March 10, 2010

Comments on yesterday's accomplishments

Last night I made my first loaf of bread from memory. It was a loaf of white bread, because I was out of wheat flour. That was my first accomplishment: I confidently modified a recipe without looking! I used honey instead of the usual molasses, all white flour instead of 2.5 cups wheat, and the rest white. What I have found really interesting over the last couple of months that I've been playing with this recipe, is just how changing the ingredients changes the bread. The dough rises more slowly when I use wheat flour, molasses makes for a much darker loaf. White bread is a stickier dough.
I have been making a loaf a week for use as sandwich bread and toast for breakfast. I am hoping I'll be able to continue this as it gets warmer, but it is nearly impossible to bake in our house in the Summer. It gets so hot!
I love the smell of bubbly yeast and rising dough. I love kneading. If I could just garden and bake for the rest of my life I think I might. I think I was cut out for a different century. That century probably didn't have central air and heat, though, so I am glad to be where I am in time.
I think next I'll work on the starter for sourdough bread.

3 comments:

Ellie said...

Congratulations! I made Irish soda bread last night, which is about where I stop on bread. I am impressed with persons who can make good yeast bread! And garden. I also am bad at gardening.

Anonymous said...

The beauty of modern times is that we can toy around with things from the past but set them aside when it's not fun anymore.
-I had no idea you had to be so meticulous with a typewriter : (

Anonymous said...

OH--and I love that you're making your own bread.