Today I baked my first loaf of bread ever.
It was a FOUR HOUR LONG PROCESS. Completely ridiculous. First you have to warm the liquid ingredients in a saucepan, on LOW, which is completely dumb. It takes a minimum of 15 minutes. While that is going, you combine the dry ingredients. when the wet stuff is finally done, you fight the sticky mass adding more flour until it actually looks somewhat edible. Playing with the sticky mass just made me feel like I was a child again, playing with Gak, or Play-dough. (Gak for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about is a mixture of liquid starch, glue, and food colouring, it's a rubbery, smooth texture)
Then you knead it for half and hour by hand because my book said that it produces better bread then a dough hook. (Which I don't have anyways) Then you have to let it rise for an hour. When you are waiting for bread, this might as well be an eternity. Then when it's finally risen, you take it out, roll it into a frenzy put it into the pan(s) and wait ANOTHER hour. Finally you get to put on the glaze that makes it crusty, and then you put it in for... yep you guessed it another hour. I got a lot of cleaning and dishes done today. Until the bread came out of the oven that is.
Finally it was finished. It didn't look pretty but it was DELICIOUS.
All of my grousing aside, I had a ton of fun actually making it, even though it tested my patience. I have never had bread made like this before, and was pretty excited about it.
I was pretty satisfied with my results, as I hate white bread with a passion, and this was honestly the best white bread I have ever had. I'm really excited about eating it again tomorrow with/ for breakfast.
It's really interesting to me that this bread is actually healthier for you then store bought because it doesn't have preservatives that store bought bread has to keep it fresh for more then a week. So my bread doesn't keep forever, but it's a ton better for you then that kind of bread because... Well one, you actually know what the heck is in it. But it has no chemicals that "preserve" it and cause use a whole lot of trouble.
I also learned that egg yolks and water make bread crusty and how you know when bread is finished it sounds hollow when you tap it.
Results of my lessons? I got two (well, after my boyfriend was done with it 1.5) loaves of wonderful bread. Makes me happy. Even if it did take most of my day.
So ultimate life lesson of the day: Hard work DOES pay off. In the Kitchen it's a little more obvious and delicious though. ;)
Katydid out.
It was a FOUR HOUR LONG PROCESS. Completely ridiculous. First you have to warm the liquid ingredients in a saucepan, on LOW, which is completely dumb. It takes a minimum of 15 minutes. While that is going, you combine the dry ingredients. when the wet stuff is finally done, you fight the sticky mass adding more flour until it actually looks somewhat edible. Playing with the sticky mass just made me feel like I was a child again, playing with Gak, or Play-dough. (Gak for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about is a mixture of liquid starch, glue, and food colouring, it's a rubbery, smooth texture)
Then you knead it for half and hour by hand because my book said that it produces better bread then a dough hook. (Which I don't have anyways) Then you have to let it rise for an hour. When you are waiting for bread, this might as well be an eternity. Then when it's finally risen, you take it out, roll it into a frenzy put it into the pan(s) and wait ANOTHER hour. Finally you get to put on the glaze that makes it crusty, and then you put it in for... yep you guessed it another hour. I got a lot of cleaning and dishes done today. Until the bread came out of the oven that is.
Finally it was finished. It didn't look pretty but it was DELICIOUS.
All of my grousing aside, I had a ton of fun actually making it, even though it tested my patience. I have never had bread made like this before, and was pretty excited about it.
I was pretty satisfied with my results, as I hate white bread with a passion, and this was honestly the best white bread I have ever had. I'm really excited about eating it again tomorrow with/ for breakfast.
It's really interesting to me that this bread is actually healthier for you then store bought because it doesn't have preservatives that store bought bread has to keep it fresh for more then a week. So my bread doesn't keep forever, but it's a ton better for you then that kind of bread because... Well one, you actually know what the heck is in it. But it has no chemicals that "preserve" it and cause use a whole lot of trouble.
I also learned that egg yolks and water make bread crusty and how you know when bread is finished it sounds hollow when you tap it.
Results of my lessons? I got two (well, after my boyfriend was done with it 1.5) loaves of wonderful bread. Makes me happy. Even if it did take most of my day.
So ultimate life lesson of the day: Hard work DOES pay off. In the Kitchen it's a little more obvious and delicious though. ;)
Katydid out.
