The Bread Doctor is in the house...Opening Weekend

Well, we finally did it and declared an official opening for the bakery, The Bread Doctor.  It started Friday, October 25th when we offered our first product, Cinnamon Caramel Rolls.  I woke up and realized that I had the day to bake, and got on the Facebook page and announced that I would bake for anyone who placed an order that day.  We had a wonderful reponse  and I baked 8 dozen rolls.  This is a wonderful initial effort and we appreciate all who are supporting our new venture.  I must say that the rolls are delicious.  The bread is not so sweet (European style) and that compliments the topping well.  These are a hybrid of a great sweet roll dough formula that Marda gave me with her caramel sauce.  I can't thank her enough.  I left out the nuts found on many sticky buns (at the request of the customer), and added currants (not so sweet as dark raisins) and a bit of spice to the caramel topping. 

The house smelled wonderfully, and I had to fight off my 13 year-old who could not understand why I was not baking for him.  He had his share earlier in the week.  I personally prefer pecans, and will be offering them dressed up versions with nuts later.



Here are the rolls cooling waiting to be boxed up

Eleanor and I are so appreciative of those who have shown support and believed in our baking.  We live in a great community here in Wyoming and have enjoyed our time here. Here we are that first day with the first delivery of Cinnamon Caramel Rolls.  Of course, we are looking forward to many more deliveries as the weeks progress.

 

Our first customer!

 Saturday morning, I baked off the last of the rolls and delivered them warm to customers.  I then spent much of the afternoon organizing the baking supplies that I have been ordering.  William helped with gusto and we are definitely getting set up to bake more.  Then we headed to Cheyenne to watch the BYU Ballroom Dance Company perform and they were magnificent.  We met the rest of our family there and ate at a famous and delicious burger joint to begin the celebration of Eleanor's birthday.  Monday, October 28 she will be sixteen years old.  We are a happy family!

 

 

Jupiter has landed....let the baking begin

Well, I drove like mad on September 28 and got to my mother's home on Saturday early in the afternoon and had a wonderful time with my sister, Jarene, and my mother, Nada.  We sampled many of the baked goods that I had packed in the truck and I left them with samplings to tide them over.  They thought the baking was adequate (Jarene said it was just like when she was in France), and they were surprised at how much I had hidden away in the Big Red Truck.  We had a great evening and retired in time for me to head out early the next morning to go home to Torrington.

The Salt River Range on September 28.

A couple of satisfied customers

 I drove across Wyoming early on Sunday morning, and found Towgwatee Pass to be greeted by an early fall snow storm.  The roads were fine, but this was the view that day of the roadside at just over 9000 feet.  It was lovely, and then by the middle of Wyoming, it was sunny and 60 degrees.  The weather in our state is very unusual at times and surprising.

I got home at about 1:30 in the afternoon to see my wonderful family and be reunited once again.  It was a very fun time in Oregon, but I missed them very much.  They were excited about seeing me and all the goodies in the Big Red Truck.:)  Homecoming at Torrington High was a thing of the past at that point, and they had already been attending school for a month.

 

 I have spent the last three weeks trying to get my head out of the clouds and think about the bakery idea and how it was going to work into being a full-time physician.  The answer is this...it is going to be tricky...but fun.  I worked as hospitalist for a week, did two clinic days and worked in the ER 72 hours in the first 17 days back.  Then I finally had time to put my head to the baking question.

 

 Well, after consultation with the accountant, lawyer, family, and friends, it has happened.  I founded The Bread Doctor, LLC on October 21, 2013.  I have already had someone request baked goods for a conference being held here in Torrington in November, and I have been test baking all week.  I am making the rolls below for breakfast and the Kaiser rolls for sandwiches.  I have had to work out all kinds of kinks with my pans at home and the oven, that has hotspots and quirks.  Not to mention the fact that I am flying solo and making the breads without the wonderful tutelage of Marda.  I keep thinking of all that she told me as I am going through the preparations.  I have spent the last week on the phone, in between baking, trying to locate suppliers that will deal with a business as small as I am and have been stocking up on supplies that will let me expand into more products in the next few months.  I have meetings with two suppliers tomorrow to see if they have the right sugar and flour and I will be consulting with Marda, as the correct flour is imperative to make baked goods of the quality that I want to produce. 

 

Today, I actually broke another "absolutely I will never do" resolution, when I opened a Facebook account for The Bread Doctor.  I have a page for the business that will feature the goods that I am currently offering, and anything else pertinent to the business. People really can change...I now have a blog and a Facebook account....I think the end of the world is near.  I plan on having baked goods ready for pickup on Wed afternoon through Saturday mornings.  Details about ordering and contact information will all be on my Facebook page....well there it is.  I am excited and it will be fun to work with my family as much as they want to be involved.  William and Eleanor both talk about working in the bakery at times.  Right now, school is the main priority.  Here are a few snapshots of the things I have been baking.  I am starting with simple and accessible baked goods that I hope will be attractive to my community.

Cinnamon sticky buns

Knotted Kaiser Rolls with poppy seeds

Knotted Kaiser Rolls with Sesame Seeds

 

One last note.....Jupiter has landed and it appears that the space mission was successful.  Here is a piture of him, and now some of the serious baking can commence....once I get him hooked up electrically.

 

Jupiter the sheeter

Peace, love, and baking!!!