daveb: fresh bread

fresh bread · May 7, 08:15 pm

fresh bread in my own kitchen. mmmmn.

when i was a kid growing up i didn’t know you could get bread from the store. every other week my mother would mix, knead, let stand, punch and bake fresh bread. it was one of those essential parts of your family growing up. one of those parts you never took notice of when you were young, but when you grow older, with your own family you began to feel as a missing part of your experience.

during my trip to london i spent some time with my mother and picked up the recipe for the bread i ate as a youngster. it is a molasses based bread with simple ingredients, mostly flour and water. bread is such a simple and wholesome food, enjoyed all over the world it must be easy to make – right? (all the bakers can insert their knowing chuckle at the innocent buffoon here)

my first attempt at baking bread was a bit humbling. my last experience of first-hand bread making was when i was about 10. that’s the last time i put any conscious thought and interest into the process of how bread makes it from flour and water into a loaf. i remember the punching part, and some about the mixing. something with the hands.

however, i assumed since i am a moderately intelligent person with clear, well written instructions i should be able to make bread. what could go wrong?

1” bread.

that’s what could go wrong. that and much giggling on the part of my wife. who would have thought bread could be emasculating…

while it is very tasty, i’m still learning the fine art of yeast, and coaxing it into performing it’s magic on my bread.

while this was my first, i’m determined not to let it be my last batch of bread. in fact, my second batch (baked today) turned out a little better. if you examine the photos, you can see my big beefy loafs in front, with my meagre little wafer loafs in behind.

fresh bread

Categories: personal / recipes |
Tags: bread

* * * * * *

Every kid should have the smell of fresh bread planted deep in his unconscious while he’s growing up.

This is the book I’ve been using for the past year:

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060951184/
— Mike Bridge May 12, 04:22 pm #
you’ve got nothin on me. i learned how to cook bread in a wood stove the summer i worked at uk, village. but i’ve lost my touch. now my bread looks much like your hidden loaves, cowering behind the fat ones. maybe we need to bake wearing bloomers and cotton dresses, to make them fat.
— angela stewart May 18, 08:21 am #
I love it all, but I cheat… I guess… I use a bread maker. I still get the ingredient control and the amazing smell but with half (1/8?) the effort. Do I still get to join the club?
— BrockSky May 23, 09:58 am #

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