So that's it, I've now finished my two week placement!

I had the best time, & I've learnt so much, I'm still trying to take it all in =) 

The last week ran to the same schedule as last week; lots of weighing out, mixing, scaling, shaping, scoring & baking!  We even experimented with some ciabattas & baguettes as well; it was nice to try my hand at baguettes again, & nice to know I can still remember how to shape them!  My baguette scoring could still do with some work, but it's getting better =)

The nights seemed to run more smoothly this week; Dom did a lot of the weighing out the day before, so we were able to get started on the mixing & baking earlier.  I went out on deliveries with Dom on Tuesday too.  It was nice to get out in the fresh air after a long night baking, & it was great to see some of the restaurants the Bakehouse supply =)

Dom commented that I'd improved over the two weeks, particularly in my shaping, which was lovely to hear.  I could certainly see the difference in my shaping of the dough, & by the end of the week my scoring had come on leaps & bounds as well.

I was totally in charge of the sourdough bakes Wednesday & Thursday night; everything from setting out the breads on the baking sheets, scoring the tops, loading the ovens, monitoring the bakes & then finally unloading the loaves.  By the end of the week, my Pain de Campagne's looked almost as good as Dom's, & he even remarked on how well the sourdoughs had come out =)

I found it easier this week to get into my crazy sleeping pattern, although I found I wasn't as tired as early as I was last week, which made getting enough sleep a little more tricky.  But I think I managed it well enough.  I've been just as achey, & got a couple more burns the first two nights, but they weren't as bad as my first burn!  My hands have been worse this week though; incredibly sore & dry, but tonnes of hand cream has helped enormously!

I've had the best time on placement, it's been such a great experience & I do feel like I've improved a lot.  It's been a great insight into how a bakery actually works, & how much work is involved in getting the breads out in time for the shop to open.

It hasn't put me off either!  I still love baking; there's no better feeling than seeing all the bread out on the racks, ready to be bought & devoured.  It makes all the hard work, the sleeplessness, the physical aches & pains totally worth it =D

Now I'm looking forward to nice break, with some festive baking thrown in of course, before heading back to School in January.

The posts will be fewer over until I get back to School, but I will let you know how the festive baking goes!  In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas! =D

So I've now finished the first week of my placement, & what a week it's been!

Thursday & Friday followed much the same pattern as the previous two nights; mixing the sourdoughs, shaping the yeasted breads & baking off the sourdoughs from the night before, as well as baking off the pastries etc.  Saturday was another story...

There was no mixing to be done, so I foolishly assumed it would be an easier night; how wrong I was!

While we didn't need to do any mixing, there was a huge amount of bread to be baked, far more than the other nights I'd worked.  Dominic was away as well, so I was working with Sheila, who originally set up the bakery four years ago.  Sheila doesn't do much of the baking these days, but remains the director of the company.

So while I'd begun to feel like I'd gotten the hang of things working with Dom, it felt like it was my first night all over again working with Sheila, simply because they work in different ways.  It really is true that every baker has their own way of shaping the dough, so I was learning new techniques, which threw me off slightly...

I also felt the night didn't run quite as smoothly as it should have; we lost a couple of loaves which over-proved past the point of saving, which was a shame, & it was a much later finish than either of us expected.

But, we got there in the end, & even finished a last minute order for 50 mince pies in record time!  I also had the opportunity to serve in the shop, which was daunting, but fun =)  I think it might take me a little time to get to grips with the till, but all the customers were lovely, & as most are regulars, they were very forgiving of poor inexperienced me! 

I eventually finished about 12.30, so just a short 11 1/2 shift to end the week =)  It really has been amazing; lots of physically & mentally hard work, & I ache now, particularly in my hands & back, but it's been such a great experience.  To have the opportunity to work in an established bakery is fantastic; getting to handle large batches of dough, & being able to scale & shape the whole lot, rather than just a few pieces here & there has proved so useful.  I feel like I've learnt a lot so far, & I hope I'll learn still more next week.

It's the first time the School have sent the students off to placement just before Christmas; in previous years I think they've waited till the end of term two.  I hope it will prove to have been a good idea; I certainly think it has been =)

I've spent this weekend catching up on some much needed sleep, & generally taking it easy.  Tomorrow will see me trying to get back into my bakers sleeping pattern, but I don't think it'll be too hard; I'm still shattered now!

Well, it's Wednesday afternoon.  4.27pm to be exact.  In just 30 minutes, I'll be heading off to bed to catch a few hours kip, before I get up at 11.00pm, so I can get to Shrewsbury ready to start work at 1.30am.

That's right folks; its placement week!

I'm working my placement at the Shrewsbury Bakehouse; a great little bakery, just a short train ride from my house.  I've done two shifts so far, starting at 1.30am & finishing up around 10.30am.

So far the hardest part has been trying to adjust to a new sleeping pattern.  It's so odd going to bed when most people are just finishing work, & even odder getting up when folks are thinking about going to bed!  Thankfully, its dark by 4.30pm here, so it hasn't been too weird; I think it would have been harder trying to get to sleep in the daylight.

I've been working my shifts with Dominic, who now owns the Bakehouse & has for the last 12 months.  He's been great to work with; really helpful & willing to teach, which is what these two weeks are all about.  I know I'm only on day two, but already I can see the difference in my shaping & cutting.  It's not perfect, not yet, but it's getting there =)

In my first shift, I was helping to weigh out the ingredients for the sourdough breads, scaling & shaping the sourdoughs made the night before, scoring the breads before baking, setting out the breads on the shelves & taste testing the brownies, to make sure they were still lovely & chocolaty (they were!) =D

Last night, or this morning, however you look at it, I was in charge of weighing out all the ingredients, mixing the doughs, & setting out the first bake, including the scoring, loading & unloading of the oven!  My scoring wasn't perfect, but it wasn't awful either =)

I did make one mistake; weighing out 5kg of wholemeal flour rather than white flour, but it was 2.00am, so I think I can be forgiven! 

It's hard work, physically & mentally.  I ache today, not too badly, but enough to have made a long hot bath a necessity!  My feet ache, my arms & hands are sore, & it's been quite a struggle not to fall asleep on the train home, but I'm thoroughly enjoying my placement so far.

The last two days have flown by, & I'm sure the rest of the week will as well.  Hopefully I'll carry on improving & I'll get used to the hours, but for now, I'm going to make myself a lovely herbal tea, & think about heading off to bed =)

Night all!