That's me looking tired and weak-armed, holding a massive boule I made to wrap up my second week at the San Francisco Baking Institute. I forgot to weigh it but I'm pretty sure it's 5kg.
The loaf is made with a sourdough culture I started on Monday and was baked long to ensure the crumb is fully cooked. I love the dark colour -- it's hard to believe the loaf is made with white flour when it looks like that, but that's what caramelization does.
Really strange emotional vibe at school on Friday. I've made some great new friends in the past two weeks and most of them are heading home now. It's tough to think about how I'll likely never see some of them again after getting along so well and having so much in common. It takes a certain type of person to bake bread, I guess, and I tend to click with that type of person.
On the other hand, I'm also wicked homesick, so my emotions are sure getting pulled in two directions. Time to hunker down, get some laundry done and push through the final week. I keep hearing that the new instructor is extremely good, so I'm looking forward to the whole grain class, even as I'm ready to hop on a plane.