Making bread always seemed like this impossible task. Something for real chefs. Which I am not. Something involving patience. Which I have not. Something that you needed a bread maker for. Which is not true.
Since moving in with Paul, I have become the pizza dough maker. Pizza dough uses yeast. Pizza dough is just water, flour and salt. It gets kneaded and kneaded and then takes time to rise. As it turns out, it is really just bread.
And I made that just fine.
But real bread? Like a loaf? Like for snacking and sandwiches?
That still felt impossible.
And then we got a big mixer with a dough hook. And while that is far from needed (no pun intended) to make dough, it's a huge help. And my impossible task suddenly felt a little more possible.
I started with foccia bread.
Then I bought a bread baking book
And out of flour and water and a bit of oil and salt and baking soda came awkward-looking but fantastic-tasting pretzels.
Then came Kranz Cake Babka. Known around here as "the twisty bread with chocolate chips." I'm a huge fan of this one, probably because it reminds me of the chocolate crissonts we ate every morning on our honeymoon. I picked it because the book photo is awesome and it looked challenging.
Soooo tasty.
I have started to look forward to baking bread every few days. I am hoping to work my way through each recipe in my new book. Including the sourdough ones that involve a 5 day process for "building a starter."
Right now, this make it from scratch food is so worth the work.
(And I am considering #15 - try something new - crossed off the list.)
