Day 66 - Daily Bread

So, you may have noticed that I have been immersing myself in the Domestic Art of baking bricks bread. Why, you ask, have I gone all Suzie Homemaker all of a sudden? Why bread? Isn’t it simpler just to go to the store and buy a loaf? Well, yes… and no. While the actual baking of bread is anything but simple at first (and if it was simple for you, I don’t want to hear about it), it is elemental. When you think of the hearth and home and smells wafting from the kitchen, bread is right up there; it’s comfort food, body fuel, and the perfect way to get peanut butter from the jar into my mouth. When Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life”, we get that. Bread is a staple; it’s essential and foundational, and when it’s gone, there’s a hole where it used to be (do you remember the collective gasp and swoon by the French – who have elevated pain au chocolat to an art form – when the Atkins diet came out?).

As you’ve no doubt deduced, I ain’t talkin’ about Wonder Bread. Imagine rounded rustic boules, mouthwatering ryes, heavenly challah – THIS is the kind of bread the soul sings for. It just isn’t quite the same out of a plastic bag, and it’s more expensive to buy it in the store (but I won’t tell you how much I’ve just spent on baking paraphernalia to save money on bread…).

Many thanks to Ms. Karen who turned me on to the whole "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" thing – I think it’s gonna work! The idea is that, once a week or so, you make up a big batch of dough and bake globs of it as you’re inspired. There’s a whole method to it, but once you get the hang of it, it truly is ridiculously easy (and tasty… munch…munch). I attempted my first 100% whole grain loaf yesterday (they have a new book “Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” – I love them both) and it turned out pretty well. Whole grains are something of a different animal, but I’m determined to perfect my loaves since white bread isn’t something we eat a lot of. And tomorrow children, I’ll tell you the story of how I ground my own grain in the Vitamix. Tune in, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss that.

My Lovely Loaf!