I have always thought of being a baker as hard work, rising early, the flour dust, the heat.
Especially if you shop is/was of the traditional type rather than a factory like production line.
When I pick a loaf of bread, I will touch it to see if it feels fresh.
I cannot really put the experience into words. The loaf either feels right in my hand or it does not.
Making bread or pizza or pie crust for that matter has a physical aspect to it
I cannot remember ever baking my own loaf of bread yet at home bread making has become popular.
Communities come in all flavors, and for the amateurs boulangers (bakers in French) a natural home is The Fresh Loaf. They also appeal to what they call ‘the artisan bread enthusiasts’.
With their forum you can delve into heady topics such as How to manage a wet, amorphous blob of pizza dough.
More practical are the 5 Lessons including Number 5 Ten Tips for Better French Bread which of course I had to read (tip 10: use good ingredients, tip 7: the wetter, the better).
They offer much more. I will let you explore on your own.
If you made some dough recently, let me know what came out of the experiment.
Send a photo.
Du Pain, du Vin et du Boursin?
Related: Pain Quotidien (Daily Bread), Crusty Ficelle and Tomme Crayeuse