Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Our (Occasional) Bread

Sorry, but I haven't made it up to baking daily yet.

I can't think of a better jumping-off point than bread because it's so basic. Every culture has a version of bread, and recent archaeological finds suggest that even our prehistoric ancestors may have eaten bread. So bread it was. I started with bulgur-wheat rolls. It was a cool, damp day so I was afraid the dough wouldn't rise. I needn't have worried:


(Yes, I know -- I needed to use a bigger bowl).

I'm not telling my therapist this, but kneading bread dough is great for working out your frustrations. A sturdy dough like this will take a pounding. I felt SO much more relaxed after kneading the dough than when I started (of course, the glass of wine I had while working probably helped). The recipe was supposed to make a dozen rolls. I was really startled by the size they turned out. Next time I'll make two dozen from the same dough:

 

But I have to say, they tasted spectacular with the homemade soup I made the same day. I cheated and had two of them.

I felt psyched after the success with the rolls, so I decided to try a loaf (besides, I had another packet of yeast to use up). I probably need to work on loaf shaping, because this was supposed to be round but came out looking more like a giant amoeba:


Of course, I could always call it "rustic" or "artisan" instead of badly formed.

One more packet of yeast in the cabinet. Hmmm...

3 comments:

  1. Your bread looks great...you compelled me to make a loaf of my own!

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  2. Gorgeous bread. My counter is a bit too high for really satisfying kneading, so I tend to use Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread recipe. It's great fun for seeming to violate all the laws of bread making.

    Lovely blog. I found you through SP - hope you keep this going!

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