What Happens At a Baking Conference?

At a baking conference there's always lots of talk about baking.  But at this conference the attendees also got together and made bread--specifically some of the recipes from my new book Kneadlessly Simple. The first three pics feature several groups mixing up the ingredients and me showing the simple, fuss-free steps.  I explained all the secrets behind the no-knead method, which are detailed here. Interestingly, the consensus of the group was that no-knead is not a fad but is here to stay. While several people were skeptical, most also thought the method produced bread as good, or better than the "traditional" method. If you have an opinion, please feel free to share your comment.

Of course, you can't talk or bake all the time at a conference, and this one happened to be in Nashville. So, woo ha, we went to performance at the Grand Ole Opry! Yes, some acts were on the  Hee-Haw corny side, but some were just fabulous displays of masterful musicianship. One pic below shows Charlie Daniels, whose talented high-energy band performed an electrifying  rock-jazz instrumental number that nearly blew the roof off the place. (Who knew the Charlie Daniels Band played jazz?) The other shows Craig Morgan, who clearly raised the heart rates of all the young girls in the audience. My favorite part of the night--I got Charlie Daniels' autograph!