I have also seen this quote with the jug-o-wine listed first. Either way, it is all I need for a good meal. Bread, wine, and someone to share with.
Last year I decided that I wanted to learn how to make really good bread from scratch. And I want to make it often. Whole Wheat, Whole Grain, Sourdough, Rosemary, Cheddar, Challah.....And I never even made one loaf. Not one. So today is the day. I need fresh bread in my house and in my mouth. The smell of baking bread is the most comforting smell in the world. The taste of bread is the most comforting taste in the world. And Mama needs a little comfort right about now.
I dropped the kids off at school and came home to get baking and this is what I found. It is from my Sunshine Girl. She leaves note all over the house. They make my day! The Bug will occasionally leave affectionate notes too. Love those!
The dough is supposed to be rising as I type this. But after 60 minutes, it isn't. So I looked up some possible solutions to this dilemma. One was to put it in a slightly warm oven. I transferred the bowl to the radiator, hoping it would help. Here are before-the-radiator and after-30 -minutes-on-the-radiator pictures. I am not sure if I am seeing a difference or if it is just wishful thinking.
A lot of time has come and gone and it finally rose a bit. So I am now on to the next step of forming it into a loaf, putting it into a well oiled loaf pan and letting it rise again. This loaf it itty bitty! I am not sure if it is supposed to be this small or if I ate too much dough. A piece here and there would not conform to the overall dough blob, so I ate them. More and more pieces popped up. I ate more. And more. I am feeling a bit stuffed now and not sure if I can hit the treadmill today. Here it is, seeming lost and small, and you can see all the flaps of dough I didn't eat.
The Inspector.
It puffed up a bit, so into the oven it goes! 40 minutes uncovered, 20 minutes covered. FINGERS CROSSED!!!
The moment of truth.
(making guacamole in the background)
I cut right into it. It tastes pretty good! Kinda dense. I like bread dense and I like it airy. I like it hot and cold. I like it fresh and I like it stale, so it is hard for me to be objective about it.
Sunshine Girl says, "It's the best whole whole wheat bread I have ever had, but you know I like sourdough."
The Bug says, "Yummmmm! It is good! I love this bread! It is kick butt bread!"
The Birdman, being more polished than normal, as he knew he was making it into the blog, says "A hearty, wheat bread that would compliment a bowl of soup."
Overall, I would call this a success with room for improvement. I want to make it less loaf, more round and welcoming. I want to try buckwheat honey instead of clover honey. I want it to rise more. I want to do so many things but this is a good place to start. I will make it again and again this same way over the next few weeks and see if I can do better with this particular recipe before I go getting fancy. But YAY! I made EDIBLE bread!!!
Do you have any nuggets of Bread Wisdom to share? What is your favorite bread? What kind of foods do you make really well? What foods have you completely botched?
