Baking Bread with Canadian Bakin in Huntville, AL
Matt, the bagel guy, is the owner of Canadian Bakin, a locally owned bakery and cafe located in Huntsville, AL. They specialize in hand-rolled bagels and artisan breads, baked fresh daily.
How did your love for baking start?
I had quit my full-time job because I wanted to pursue a more creative, hands-on line of work. I started making bread as a way to save money. Turns out it's also fun.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
Calmness.
What are your favorite things to bake?
My favorite is baguettes. Usually, the fewer ingredients, the more I enjoy it. Baguettes, sourdough loaves, etc...
What’s been inspiring you lately?
Specialty flours have been my recent interests, but they're hard to find around here. Fresh rye, einkorn, flours like those.
What does bread symbolize for you?
It really does bring people together in several ways. Eating, of course, but also working with others to make it. It's a time-intensive endeavor, so you really get to know the people you're working with.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
For me, it's teaching people how to troubleshoot bread dough by feeling. It's a very "you have to do it a lot to be good at it" skill.
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
That I create something, someone can enjoy. Now, having employees make bread, it's important to me that they enjoy creating it.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
You can be a lot less precise the better you are at it. Which is good for me because my brain is an unorganized mess.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Well, if I'm working a shift at the shop, you'll find me huddled over a trash can in the dish pit, shoving bread into my face like a rat. If I'm not at work, I like toasted sourdough with soup.
Their holiday orders open on Friday, December 9th, and close on December 19th. You can place your orders on canadianbakinbread.com and click on "Christmas Pre-Orders" in the navigation bar! They typically offer a our customer favorites like sourdough (traditional and cranberry-walnut), our seasonal sugar plum buns, bagels for family gatherings, our popular cinnamon-brioche loaves, and dinner rolls.
Canadian Bakin is located at 501A Church St. NW Huntsville, AL 35801
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Christine from Maid In The Shade in San Jose CA
On Sunday's We Keep Calm and Eat Bread with Christine from @maidintheshade83 who is based in San Jose California and is navigating 2020 with sourdough and food. Christine is also a Disney/Star Wars/Gaming/Game of Thrones nerd.
How did your love for baking start?
I’ve been baking for years because for much of my life I was gluten intolerant. I had to make my own food especially since gluten free food wasn’t widely available at the time. After the birth of my son, my body changed and I didn’t need to be GF anymore. As for sourdough, I’d always wanted to try but it wasn’t until quarantine when I had the time to devote to it.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
I feel tremendous amounts of love when I bake. It makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my family and friends. Always happy.
What are your favorite things to bake?
I love baking bread, obviously, but cookies are a close second. Oh, focaccia is a favorite too.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I see so many people in the bread community making challenging things and that’s what keeps me inspired. Also, if it’s ok to say, the US election has inspired me greatly. Feeling good about that!
What does bread symbolize for you?
Family. Plain and simple.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Eating it all! No I’m all seriousness, keeping up with my obsession while working a full time job and having a family. Baking bread takes time.
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
The most important thing to me when baking would have to be the art. I love creating stencils that bring in different fandoms and I love sharing those even more. Bread and art are universal.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
Science. I’ve learned so much by having to tweak my baking to the weather and seasons. It’s given me a newfound passion for learning how food is made and what each ingredient does. It’s fascinating.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Any way! But on day one, fresh and warm with cold butter or oil/balsamic/herbs. After that, I make avo or ricotta toasts for breakfast, or cut up into croutons for a Caesar salad. Served with cheese on a charcuterie plate is also great!
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Kendall of Flour Child in LA
Kendall of @flour____child is a California native living in LA. who was recently featured on former VP Joe Biden’s Instagram account.
She is a copywriter for a social impact - focused startup up by day and a baker by night. She is happiest when “eating some form of carbs and cheese while singing along to Taylor Swift.”
How did your love for baking start?
I remember baking a lot with both of my grandmas as a child. My dad’s mom taught me how to make bread and my mom’s mom taught me how to make what is still my favorite cake recipe ever. My mom always baked a ton during the holidays to give out plates of assorted cookies to friends and family and I loved helping (and mostly eating) alongside her. My dad was always big on making educational cupcakes for my sister and my birthdays every year to share with our classes which was such a fun way to celebrate.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
I find baking so calming. It’s a nice moment to disconnect from work, the news, social media and just focus on one thing. Then there’s the excitement of getting to share and eat what you’re making!
