Hiatus, Night Baking and Breads - Oh my.

I apologize it's been a while since I have updated this blog - many different things, personally and professionally, have happened over the past few months. One of which is the fact that I have moved from the day shift to the night shift (9 p.m. - 5 a.m.) to be the night baker. It sounds crazy, but it has been a tremendously positive experience. I've been able to focus my attention primarily on quick breads (muffins, bundts, etc.), croissants and danishes that are used in the mornings at the hotel for the banquet event orders, room service and the restaurant. It has also given me more time to personally prioritize, take control of how things are run at night and in the process, I've gained a lot more confidence since I wasn't being micromanaged by Mothra and Clara. And that has been a very lovely thing.

This entry is primarily for the fact that I just wanted to touch base and tell you all that I'll be writing more frequently. So I won't say much, but I will tell you about a fantastic book that I got recently that I've been using nonstop. It is called Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Everyday.

(By the way, don't do what the picture says and 'click to look inside' - I swiped this picture off of amazon.com's website - if you click on it, you won't get far...) This cookbook is one of the best bread books I have come across yet - all of the recipes are non-pretentious and practical for the home. Things like croissants, bagels, french loaves, sandwich breads... all items that people normally buy at the store, but are items that are fairly easy to make. All it takes is some time (he is a firm believer in overnight proofing in the refrigerator to help develop flavor) - but is completely worth it. My goal is to make an item from this book every week. So far, my partner and I have made french loaves, bagels, whole wheat bread - and I'm currently in day 5 of the process of a sourdough starter (which smells deliciously funky). So I will update you about the adventures in the kitchen with that. It's been such a fun time experimenting with the various recipes.

Anyway, much more to follow soon. Until then~