Today is a bread day. Sadly, I am occupied with being a caretaker most of the day so I will think about back when I was baking almost everyday.
BREAD!
Whole wheat loaf
The love of my life. Many people always assume making bread is hard and takes a lot of time. I agree, it does take up quite a good chunk of the day, but if you time it right, you can be even more productive in your day.
You can make bread with the stuff in your pantry now; it’s only flour, milk/water, yeast, sugar, salt, and eggs. There’s really just one main way of making bread, and a ton of variations you can do to make different types of bread.
My favorite bread in my current phase is a swirl bread. I made a black sesame bread last week and it was pretty good. Cinnamon raisin is always a party, though.
The piece of advice I give to people for making bread is having enough patience. Rising, kneading, rising again, tossing it in the oven. God, it all sounds like an extensive exam. But say you need to do laundry or go through your mail, having small tasks in between each session is a good time saver.
People also tend to either over-knead or under-knead their dough, and that may make your bread flat and tough. Well, how you do know then, you ask? A good dough will be stretchy and smooth, rises in an even arc and doesn’t latch to the sides.
You also gotta trust your gut. I started making bread in the fall and winter (the worst times of the year) and I’ve made some disgusting bread. Some were so flat I couldn’t even categorize it under bread, some were underdone in the middle, some were as pasty as a vampire. So many failures. But I’ve made bread so much, it’s easier to touch the dough and feel it, and I will automatically know it’s ready.
I totally recommend making bread yourself. If you learn how, it’s so much cheaper than buying it, makes your house smell amazing and so inviting, and is a good hobby. It also makes for really spectacular gifts!
So take a step out of your comfort zone and create a masterpiece! Either way, it will make for a wonderful memory. Good luck!!
Baking Traveller 