What are your favorite things to bake?
My grandma’s Sand and Dirt cake recipe (mentioned above) is a long process, but one of my favorite things to eat. It’s a double-layered chocolate cake with mint frosting and semi-sweet chocolate melted on top. I rarely make it, but when I do it’s heaven. I’ve only been baking bread for the past year or so, but I played around with a couple of recipes and created my own garlic rosemary loaf that I could probably eat solo in one sitting.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
So much has happened this year and there are so many causes I’ve wanted to support, but knew I only had so much money to donate myself. After baking bread for a few friends during quarantine, around June I decided to start baking in exchange for donations to a few key causes. The response from my peers was so encouraging! Shortly after I found Bakers Against Racism and saw other bakers on Instagram doing similar bake sales to raise money. I’ve raised over $700 at this point for Black Voters Matter Fund, Fair Fight, ACLU, When We All Vote, and the Biden campaign.
What does bread symbolize for you?
For me, bread is all about bringing people together and spending quality time over a shared fresh loaf of bread.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Honestly, it’s not eating the whole loaf at once!
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
Bread brings me so much joy—both making it and eating it—and I just want to be able to share that joy with others when I give them a fresh loaf.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
Every time I make a loaf, it always amazes me how few ingredients you really need.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Any and every way! My go-to ways are just warmed with some butter or in a nice toasty grilled cheese.
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Melanie in Bethlehem, PA
Hi I am Melanie. I have a small business (Made by Lino / Lit Coffee Roastery & Bakeshop) and I am someone's mom, which I'm still trying to wrap my head around!
How did your love for baking start?
I was trying to find my purpose in the world and tried out a few hobbies until one stuck. Baking is the one that was the most therapeutic. People seem to always be incredibly intimidated by baking but, idk, maybe that general intimidation is what intrigued me to give it a try.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
I feel calm, playful, excited and comforted
What are your favorite things to bake?
I love making pies, cookies and sourdough croissants... OH and Sourdough Brioche Sticky Buns.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
To be honest, not a whole lot. Savory food has been a really fun space. That's inspiring me to play with food in a different way.
What does bread symbolize for you?
Bread is life lol. To me, is symbolizes connection, unity, togetherness.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
When it comes to working with wild yeast, you get a different result every time ... unless you're extra and take your air's temperature and your flour's temp... I am not about that life. Truly Old World over here. But, you're basically always taking a risk. When you get to know your Sourdough Mother, you then understand the needs of the temps and the rising times. It's a whole thing. But, I'd say calculating how much time your dough needs to rise perfectly.
What’s the most important thing when baking bread?
Patience is the most important thing.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
All bread is NOT created equal. Different types of flours create different results, etc. Quality is EVERYTHING if you want to do it right.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Toasty with Cultured Butter, Valley Milkhouse Clover Cheese with a fresh tomato salad and a Balsamic Drizz., on it's own, PB & J toasted. Grilled Cheese with Sauerkraut or Clubhouse Kimchi.
Sunday's We Bake Bread with Australian Dough by Joe
Can you introduce yourself
I am an Australian living in London in the UK. I do some Engineering in my spare time but these days most of my waking hours are spent baking and blogging on my Instagram @doughbyjoe! I am also a full time Dad to Murray, a 20 month miniature schnauser.
How did your love for baking start?
During the pandemic my girlfriend decided to try her hand at baking a sourdough. She didnt seem to follow any recipe, which I found incredibly frustrating! I thought I could do better by strictly following a recipe, but my first dough looked like someone had thrown a frisbee into the fireplace!!!.. I couldn't even eat it and frisbeed it straight into the trash can. I don’t remember using plastic in the dough! Anyway spurred on by my competitive drive, I ended up in a sourdough wormhole, started baking everyday and I haven't stopped since!
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
I know its clichet, but ... raw competitive energy and the desire to beat my girlfriend and achieve the perfect loaf.
What are your favorite things to bake?
My favourite is artisanal sourdough, it's the purest form of baking using the minimum amount of ingredients. No bake is ever the same, so it requires feeling and an understanding of the dough and environment. I love the fact that my bread is unique, as the subtle flavours produced by Ernest (my sourdough starter) are a result of his unique environment.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I have recently moved to Biarritz in France to try and get that sourdough "je ne sais quoi" so I've been really inspired by the fresh croissants and baguettes at the local boulangaries.
