My Baking Bible

One thing I don’t talk about a whole lot is the two-week period when I actually worked as a quote-unquote baker.

Back in 2k5, I had been working as a data entry clerk for a couple of years in Austin. The company I worked for shut down, and I spent the next couple of months job hunting. Ugh.

Well, I found a little cafe near my home that had posted a sign looking for a baker. Now, I’ve loved to cook all my life, and I even entertained the possibility of going to culinary school for a while, so I walked right in and applied. Spoiler alert: This turned out to be a huge mistake.

Here’s a plot twist: I knew nothing about baking. So, I ran out and got the King Arthur cookbook, before I got the call for my interview. I wanted to have a few loaves and muffins under my belt.

Turns out, they were looking for a prep chef and not a baker. I learned real quick that I’m not cut out to work in a professional kitchen. My brain locks down under stress (especially when people get emotional and/or nasty). So, yeah … I didn’t last.

However, one great thing did come of my experience: my cook book! I’ve been using it ever since. It’s taught me everything I know about baking.

I learn by doing and understanding. I need to know the “why” behind something, if I’m ever going to understand and/or remember it. That’s just one of the things that made the book such a great find:

It. Explains. Everything.

After following a recipe a few times, I started messing around and experimenting. I found great flavor combinations to play with, alternative ingredients to try, and different baking methods. The core recipe is the same, but I get to add so much personalization, and from that, my Orcish Baking was born.

Well, I’ve kind-of found my way back to square one. I got into a receptionist job that sounded amazing, but it turned out that a vet’s office can be just as emotional, hectic … and toxic … as a roadside cafe. This time, I lasted seven months, but I lost my job in the middle of a pandemic, living in a city where oil is everything … and oil just dried up.

I bake to keep sane and to bring a glimmer of inspiration to my life. This is more than just bread; it’s fantasy and magic on a plate. A lot of the loaves I make are so hearty, a couple slices can serve as a meal in and of themselves.

I’ll put a link to the cook book RIGHT HERE, in case you’re interested in picking up a copy and starting your own baking adventure. Be sure to drop me a line if you do. I’d love to hear about your creations.