Thanks for the advice on bread making. Can I ask a question? I work and I can’t be at home but want to still bake a loaf. Can I refrigerate the dough at various stages?
Onto bees. People raise bees on rooftops in Manhattan so space isn’t much of an issue. About the only place you can’t raise bees are in very cold, alpine areas. I’m talking interior of Alaska cold...and some folks do it even there, they just lose their bees every year. I’m of the opinion that cities and suburbs are a better place to raise bees than the country due to the diversity of plants and trees. Bees need pollen and nectar to survive. If there are only soybeans for miles around, the bees aren’t going to find enough food. In the city it’s a Golden Corral buffet for bees.
Neighbors can be jerks or supportive. I’ve got good neighbors so it’s not an issue. I also make sure they’re fixed up for honey. My suggestion is that if you have enough land to obscure that you’re keeping bees, then just obscure them and keep your mouth shut. If not, then try the diplomacy route. With gifts of honey, of course.
Pollen is only a problem if you’re in an ag area without many weeds. If you’re in the city, not so much an issue and you can buy pollen substitutes. The big issues with bees that are killing them off imho:
-Varroa mites (you need to treat in some fashion)
-Poor nutrition (more of an issue with commercial beekeepers and those in ag areas)
-Starvation during winter (feed, feed, feed sugar syrup)
-P*** poor beekeeping and queen rearing practices.
There are other factors like bee diseases and pests other than varroa that kill off hives, but those are secondary issues in my view.
Thanks for the bee info. Sounds complicated - I’ll need to do some research, especially since we are looking into a rural area.
About the bread, you can refrigerate it right after kneading, wrapped in plastic. It will continue to rise before it cools sufficiently so check to make sure it’s not ‘escaping’ from the plastic. Then take it out and when it’s close to room temperature but before it has risen a lot, form it into loaves. Let it rise the 2nd time and it should turn out fine. I have a whole wheat recipe that requires a 2-4 day stay in the frig - to soften the harsh wheaty flavor. It always turns out fine. I can’t believe I can get 100% whole wheat to rise - I must finally understand how yeast thinks ;) Just keep practicing.