A different kind of post today. I'll be back to baguettes tomorrow. Some of you have followed Ryan's track and field journey through posts here over the years. He just won his third Conference Carolinas Championship in the javelin, set the conference meet record, and was named FMU Team MVP for the third year in a row. In three weeks he competes at the NCAA Division II National Championships at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas. Two weeks after that, he receives his master's degree. The NCAA is covering his trip. I'm covering mine. I'd like to be in the stands. A handful of folks have asked how they can help. Here's what I've put in place. Cleared in writing by FMU compliance. None of it goes to Ryan. Every dollar is for parent travel. If you want to follow Ryan's story, his page is here: https://faith-field-flow.lovable.app If you want to chip in for the trip: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-cheer-ryan-at-ncaa-nationals Sharing helps as much as giving. Thank you for being part of this. Back to baguettes tomorrow. — Henry ⭐🔥

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, my son, Ryan Hunter.

A local TV station is doing a special on sourdough and the craze it's creating!! https://www.wmur.com/article/chronicle-sourdough-bread-new-hampshire/71030617?fbclid=IwdGRjcAROJLdjbGNrBE4kqGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHpxTjvqZ2qJ91jUVmNO9tuL40Wc1LLt87wbeNRs3aya9iIap5EI-hZ7kjIGX_aem_Sw9jZqwP3I7rCQ_aU6kmSw

Quick reminder about a tool some of you might have missed, and an update for those who've been using it. The Sourdough & Yeast Recipe Converter lives in the Classroom under the Toolbox. It does one thing really well: takes any bread recipe and converts it in either direction. Sourdough to yeast, yeast to sourdough. Accurate baker's math, hydration preserved, levain build calculated for you. Here's why this matters. You find a recipe you love, but it's a yeasted version and you want to bake it with your starter. Or your neighbor asks for your sourdough recipe but they don't keep a starter. Instead of guessing at ratios or Googling conversion charts, you paste the recipe in and get a clean, accurate conversion with method instructions included. What it handles: - Lean doughs, enriched doughs, even high-sugar sweet doughs - Multi-flour recipes (your blend ratios stay intact) - Levain build with proper inoculation rates - Troubleshooting tips specific to your dough type - Works in English and Spanish Give it a try: https://skoo.ly/sourdough-converter If you convert something this week, drop it in the comments. I want to see what you're baking with it.

Enriched dough is something different. When you add fat, eggs, sugar, or dairy to a dough, you've crossed into enriched territory. And everything changes when you do that. The fat coats the gluten strands and slows their development, which is why enriched doughs need more mixing time and often more patience. The eggs add structure and richness and give you that golden crumb you see in brioche and babka. The sugar feeds the yeast but also competes with it, which is why enriched doughs ferment slower than lean ones. The milk adds flavor and tenderness that water simply can't. Here's why this matters for you this week: we're baking babka this Saturday. Babka is an enriched dough. Understanding what's happening inside that dough is what separates a baker who follows a recipe from a baker who understands what they're doing. This week we're going to learn the whole picture. The windowpane test. The cold retard. The filling. The shaping. The bake. By Sunday you'll have a loaf worth sharing and a set of skills you can use on brioche, cinnamon rolls, challah, and milk bread for the rest of your life. Pick your path now so you're ready by Friday. Path A: Sourdough Chocolate Babka Path B: Holiday Chocolate Babka (yeasted) Path C: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/roasted-garlic-gruyere-babka All are in the Recipe Pantry. But don't rely solely on me. Do your homework. See what's out there that might interest you beyond what I'm supplying. Let's have a conversation Bring what you find interesting and we'll talk about it. See you Saturday. Henry ⭐🔥