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!