What does bread symbolize for you?
For me, bread symbolizes sharing and community. After noticing I seemed to be adding a few dimensions to my mid-section I realized I couldn't just eat all the bread myself. That's when I started @doughbyjoe to share my sourdough with friends and followers.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
There are many intricacies to sourdough. But for me the hardest part is shaping. It's a key step to get the bread to really rise and to create ears after scoring.
What’s the most important thing when baking bread?
Adjusting your process to the environment. Sourdough starters are sensitive (like me!) So it's important to "feel" how the dough is behaving on a particular day and adjust the recipe and process accordingly.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
Never check a loaf into the cloak room at a bar! I did this recently and lost the ticket and the security guard would not give me the loaf back! Even though I had photo evidence of the bake and the dough was branded with my logo! Maybe he couldn't resist eating it himself... (This is the reason I always bake 2 loaves at a time).
How do you like to eat your bread?
Being Australian, I cant go past a slather of butter and fresh vegemite. Closely followed by smashed avocado and soft poached eggs.
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Emerald who lives in Phoenix
Emerald Green (@thegemthecolor) is a 32 year old bread baker and artist living in Arizona and is also a a bread artist for @proofbread and the cofounder of @bakers4good which is a collective of bakers in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area changing the world the best way they know how: through baked goods.
How did your love for baking start?
My mom taught me how to cook as soon as I was old enough to assist in the kitchen. After college when I was living on my own, I realized I still hadn’t learned how to bake. I had a friend who had a range of dietary restrictions who was lamenting about not being able to find any bakeries that had cupcakes she could eat without making her sick. So I ordered a specialty cupcake book to make her cupcakes as a surprise. I haven’t looked back since.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
I love the alchemy that comes with baking. Mix some things in a bowl and watch the magic happen. Makes me feel like a wizard.
What are your favorite things to bake?
I work in an all sourdough bakery, which happens to be where my passion is. More than anything else, I love to intricately score bread and then eagerly wait for the results.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
My specialty is decorative bread scoring. For my scoring designs, I am often inspired by the environment around me (the Arizona desert), produce that is in season, animals, portraits. As far as flavors go, I enjoy bringing Korean flavors into sourdough bread. I am half Korean and half German. Bringing the flavors of Korea inside an artisan loaf of sourdough bread is like the culmination of my heritage.
A lot changed for me when I started to see bread as an art medium. I’m always challenging myself to see what the limits are to manipulating bread in different ways. It’s challenging but lights a childlike wonder in me at the same time.
What does bread symbolize for you?
Sourdough bread is universal. Every culture has their own history and traditions when it comes to naturally leavened bread. It’s one of the most basic and essential food staples. It brings people of all walks of life together.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Like everything else, it’s a skill. It takes repetition to build up the muscle memory required. Sourdough is a long process that’s a refined science but also necessitates a level of intuition and flexibility. It’s a lot of hands-on hard work.
What’s the most important thing when baking bread?
Patience with both the process and yourself. There are so many factors that come into play to have a successful loaf of bread. Keeping detailed notes, being mindful of temperature and timing, and not feeling defeated when a loaf doesn’t come out the way you’d hoped are all important as a bread baker.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
Every sourdough loaf is unique to the baker who made it. The microbes that live on your hands have a relationship with the microbes that live in the dough. The more you are touching your bread as you’re mixing, folding, and shaping, the more those microbes flourish and become an intrinsic characteristic of your bread. I think that’s the coolest thing.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Most often I’m eating it as avocado toast with a bed of arugula tossed in a light dressing and topped with fried eggs. However, the simplicity of a toasted slice of bread with a pad of butter is undefeated.
Jessica, is aVeterinary Nurse from Australia has a passion for animal nutrition.
Jessica, is aVeterinary Nurse from Australia who has a passion for animal nutrition! As a Veterinary Nurse, she conduct a range of other tasks to support the Veterinarians, such as surgical assistance and anesthetics, consulting, delivering and dispensing medical treatments as well as providing quality nutritional advice, and nutritional treatments and management of disease states.
She has recently extended her advice to a blog, for both pet parents and other nurses to find quality advice online.
Feel free to visit her website HERE for more detail information about all things pets and if you have any questions about anything pets feel free to reach out to her HERE.
Why did you want to become a registered & Accredited Veterinary Nurse?
