch.  Field Lab Solar Oven Honey Oat Wheat has been perfected.  71,83,51,0,W

Honey Oat Wheat

First test batch of the last Field Lab Solar Oven bread offering to go into production...Honey Oat Wheat. Needs a little more "spring". Second test batch prepped for baking tomorrow. Not only do I have to get the taste, texture, and look just right - but I also have to tweak the recipes for each batch to fit "X" amount of one quart dutch ovens. I probably would have done better in high school chemistry had they included bread baking. The ancient tradition of bread depends on a cascade of complex chemical reactions.  70,79,50,0,B  

labels

Three loaves perfected...one more to go.  63,69,48,0,B

The Bread Lab

Two recipes taste perfected (Artisan White and Chupa Bread).  Now going for "the look".  78,87,53,0,B

another bread test...

Not a good solar oven day, so I baked these in the gas grill.  59,69,39,0,W

the bread of life...

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

two more gallons...

Sprayed for awhile this morning...took a break...sprayed some more...ran out of paint.  Late afternoon / last minute trip to Alpine.  I would really like to finish the paint job this weekend.  Feels good to be almost through with the present phase of construction.

Got my latest delivery from UPS before I bugged out.  This is a clay Superstone Covered Baker for large loaves of bread.  Couldn't find a cast iron version (with a high lid) so this is the next best phase toward the pursuit of the perfect Field Lab bread.  http://www.breadtopia.com/store/oblong-la-cloche.html  89,96,74,0,W

wake'n'bake

Title of the blog tonight courtesy of my IT (and BT - bread technology) guy in the UK.  The morning was all about bread.  Dough rose to perfection overnight.  Prepped the small solar oven and preheated my dutch oven inside for 2 hours.  Did a quick stretch and fold of the mix and let rise a second time for one hour then dropped it into the hot dutch oven.  Baked covered at 275 in the solar oven for 1 3/4 hours then uncovered for another 45 minutes.  Good crust - good crumb - good taste.  Still some perfections required, but I'm close with this version.

Afternoon spent clearing the cubbies - found old shopping lists that included dog food (I miss my Goldie).  Went through the pile of computer disks and discovered I had already found the software for my G9 - 3 days ago.  I didn't look closely at the disk the first time.  All I saw was for Mac on the left side - upon closer examination I discovered it also said for Windows on the right side...how did I miss that? - must be a left/right thing... Finished off the day further clouding the mind of my all in one with Adobe Premiere Elements 8 - ahhh, to master it for future videos.  90,103,78,0,B