Friday, September 26, 2008

THAT BREAD BAKIN' TIME OF YEAR



Everyone in my family loves homemade bread but for some reason the only time I feel like making it is when the weather is already cold or just about to turn that way. So yesterday after I put on socks for only the second time this year, I suddenly had the thought -- mmm, some homemade bread would be nice.

Modern convenience ensures my grainy desires are satisfied so much sooner than when my mother was needing dough for what seemed like hours. I love that Bosch!

In my opinion the best bread ever obeys the following rules:

You must use hard WHITE wheat -- not the hard red kind like I have in my long term years supply storage (I will eat it only if I'm desperate)

You must add a handful of plump pitted dates to part of the water in the recipe and blend it to a slurry smoothness before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Please make sure you check each and every date in case even a single pit remains (want to know why I know this?)

You must use good yeast (not the old box your grandma gave you -- yeast does not keep forever you know) and it must be stored in the freezer

You must use gluten (I store mine in the freezer right next to the yeast) I don't use any fancy smancy dough enhancers -- not worth the expense in my opinion.

My other secret is I use my mom's old seasoned bread pans -- I hope she's not still looking for them.

And last but not least -- you MUST slice and eat at least one piece within 10 minutes from the time the bread finishes baking. Honey butter optional.

1 comment:

Leslie said...

You are the bread expert, I am not, yet I do follow the rule of eating a slice within 10 minutes of baking, and I am getting pretty good at making cinnamon rolls. Question: why does the bread have to raise twice. These last 2 times I've made them I only let it raise once and I couldn't tell a difference.