We just hit a milestone, and Kalamau from Honolulu gets the honors. She joined today with a simple goal: learn how to bake her own bread. That's exactly what this place is built for. Kalamau, you picked the right community. Whether you've never touched a bag of flour or you're just looking for a better path to a great loaf, we've got you covered. Start with the courses, jump into the Saturday bake-alongs, ask every question that comes to mind. Nobody here bites (we just bake). 400 members. Every single one of you makes this community what it is. Let's show Kalamau what Crust & Crumb is all about. Welcome home. 🍞 Drop a 🤙 below to welcome our newest baker from Hawaii!

A lot of you came from Facebook. I run Baking Great Bread at Home over there, 40,000+ members, and I love that community. But I want to be honest about something. On Facebook, you often get one of two things: criticism without substance or compliments without critique. Someone posts a loaf and the comments are either "Beautiful!" when there's clearly something going on, or unhelpful jabs that don't teach you anything. People mean well. They're trying to be kind. But kindness without honesty doesn't make you a better baker. This is a different place. Crust & Crumb Academy is exactly that: an academy. This is where you come to hone your skills and get better. That means when you ask for feedback, you're going to get it. Real feedback. Specific feedback. The kind that actually helps you improve. I'll always be kind. I'll always be encouraging. But you're not going to get empty platitudes from me. If I see something in your crumb, your shaping, your scoring, I'm going to tell you what it is and how to fix it. That's what coaches do. And I want you to do the same for each other. When someone posts a bake and asks for critique, give them something useful. Tell them what you see. Ask questions. Share what's worked for you. That's how we all get better. This is a teaching environment. We're not here to collect compliments. We're here to make better bakers. Perfection is not required. But growth is the goal. Let's get to work. ~Henry

One of our members reached out to me about a project she's working on. She's part of a program teaching kids in her school system how to cook real food from scratch. Not box food. Not microwave food. Real food. She told me the kids made Mac and Cheese from scratch for the first time and their faces said everything. They couldn't believe that's what it was supposed to taste like. Now the kids want pizza. And she needed help figuring out a recipe that works without scales, without mixers, without any fancy equipment. Just cups, spoons, a bowl, and their hands. I was happy to help. Actually, I was more than happy. It hit me hard enough that I went ahead and built a full recipe for it. Kids Can Bake: Personal Pan Pizza https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/kids-can-bake-personal-pan-pizza?variant=yeasted Every kid makes their own dough in their own bowl. No sharing, no dividing. The recipe uses basic volume measurements, common ingredients, and zero equipment most kitchens don't already have. It walks them through the science of what yeast is doing and why dough rises, because kids are curious and they deserve real answers. This inspired something bigger. I'm building out a "Kids Can Bake" section in the Recipe Pantry. Recipes designed for children, parents baking with their kids, scout troops, after-school programs, summer camps, whoever wants to put real food in front of young people and teach them something valuable. If you've got a recipe idea that would work well for kids, or know of a project we as a community can get behind, drop it in the comments. I want to hear what you'd bake with your children or grandchildren. More kid-friendly recipes coming soon. Perfection is not required. But teaching a kid to make their own pizza from scratch? That's progress that lasts a lifetime.

So I seen this on YouTube a while ago innthe beginning of me making sourdough bread. But I belove she added into her starter. But I wanted to. Make a chocolate sourdough loaf and so I did just pulled her out of the oven st 330 she should be ready to cut into she fluffy up on the bottom but. Thsts okay

I have been on the road a lot these past couple of weeks running to track and field events. Today our son, Ryan Hunter, received his Francis Marion University championship ring, and Mom and Dad could not be more proud. This ring is the fruit of years of discipline, faith, and quiet work when no one was watching. On the track, Ryan has shattered a 38‑year‑old school record in the javelin—and then went back and broke his own record again—while also tying a 29‑year‑old school record in the 100m. He’s a true all‑around athlete, competing in javelin, sprints, throws, and relays, earning multiple javelin wins and leading the conference along the way. He’s been named McDonald’s athlete of the week and Conference Carolinas athlete of the week two times. He’s been honored with conference awards, featured by FMU as an “Athlete, Scholar, Patriot,” and named his team’s Most Valuable Player in back‑to‑back seasons. In the classroom, Ryan finished his undergraduate journey with a double major in Supply Chain Management and Economics and is now pursuing his MBA at Francis Marion. He has consistently earned academic honors, including Dean’s List and conference academic recognition, and is involved in leadership programs that speak to his character as much as his talent. Ryan, we see the early mornings, the late nights, the setbacks you turned into fuel, and the way you carry yourself with humility and heart. This ring is just one symbol of who you’re becoming, and we are so grateful God chose us to be your parents. We love you, and we are endlessly proud of you.