I'm not a pro at this, but I will try to help a bit. If you take a leaf and look at it, you don't (Maybe you do) but leaves are cast on the back side so that the 'veins' are 'embedded within the leaf. So you need to make a mold of the leaf, as if you were casting it the first time. I have used kids modeling clay, rolled out to about 1/4 " (small leaf) pressed the backside of a leaf into the clay, and carefully cut around the edge of the leaf. Then I carefully removed the leaf. I lightly -Very lightly sprayed the 'clay leaf' with Pam cooking spray. I then proceeded to apply my silicone in THIN layers. (You can smooth with an icecube) It tends to be slippery from the oil, but you can get it to work. IF the silicone sticks to the clay, it can be gotten off with a bit of dishsoap when you wash the mold when it is cured. Takes awhile for the silicone to set up, especially if it is too thick... OR If you have a leaf done, and painted, oil it up and apply the silicone. That works too. You really have to try and experiment.....making a POP leaf isn't the easiest thing to do......but it can be done with patience. spray your leaf with Pam then Brush on a thin layer of POP. Let it dry and keep adding layers. Removing the leaf from POP has always been my problem Good Luck...... Marcia

Hi Maggie, here is the recipe. There was also a link to a video somewhere... From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. Serves 4 Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets) 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 6-1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough Cornmeal In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100 degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.) When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and repeat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it's not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom. Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day's storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour. Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, ¼-inch deep cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

jkom51-- To tell you the truth, If I were interested, I could very easily put together a crew of about 10 people (5 teams) and keep them busy full time with all the work I've been offered all over the country, just from this forum. Some of it has been truly tempting, too, starting with igloochik's home in Alaska, as well as the one she's starting work on in the PNW. Even pcjs's post is tempting! There are several problems, there, though. First, alot of my credibility in the forums comes from the fact that I'm not asking for anything in return for the information I give out here. There are no ulterior motives. I'm here because I want to help people. Secondly, I would most likely run into problems from iVillage, being that then I'd be here for profit. Lastly, and this one would be important to all of you, and that's the fact that in addition to the normal costs of doing the work, there would also be travel expenses, as well as lodging and per diem costs, making it really kind of impractical for me to go around doing the work. Unfortunately. I say unfortunately because right now, the housing market has made work just as scarce here as it is in many other parts of the country, and I'm doing commercial work now, just to stay busy. It IS custom work to be sure (period specific work for the Maine Historical Society in Portland), but none the less commercial work, and I'm not very happy about it. But you do what you have to do. :-)

I followed the link teresa posted & mixed up a batch of master recipe on Wednesday evening. I baked my first loaf of artisan bread tonight. After if came out of the oven I almost broke my arm patting myself on the back. Never ever would I have thought it would turn out so good. I preheated my oven to 500. Once it reached 500 I then turned it back to 450. I have an old oval shaped clay baker (it has seldom been used) that I put in my oven along with the lid. Set my timer for 45 minutes then proceded to prep the dough. There was no work to it at all. Just like the video I was able to cut a chunk off and shape it with a little more flour in less than a minute. I threw it on a silpat sheet sprinkled with cornmeal to rise. 45 minutes later I put a couple of slits in it then into my baker it went. I added the lid and set my timer for another 30 minutes. I didn't know if I should remove the lid half way thru or not. As a matter of fact I didn't even think about removing the lid till about 5 minutes befor the timer was to go off. I did remove it at that time and was amazed at how great the bread looked. Five minutes later I pulled it from the oven. I was telling myself to let it cool down befor I cut into it. Bread should not be cut while its hot. Right? Heck I don't know. I have no willpower!! Oh my I was in shock. I still can't believe I produced such a beautiful tasty loaf of artsian bread. Thank you teresa for the link to the recipe. Now that I have tried it and it worked I will buy the book ASAP. I can not wait to try some of the other recipes. The pecan rolls are calling my name, my very own home made english muffins and pitas! I want to make a marble rye worthy of Jerry Seinfield! I have plans to go to the Amish store for several different flours and spices. I am gonna weigh a ton! Dawn