On Baking Bread

Hand made. Hand crafted. From scratch. Artisan. Whatever you call it, its how bread should be made.

Before coming here, I'd never baked bread before in my entire life. I should have though. Living here, baking bread is not easy. Other places I've lived it would have been much easier. Now I've got to worry about wind and humidity because I live on the ocean. It has taken me close to 3 years to perfect bread worthy of serving. No one would imagine the amount of failed recipes and attempts I've had at baking bread. Recently & finally, success.

There is a photo taken of me with my first ever successful loaves of bread. The expression on my face is actually joy. That, and surprise. I'm not sure what is more remarkable, the bread or the photo. Its the first time in about 20 years I actually asked to have a photo taken. Anyone who knows me realizes that you do not take photos of me. Those who do not know me, take note please. Back to the bread....

I do not own a bread machine. I do not want a bread machine. I want bread to be like I can buy in an old-fashioned New York (or NJ for that matter) bakery. You know the type... you walk into a small hole in the wall place, black and white vinyl tiles on the floor. Cakes & cookies everywhere, but the smell through and through is fresh baked bread. I love bread.

I took a cooking class with a chef. She asked me to arrive early to help her prep for the class. We were having casual conversation, but honestly I felt very inadequate in the presence of a very well known chef who is a published author. When I first arrived at her house, after introductions, she bluntly told me that all work in her kitchen is to be done by hand, and wanted to watch my knife skills. So, she handed me something to prep, and I did it. I guess I passed, because next thing I knew I was washing, peeling, slicing, dicing and chopping for about 2.5 hours. So, what does this have to do with bread you may wonder. Its this.... as I was working, I told her that all my kitchen work is done by hand too, as I felt it was one of the secrets to good tasting food. She simply replied "of course it is." Very matter of fact. Almost, but not quite, in a condescending tone. But, the thing is, most people don't do things that way anymore. So, this is the way with the bread.

My bread is a very simple recipe, but once I've mixed the dough in my stand mixer, I have to knead it. This is kind of tedious, it does take time. There's a proper way to knead dough, and I notice differences in the bread if I take a short cut.

So, after kneading the dough it goes into my proof box. If I didn't have a proof box, I could not make bread here. The humidity does evil things to baked goods, especially when it comes to non-traditional vegan baking. Trust me. Throw in some winds gusting through the house, and that's even more fun. Once the dough comes out of the proof box, guess what, I have to knead it again. When I am working with the dough, sometimes its almost trance-like. Meditative I suppose. Shape the loaves, and pop them back in the proof box. When they come out, pop them in the oven, and like a miracle out comes bread. Real bread.

If you're more of a city girl like me.... I think you'll understand why it was so important how, after almost 3 years of trying to make bread from scratch, to get that picture of me and my bread.

French toast tomorrow here at the inn. With my hand made, hand crafted, from scratch, artisan bread. Life is good.