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I am sure we’ve all heard the saying: “It’s a farmer’s life!”
You know, when things go awry in the field, things like an early frost; high winds, hail, and a long list of other unknowns that include everything that could possibly go wrong that could destroy the crop you need to gather to take to market this coming week. Believe me, it happens and at times happens when we least expect it!
Just as there are variables that can affect you're getting your produce one week, the same could happen and has happened to that beautiful loaf of bread you were expecting to get in your delivery. Ever wonder what it takes to get that beautiful loaf of freshly baked bread to your dinner table? We at NOCOVFM never really gave it much thought until recently when one of our bakers experienced problems getting her starter correct for her sourdough bread.
Our bakers work long hours getting their freshly baked goods to you and things do happen in the baker’s world that can impact you're receiving your product on delivery day. Just as it’s the farmer’s life, it too is the baker’s world!
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Baking and pastry making is an art and it can be extremely frustrating when the baker’s latest masterpiece does not measure up to your expectations. Making the perfect cake, cookie, pie or bread requires careful preparation and attention to detail. Even with the greatest of attention, things can and do at times go astray.
Firstly, our bakers work long hours assuring your baked goods arrive to your doorstep as fresh as possible. Many of the baked goods we receive at our kitchen each week for sorting and delivery arrive to us fresh out of the oven, warm to our receiving arms and packaged carefully to ensure they get to your home as fresh as possible.
We take pride in delivering the highest quality and freshest products available. However, at times, things do happen that disrupt this beautiful flow. For example, a sourdough starter that did not rise will affect the baking of your sourdough bread. If the bread does not rise, the baker has lost his/her opportunity to bake that bread in time for your delivery. This mishap will affect your receiving your baked goodies on delivery day.
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A Day in the Baker’s Life… and a few variables that can affect your final product.
Other things that can go wrong are cold ingredients, most baking recipes call for room temperature ingredients, and since bakers are human, there will be times when they are in a rush to get something into the oven and they pull the eggs, butter, and milk out of the refrigerator and just don’t wait long enough for them to warm up, which can have serious consequences in their finished product.
The baker’s measurements may be off. Anyone with experience in cooking knows certain recipes were eyeballing the ingredients are enough. In many dishes, one shake of salt or pinch of spice more or less will not have a huge impact on the outcome. Baking, however, is not so forgiving, and there are a number of things that could happen in the measuring process that can affect the baker’s product. For example, did you know that using liquid and dry measuring cups for the appropriate ingredients, at times will not work as effectively? For the best accuracy, our bakers use a scale.
Sifting, our bakers want to make tender treats that rise evenly, and they know that aerating dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar is crucial. This extra step can impact their time when they are baking 20 or 30 orders; just another step to details needed in the baker’s life cycle of baking your fresh products for your Saturday deliveries each week.
Substituting one pan for another may not seem like a big deal, but it often makes a serious difference in how an item bakes. If you use a tin that’s too big or too small, it may change the required cooking time, leaving you with a confection that’s either burned or undercooked. One of our bakers ran into this problem and needed to go out and purchase all new pans to accommodate her orders for one busy week. What we found out was that not all pans are created equal. We are sure many of us never gave it much thought on how a pan can affect the outcome of baked goods. I know we didn’t until our baker spoke to us about it and during a pandemic, she needed to run out and buy extra pans to fulfill her order for that week. Mission accomplished, but what a scare for us all!
Our bakers care about their baked goods, and at times they may feel motivated to check on them during the cooking process and may even become anxious for them to finish quickly. However, swinging the oven door open to give your cookies a look can quickly become counterproductive, causing huge ups and downs in the temperature. What our bakers have mentioned to us is that testing for doneness too early or too frequently will cause mishaps in the baking process and at times, the need to re-do the entire order. Yes, folks, this too has happened!
Add up all these variables and just as the farmer deals with weather conditions and a multitude of unknowns that may affect their crops for that week, so too do our bakers. There are many more variables that can go awry and often times do, but the baker’s world is an art world, full of unknowns and things happen that can affect the delivery of your baked goods. So next time you cut into your warm loaf of sourdough bread, or plunge through the freshly baked cookie tray or warm pie, remember the time, dedication and most importantly the patience and love that went into baking your baked product to perfection. It is a baker’s world after all!
Live, Love, Shop Local… for all your Bear Necessities!
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Check out our wonderful bakers on our Virtual Marketplace in our vendor directory: NOCO Virtual Farmers Market.
NOCOVFM Bakers:
- Baklava– highly sought after Baklava treats we have all been waiting for. Yum!
- Breadzone – homemade goodness and goodies you can’t live without!
- Buttermilk Bakery and Pie Shop, pie oh my and a multitude of other goodies! Did you say Cocoa Bombs?
- Cinnamon Decadence – for melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls and delightful sourdough bread.
- Devon’s Delights – delights can’t even begin to express this baker’s homemade goodness, we will leave it for you to decide, but the scones… oh my!
- Home Baked Foods – jams, breads, mini loaves, cakes, pies and much more, check out their prepared meals too… add them to your desserts!
- I.C.Bing Cafe – did we say gluten free? Oh yes, the best ever too from a dedicated GF facility!
- Keto on Bakery – specialty Keto friendly menu with delicious items for any allergy issue you may have.
- Kogler’s Bakery – one of our tried and true bakers that everyone loves. Their pastries… they are divine and super popular too! Try out their puff pastries… your taste buds will thank you!
- Lake Hollow Homestead – for their heritage flour that you can use for your all your DIY baking.
- Outside the Bread Box – Gluten Free baked goods and sliced sandwich breads. A FOCO favorite.
- Poeme Macarons – choose your creations and delight yourself with the creamiest macarons this side of the Rockies!
- Sara’s Cosmic Cookie Dough – cookie dough that you can bake or eat straight from the package! Yum, baking has never been this easy!
- Skinny Crisps – freshly baked crackers in various flavor combinations that are gluten-free and low carb, who would know a baked snack could taste so good and also be good for your health!
- Star View Farm – jar baking kits that you can make yourself in an instant! Yummy, brownies in a jar… I will surely be there!
- The Cooking Studio – DIY home baking kits that arrive complete for your baking adventures and fun home learning projects.
- Waffle Lab – fresh waffle homemade treats that is a FOCO staple and well-loved everywhere in town, give them a try and let us know what you think. The donut has taken on a new look!
- Wild Bakery – goodies that are out of this world, filled with goodness and uniqueness with an attention to detail that will leave you wanting more! Artwork at its best!
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We here at NOCOVFM want to thank each and every one of our dedicated bakers and we wish them a new year of successful, happy and healthy baking!
See you next week!
Sincerely,
Candida and Alexa
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