I think it’s important to develop a relationship with your starter. After all, it’s alive. When you give it a name, you start treating it differently. You anthropomorphize it a little. It becomes something you care for, like a pet. You feed it, you check on it, you pay attention to its moods. And here’s the thing: when you care about it, you take better care of it. Simple as that. So if you haven’t named yours yet, now’s the time. Think of something clever, something meaningful, something that makes you smile when you open the fridge. I’ll start. My starter’s name is Vitale. It means “life giver.” My daughter named it, and it stuck. Now your turn. Drop your starter’s name below. And if you don’t have one yet, let’s hear what you come up with!

How do we unlock level 4? I can't complete anymore classes until level 5???

A lot of you came from Facebook. I run Baking Great Bread at Home over there, 40,000+ members, and I love that community. But I want to be honest about something. On Facebook, you often get one of two things: criticism without substance or compliments without critique. Someone posts a loaf and the comments are either "Beautiful!" when there's clearly something going on, or unhelpful jabs that don't teach you anything. People mean well. They're trying to be kind. But kindness without honesty doesn't make you a better baker. This is a different place. Crust & Crumb Academy is exactly that: an academy. This is where you come to hone your skills and get better. That means when you ask for feedback, you're going to get it. Real feedback. Specific feedback. The kind that actually helps you improve. I'll always be kind. I'll always be encouraging. But you're not going to get empty platitudes from me. If I see something in your crumb, your shaping, your scoring, I'm going to tell you what it is and how to fix it. That's what coaches do. And I want you to do the same for each other. When someone posts a bake and asks for critique, give them something useful. Tell them what you see. Ask questions. Share what's worked for you. That's how we all get better. This is a teaching environment. We're not here to collect compliments. We're here to make better bakers. Perfection is not required. But growth is the goal. Let's get to work. ~Henry

Using the recipe from @Henry Hunter I swear by these cinnamon rolls. I've actually had to turn down orders for these because I can't possibly do that many from my home kitchen. I think the recipe is the best you'll find. Give it a try!!

Here are a few of the staples I make with my sourdough starter, Doughlene. Everything from Tortillas to French bread to dessert.