Twitter, illustrations, PANARY in PROVENCE, moulding a loaf

Dear Panarians,

TWEET!

The dominant news conveyed here is that I am opening a Twitter account – very soon. Who will tweet with me? I hope some of you rally to become my merry band of followers so that we generate some real interest in the world of craft baking.

ARTWORK

The picture at the top is an excerpt from the art work being assembled for my book. I have long held the belief that a good illustration, rather than a photograph, is capable of being more expressive, or can capture hand movements and hand skills more effectively. This picture is one of a series showing the steps to finishing the moulding (shaping) of a small cob. Under it would be the caption:

To be ready for the next thrusting stroke, the driving hand is jerked back a few inches to give it the position and poise to keep rubbing forward, enabling the tension of pulling downwards as well as pushing forwards, tightening its sides as its bottom stays anchored to the bench by its stickiness.

See below for the two pictures that would be either side of it in the sequence of drawings for instruction for moulding a small cob, or rounding a piece generally.

COURSES COMING UP

April 16-17 French with Sourdough

April 23 Sourdough

There are spaces on both courses.

WOOD-FIRED OVENS

LePanyol have produced a new range of the smaller ovens, with improvements to the doorway. Larger ovens are now being targeted towards restaurants, bakers, pizzerias, and they have made improvements to both doorway and insulation.

Click here to view the new ovens and prices.

PANARY in PROVENCE NEWS

The spring course has settled in well and I could be confident of holding one or two courses each year. In a fortnight I shall be off on Eurostar for the early May course, when temperatures will be in the low twenties, and on the borders to the vineyard will be a host of wild flowers.

Not the same success for the autumn one, I’m afraid to say, and we simply do not seem to get bookings for that time of year. Unless there is a flurry of activity for this autumn course (November 7 – 11) I shall take it down on its long-stop date, which is in May.

To learn about PANARY in PROVENCE, and to book, click here.

The forward rubbing features a steep hand, with the hand on edge, open palm, a vertical line from little finger to thumb. With the puffy pad of the palm below the thumb joint doing the work, you push forward as well as pulling downwards on the piece as it is stroked forward. (The left hand is held aside, doing nothing at this point, indeed superfluous).

In this picture the left hand has come into play to grip it and help slide it back towards you so that you are poised to begin again to stroke it forward.

Well, PANARIANS, that’s it for now. Soon there will be another newsblast to seek the Twitter enthusiasts.

Good baking, Paul