In Australia, there is currently no law that defines the term 'veterinary nurse' so people who lack basic qualifications can call themselves a veterinary nurse and practice on animals without any education or standards. For me, it's important to promote and support the role of veterinary nurse as a highly competent and qualified individual who upholds minimum standards and protects patient safety by becoming Registered. I became Accredited to further show my commitment to ongoing education and improvement of the industry. You can learn more about the AVNAT Registration scheme and VNCA here: https://www.vnca.asn.au/avnat/
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
As nutrition is my passion, I love hearing client feedback on how their pet is so much happier and healthier on the food that we've prescribed. Seeing a patient eat in hospital, seeing them go home with a tail wag, that's what's most rewarding for me.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
I personally find dealing with client abuse - it does happen. It's challenging and upsetting to try and maintain a level of professionalism when you're being called every name under the sun for something minor like, we couldn't fit them in today, or we asked for payment after a hospital stay.
When has your love for animals began?
I always have had pets at home, so I've loved animals for as long as I can remember. Though, I think that I decided to go into this industry when I was around 12 years old - my cat was hospitalized due to a urinary blockage and the way he was cared for, and later treated with diet, was what really inspired me to learn more and help treat animals.
Are trendy pet foods like Taste of the Wild or Blue any better than the classics?
Controversial! But I'll be honest, no. The best food is a food that's formulated for your pet's life stage, their health status, activity levels and specific needs, and is from a reputable, science based company. It's not very 'cool' or 'trendy' but I really do recommend pet parents should seek the opinion of their veterinary team before switching to a diet that's follows trends, rather than science, to avoid detrimental effects of improper diets.
How much does exercise improve the health of your pet?
It definitely plays a part! Depending on their breed and age, exercise can be a big benefit to their health - working breeds need a lot of exercise, both for their mental and physical health, whereas breeds that are more prone to weight gain like pugs or labradors, should get regular gentle exercise to prevent the development of medical conditions associated with excess weight such as heart disease or diabetes.
How often does your dog need to be groomed?
This totally depends on the type of dog. Long haired breeds might need a professional groom every 3-4 weeks to prevent matting, whereas shorthaired breeds may just need regular bathing (every 4 weeks or as needed) to maintain their skin barrier. Your vet can advise on how often you should groom or bathe your pet, as some animals may need more or less frequent grooming.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play video games, watch anime, read, journal, or blog!
What are your hobbies?
Writing and blogging is my newest hobby! I also enjoy playing violin.
Do you have any pets?
I have two Burmese cats, brothers Yin and Yang!
Jessica, BAnVetBioSci (Zoology), RVN, AVN Registered & Accredited Veterinary Nurse who studied animal nutrition throughout my Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences at La Trobe University. She currently working towards Veterinary Technician Specialist status in Nutrition.
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Sarah who lives in Chicago
Sarah Mispagel Lustbader of Sarahlustbagel on Instagram is a former Michelin star pastry chef turned loaf lifer who lives in Chicago.
Check out her Instagram HERE
How did your love for baking start?
My love of baking started pretty young, maybe when I was in 1st grade? My uncle Brian was an amazing cook. I have very fond memories of going to see him with my family. He would have music on loud, singing along, cooking with what felt like a ton of things going at once. Everything he made was incredible, and it clearly brought him such joy to be able to cook for his family. I told my parents I wanted to be a chef, but every time I went into the kitchen to make something, I veered towards the pastry side. I eventually went to Culinary school when I was 20, and completed a course in baking and pastry. I worked bakery jobs for a few years, and my first love was bread. I eventually transitioned into restaurant pastry kitchens when I moved to Chicago in 2010. I most recently won the executive pastry chef for Sepia restaurant (one Michelin star), and its sister restaurant Proxi (Michelin bib gourmand). I was with them for 3 years and then left my employment with them to work in a bakery, Lost Larson, to dive back into my passion for bread making. I was with them for three months before the pandemic hit, and have been out of work since. I've been doing my best to continue baking bread and learning with my husband, who is also a bread lover, during this time.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
A sense of calm. I am a very routine driven person. I like to start and end every day the same if I can. I like that there is a routine and a pretty clear set of guidelines to follow for the bread baking process. I always get excited, though when I bake, and I can peek into the oven through the glass and see an ear forming on my loaf and see it getting a really good rise.
What are your favorite things to bake?
