Farmers Market Month, Day 7: Bread

[rachelmanija]

I made bread from this recipe: My Mother's Peasant Bread. It was so easy, not a hassle as I wasn't planning to go anywhere anyway, and quite fascinating to do. I used a single two-quart bowl as I didn't have a one-quart. (The recipe says that's fine.)



After the second rising, it felt resilient, elastic, almost velvety, and somehow alive when I poked it, like some sea creature. Only dry rather than slimy.

It was a little doughy when I first sliced it, so I popped it back in the oven for five minutes and then it came out perfect:



The inside is light and fluffy, the crust is chewy, and the flavor is a pleasant, non-tangy bread-flavor. And that is exactly how I like my bread. I had some with butter, and some with browned butter/brown sugar.



It was so good that I had another slice with black sesame spread, and that was AMAZING.



I may never buy bread again.

Comments

[cofax7]

That feeling of a live dough is wonderful, and it's a shame so many people are nervous about bread-baking (or they were). I learned to bake sweet things from my mother, but nothing with yeast until a friend in high school showed me how easy it was. I don't make a lot of bread by hand these days, but I use my bread machine a lot, and rarely buy it anymore. It's nice to know exactly what you're eating.

Protip: Buy gluten, yeast, and buttermilk powder in bulk and keep them in the freezer. They'll keep a long time. Oh, and you might want to get some nonfat dry milk, that often shows up in bread recipes.

You inspire me: I have a couple of bananas in the freezer I can use for a yeasted banana bread in my machine overnight. Fresh banana-walnut bread for breakfast, yay!

My favorite bread book is Bernard Clayton's Big Book of Breads. Tons of recipes from all over, clear directions, almost always successful.