Building The Business-Baking The Bread

I used to try new things in the restaurants and lounges where I worked. I would promote them, send out e-blasts, tell people about them and wait....and wait............and impatiently wait... After two or three times of trying, I would throw in the towel. Give up.

As I age, get older, and work in a town where some business have been around for 100 years, I have had a revelation. I haven't given my ideas time.

I love baking bread, especially rye bread. However every time I seemed to bake bread, they never seemed to rise to their full potential. They were too short, too thick or too bland. What was I doing wrong?

I am not a person with much patience or do I follow recipes. I am a man who tends to head off down his own trail, and I often get lost. Like I am with this blog...Back to bread.

I found out my two main problems in baking perfect bread.

1. I used water that was too hot and killed off the yeast. (I thought hotter water would produce quicker rising) Wrong!


2. I wanted the bread now! Immediately. So I didn't let it rise enough.


3. I'll blame this one on my daughter, as soon as the bread came out of the oven, she would slaughter it with a knife, killing it before it had finished cooking. (bread needs to sit for at least 20 minutes before we sink our teeth into it.

I'm older, I'm more patient and I made some excellent 'Honey Wheat' the other day. I used warm water, not hot, and I waited till it rose to perfection. Though my daughter slaughtered the loaf before the 20 minutes. One loaf served perfection.

Anyway, back to Restaurant and Lounges. I have realized that to have a successful ongoing event or restaurant is to find a recipe that works, that is popular. I need to fight the urge to change the basics of the recipe, which is patience, the right temperature and time. Time being the most important.

So as I work on building Lunches, Friday Night Happy Hour and Catering - I am following the principles of Bread Making.

Click Here for that great Deli Rye Recipe.

Or if you read this blog, call me, or e-mail me and I will bake you a loaf. http://www.lavillabasque.com/

joe@lavillabasque.com