I bake exclusively with sourdough starters when I'm making bread, so even a simple country oaf has a great flavor depth. My current favorite breads are honey oat for peanut butter toast or a great veggie sandwich. But I think everyone knows that pickled jalapeños and cheddar cheese makes what might be the best bread of all time.
What's been inspiring you lately?
Lately, I've been thinking of different flavor combinations for bread, and how they would lend themselves into being incredible sandwiches. Earlier this year, my husband and I made bread filled with caramelized onions and gruyere, which we then made into roast beef sandwiches. So things like that.
Advice for someone who would like to get into bread baking?
Be patient, and follow the recipe! All of it! Talk to someone you think has a good handle on the basics of bread baking, and ask for a recipe they like and trust. And follow every step exactly. Like in a science experiment, you need to have a control group. If you go rogue, you won't know if something did or didn't work because it was a mistake in the recipe, your understanding of it, or something you decided to do that was not written in the steps.
What does bread symbolize to you?
I love bread because, at its core, its a simple, honest, comforting food. It takes skill and attention to detail to make it properly, but its made from ingredients everyone has access to. Every culture has a relationship with bread and their unique recipes.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Being patient to wait until its 100% cool to cut into it.
What's the most important thing to you when baking?
When I bake for the sake of recipe testing, of course, I want every loaf to be perfect, but if it isn't, I'm happy as long as I learned something from the bake. It's satisfying when you get something right the first time, but that doesn't happen a lot. So as long as I can use it as a tool to decide what would create a better product next time, I'm happy.
What are some things you've learned about bread?
It can be a lot more forgiving than you would think. I've made some bread that I've baked thinking that it would most certainly be garbage, and it turned out great! If you've come that far, it's always worth trying to bake it. Unless you forgot the salt, then its disgusting and trash.
How do you like to eat your bread?
Toasted with peanut butter and hot honey on top or in sandwich form, my husband makes an amazing sandwich, and when I'm feeling low, he makes me "emotional support grilled cheese," they always make me feel better.
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Paulina from outside of Boston
Paulina from No Knead To Worry is a home baker entranced by flour, water & salt. Mostly bread (& pasta…occasionally something sweet)
Can you introduce yourself and where are you located.
My name is Paulina and I live just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Bread baking is my side passion and hobby, but during the week I work at a non-profit where I do environmental advocacy.
How did your love for baking start?
When I was in graduate school I started baking bread as a way to, well... procrastinate (or should I say procrastibake). I focused on bread because of my love for all-things-savory, and because the ingredients are super cheap!! Kneading dough calmed me down, reduced stress and anxiety. It made me feel like I was in control of something very concrete.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
When I bake and work with dough, I feel as if I have control over something. In these most turbulent times, being able to use my hands and create something unique, nourishing and delicious has been a spark of joy.
What are your favorite things to bake?
At this point I think sourdough based breads are my favorite thing to bake. About two years ago a coworker of mine gave me some of his sourdough starter, which kickstarted my journey in the sourdough world. Before that moment, I didn't fully know or understand what sourdough was. Being able to naturally leaven dough using wild yeasts has been a game changer. I am absolutely fascinated by the science behind it, and the ancient history of sourdough. Plus, each loaf is totally, 100% unique. It's fun to play around with fillings, too! For me, any kind of cheese addition to the dough is ideal.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
Seeing the Instragam community come together recently around Bakers Against Racism, and supporting each other during these challenging times has been really inspiring. I've "met" so many amazing people in the bread baking community who I would now consider friends. Knowing we're all in this together and we're all baking our way through it is inspiring.
Advice for someone who would like to get into bread baking?
Start with active dry or instant yeast! You can buy these in the grocery store. There are lots of excellent beginner recipes out there to follow. The best "no knead" rustic loaf I've seen is probably the recipe from Pinch of Yum.
What does bread symbolize to you?
The more I learn about bread the more I love it. To me, it symbolizes a truly global, unifying food. It has nourished millions of people for countless generations in every culture and society around the world. The ancient practice of baking bread has brought people together around shared meals everywhere, and I love knowing that it's something so many people can relate to.
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Sometimes you don't get the results you're looking for. This is particularly true of sourdough, which often depends a lot on how humid the air is, what the temperature is, and how strong your starter is (among many other things!!). So on the one hand, I feel like having my hands on dough gives me control over something, but the outcome is not always what you expect. But I suppose that's just life in a nutshell!
