My name is Marjorie Woodworth and I learned how to make bread by following a recipe. My mother always worked full time outside the home so she never had the time to do any bread baking. I set my bread baking on the side for five years and always bought the organic Non-GMO bread from the store. About a year ago I couldn’t find our favorite hotdog and hamburger buns at the grocery store. I think the store got rid of the line since they probably thought it wasn’t a great seller. Most customers will usually buy the cheapest even though it’s not the healthiest. I was getting really frustrated and couldn’t buy them. I started watching numerous videos on YouTube and then joined “Baking Better Breads at Home.” This is where I finally learned the art of making hotdog and hamburger buns.

I want to tell you about my book, Sourdough for the Rest of Us. I'm not trying to sell you anything. I gave this book away free for a year. Amazon just won't let me price it lower than about $6.08 It started as an answer to a question in this group. That answer became a blog post. The blog post became a newsletter. The newsletter became a handbook. And then it became this book. It's everything I wish I knew when I started. Not because I'm a baking genius. I've just messed up enough loaves to know where to step and where not to. Bread isn't mystical. I'm not a guru. It's been around for thousands of years and it belongs to all of us. I just wrote it down. If you don't have a copy, here's the link. Read it. It'll help. 📚 https://a.co/d/cYaNTlK

Tomorrow's the day. If you're joining the ciabatta bake, here's what you need to know: Start whenever you're ready. I'll be here all day to walk you through it, answer questions, and help troubleshoot. No set start time. Just jump in when your morning allows. Before tomorrow: - Read through the recipe so there are no surprises - If you're using Krusty, click "Bake with Me" and hit the microphone. Have a conversation with him. Ask questions. Let him help you prep. Here is the recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/quick-ciabatta?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share About that special equipment... Tomorrow's bake calls for a couche, and most home bakers don't have one. Don't panic. A pillowcase works great. So does a heavy linen towel. What you need is something sturdy that you can shake flour off easily. When I teach this bread, I use a pillowcase myself. Here's why it matters: normally when I say "lightly floured surface," I'm being cautious because extra flour throws off your recipe. With ciabatta, that rule doesn't apply. All that flour stays on the outside of the bread, and you absolutely need it. Flour liberally. Don't be shy. You'll also need two bench scrapers (or dough scrapers). You're going to use them to lift and move the dough. The less you handle ciabatta with your hands, the better. Those bubbles you worked so hard to develop during fermentation? You want to keep them. I'll post a quick video showing how to set up and use your couche (or pillowcase) so you're ready. See you tomorrow. Let's bake. Saint Germain Bakery Premium Professional Bakers Extra Large Couche 35"x26" from France - Heavy Duty Proofing Cloth 100% Natural Flax Linen: https://amzn.to/4pLpBvE

So I have been working on baguettes forever to try to get them perfect. I think today’s the closest I’ve come to getting my wanna be.

You’ve had a jar of instant yeast in the fridge for a little while… and you want to bake. How do you know if it’s still active? Here’s the answer….. To check if instant yeast is still good, perform a quick "proofing" test: mix 1 teaspoon of yeast with 1 tablespoon of warm water (around 100°F) and a pinch of sugar; if it becomes foamy, bubbly, and forms a dome within 5-10 minutes, it's active and good to use, but if nothing happens, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.