I’m not a fan of Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits blog (too much listy self-help going on for me) but I did enjoy his books Zen Habits and Zen To Done. His new book, Focus is available as a free PDF as well as a “Full” version with videos, extra chapters (some by guest writers), and interviews.

via mnmal

I’m not a fan of Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits blog (too much listy self-help going on for me) but I did enjoy his books Zen Habits and Zen To Done. His new book, Focus is available as a free PDF as well as a “Full” version with videos, extra chapters (some by guest writers), and interviews.

via mnmal

A friend gave me this for my birthday. Awesome book. I want to tear it apart and frame pages of it.

aja:

Serious Drawings : Marc Johns
A book by one of my favorite artists. Buy immediately.
(I can’t believe I missed the chance to get a signed copy. This is the punishment for having 15,000 unread RSS posts.)

A friend gave me this for my birthday. Awesome book. I want to tear it apart and frame pages of it.

aja:

Serious Drawings : Marc Johns

A book by one of my favorite artists. Buy immediately.

(I can’t believe I missed the chance to get a signed copy. This is the punishment for having 15,000 unread RSS posts.)

The Twelve Stages of Bread

From: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice:

  1. Mise En Place – Everything in it’s place is the organizing principle.
  2. Mixing – In which three important requirements must be met.
  3. Primary Fermentation – Also called bulk fermentation, win which most of the flavor is determined.
  4. Punching Down – Also called de–gassing, in which the dough begins to enter its secondary fermentation and individuation.
  5. Dividing – in which pieces are weighed or scaled, while continuing to ferment.
  6. Rounding – in which the pieces are given an interim shaping prior to their final shape.
  7. Benching – also called resting, or intermediate proofing, during which time the gluten relaxes.
  8. Shaping and Panning – in which the dough is given its final shape prior to baking.
  9. Proofing – also called secondary or final fermentation, in which the dough is leavened to its appropriate baking size.
  10. Baking – which may also include scoring the dough and steaming, but in which three vital oven actions must occur.
  11. Cooling – which is really an extension of baking but must occur before cutting into the bread.
  12. Storing and Eating – in production baking it’s primarily storing, but home baking usually emphasizes, ahem, eating.

I really love the concept of mise en place. I definitely try to have everything laid out when I’m in the kitchen. But outside of the kitchen I never consider getting everything in place to create. I’m going to try that.