Bread Making

Over the 10 months we have been moving around, one constant has been the time we have been able to devote to good cooking. We have both learned how to eat fabulous vegetarian food by living in homes of vegetarians and "honouring the kitchen". We have made jams and jellies that will see us through the winter.

My own particular hobby, though, has become breadmaking. I have come up, finally, with a simple loaf recipe that uses molasses, wheat germ and bran. I find I can make four loaves at once, bake two of them up, and put the other two in the freezer to cook another time. I love being able to control what is in our bread, and the very process is relaxing.

I think it is important to set aside time for simple pursuits, like creating bread.

I always clean the kitchen before I start. Then I lay out the ingredients and the utensils. Now the fact that the bread has to rise three times means I more or less hang around the house doing things all day, with ocassional forays out for walks or shopping. I like this. I like attending to the bread and paying attention. You can bet that by the time I take a slice I really appreciate the trouble it took to make it.

Today I am trying a new recipe that requires no kneading. It is a white bread, like a french loaf I think, and all the work is done by letting the dough rise for 18 hours. Interesting, eh?

So, this afternoon Paul and I will sit here in our lovely temporary cottage looking out at the swaying trees, eating fresh bread in front of the fire. Does it get any better than this?