Marquette Baking Company

It looks like people like plastic better than paper. This was the best week for sales at the Coop yet. I’m part of it is that the bread keeps better in plastic, especially once you cut it, but I also suspect that part of it is that you can see the beauty of the loaves better. The (expensive) paper bags have a fancy cellophane window, but there it’s still better to see the whole loaf in its glory.

Oh — I should have mentioned this last week — I am continuing to supply the baguettes to the Coop in paper bags. With a baguette, it’s all about the crust/crumb balance, so there isn’t much point in putting them in plastic bags (at least in my mind).

Also the Poilane was a hit at the Coop. it was all gone by Wednesday, so I’ll be baking more this week.

And I haven’t seen the demand for cookies slack off. Last weeks supply only lasted 3 days, so I’m increasing the bake this week again. The cookie bakes used to just be a short break from the evening’s focus on bread, but now it’s getting serious.

I will be baking the same breads as last week — Baguette, Poilane, Seed and Walnut Raisin at the Coop, and the same plus the Rye at the Masonic Square.

I hope to see you there.

Peter

I”m going to try something new this week with my breads at the coop. As mentioned last week, I’ve stopped doing the Monday night bakes because the sales at coop just don’t justify it. (I also need the time to work on opening my bakery — one of these weeks I’ll have to give you an update.) So here’s what I am going to try this week. I am going to bake enough tonight to supply the coop all week. I’ll drop off some of them Saturday morning, but the rest I will seal into plastic bags and freeze. Then I thaw and resupply the Coop as necessary.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both paper and plastic storage bags. The crust stays nicer in paper, but the bread stales quickly. You can freeze bread in a plastic bag and it will be just as good when you thaw it, but the crust doesn’t keep it’s crispness. (Drying the crust in an oven at 250F for 10 minutes solves this problem.)

There it is — out in the open. Freezing will be part of the process for some breads at the Coop. My goal is to have the best quality breads possible on the shelf at the Coop every day. This is the best I can do until I am baking daily out of my own bakery space.

Now — onto this weeks bake. This week I will be baking Pain Poilane and I will be sending a few loaves to the Coop for the first time. The Coop will also get its usual batch of baguettes, Seed and Walnut raisin. Oh yes, and the Oatmeal cookies. I’m doubling the quantity this week. The last few weeks they have sold out in 2 days!

I will have the above items plus rye bread at the Masonic Square.

I hope everyone has a great weekend GO PACK!

Peter

I didn’t really plan it, but I am dropping my mid-week bake that supplies the Coop on Tuesday mornings. Since I have to rent the kitchen space each time I bake, I need to sell enough bread to make back the rent, and frankly, the sales through the coop barely pay the rent.

I am baking tonight for Tomorrow morning at Masonic Square and the Coop. The toasted oatmeal cookies continue to sell out quickly, so I am baking more this week again. It will be interesting to see how many cookies sell in a week. This week the Coop will get baguettes, 3 seed sourdough, walnut-raisin and toasted oatmeal cookies. I will have those plus the rye and semolina at Masonic Square.

Peter

Welcome to 2008. I hope everyone had a great 2007. I did. A new son early in the year, and a new baking business early in the summer! Now, it’s time to get a real bakery to go along with the baking business. You wouldn’t believe how difficult and expensive that is! There are some related thing brewing as well. I’ll be posting more information as things develop.

I will be baking tonight for Saturday (5 January). I will have Baguettes, Sourdough Seed, Walnut Raisin, and Toasted Oatmeal Cookies at the Coop. I will have those plus Rye, and Pain Poilane at the Masonic Square. Look for me there from 9:45am until 1pm

I hope to see you tomorrow