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
To enjoy the process, continue learning as I go, and to be able to share the final results with friends, family, etc.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
Bread is a miracle to me, because all it takes (at the most basic level) is flour, water and salt. Those three ingredients come together to create beautiful, nourishing, delicious food. I've learned along the way that bread reacts to the environment around it just like other living creatures. It's a constantly fascinating process and I learn something new every single time I bake. The learning will never end!
How do you like to eat your bread?
Oh! So many ways! Warm out of the oven with butter and a little sea salt sprinkled on; toasted for many days after it's been baked; sliced up and made into a grilled cheese; dipped in soups, curries, or stews; shared with friends and family; and so much more :)
Baking Bread on Sunday’s with Andra from Romania
Sourdough Explained is passionate for sourdough baking at home. Which is about patience, perseverance and commitment. About joy and satisfaction. About life.
Can you introduce yourself and where are you located.
I’m Andra, originally from Romania, but living in London for more than 4 years now, a city I absolutely love and would never leave. In my day to day life I’m a marketeer, working for a paint company. Couple of things I love besides baking: traveling, food and cats.
How did your love for baking start?
I’ve been baking bread for 6 years now, but i’ve been using commercial dry yeast for most of this time, until last year, October time when I’ve met my starter, Hector. The moment of truth was when a friend invited me over to taste the sourdough she has baked at home, after attending a sourdough class. I was amazed by sourdough you can m(b)ake at home, so close to the loaves you could get in a bakery, so I accepted right away her offer to share with me some of her starter. Have been baking every week since then, and probably every second day (if not more often) since the lock down. It’s delicious and baking it is addictive.
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
Joy and accomplishment.
What are your favorite things to bake?
Chocolate & dry cranberries sourdough, if only you could imagine the smell in my kitchen. And of course, the sourdough pancakes on almost every Sunday morning
What’s been inspiring you lately?
A strong desire of improvement, there’s no such thing as the perfect loaf, it’s all about continuous learning. The power of the home-bakers community and how much can be achieved with so little.
Advice for someone who would like to get into bread baking?
It’s all about patience, perseverance and commitment. Failure is inevitable when baking, that’s why you need to keep your confidence and enthusiasm. Also, if you can get a starter from a bakery or another home baker, I would encourage you to do so, as sometimes this is the critical step in getting you started.
What does bread symbolize to you?
Childhood memories - my grandma used to sell sourdough when I was little, so basically I grew up with it and the smell of a good bread
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
Getting to know the texture of your dough and what a good dough should feel like. But also learning to know when the dough is perfectly proofed.
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
The crumb, but also getting a crispy crust.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
That baking sourdough can quickly become addictive. The good kind of drug I’d say.
How do you like to eat your bread?
I always save the last bite of bread to end a meal, this is how much I love bread.
Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Raphaelle who lives in Berlin
Raphaelle (Instagram) is a 34 year old french girl who likes to bake bread in her free time. She has been living in Berlin for 8 years and she is a mother to a lovely girl name Louise. She is also a store manager at Sessun, a french brand from the South of France.
How did your love for baking start?
I used to bake some breads sometimes but always with yeast. Every time I tried to do my sourdough I quit too earlier because I didn’t have the time to take care of it.
During the lockdown I thought it would be a good time to try again and this time it works. So I began to bake one bread a day and after some fails I found the good combination !
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
Satisfaction ! Baking with sourdough is a very long process. It takes between 24 to 48 hours. I use to bake it in a dutch oven. You can’t imagine the satisfaction when you open the lid and see the oven spring.
What are your favorite things to bake?
I love to bake basic sourdough loaf but my favorite is cheddar with pumpkin seed !
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I began to do some “artistic” scoring on my breads and found a good mix between the flour to get a good bread, where I can score what I want. I love for example the work of Linda ring which her face on breads and the work of Sarah Vignon, who does some lovely drawings, which I tried to score on breads.
What does bread symbolize for you?
As french girl, bread has always been really important for me ! A meal isn’t complete if you don’t have bread on the table!
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
To master the good hydration level of the dough to get a lot of big bubbles in the crumb!
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
A nice crumb and crispy crust.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
To be patient and take the time. If you bake it to early you will always get a flatbread.
How do you like to eat your bread?
I love it both sweet or savory. For the sweet part, I love it with salty butter and honey. For the savory I love to dip it in the juice of fresh tomatoes or with comté cheese.
