Bread

It's time to talk about bread.
My first loaf of bread could have saved the world- that's a big statement- but- it was dense and "hard as a brick".
My sweet husband let me know if a war broke out we could lob the bread at the enemy and win the war.
Well- I am always up for a challenge and this sounded like one to me.
It was 1974ish when I started looking for good bread recipes and what made good bread.

First off I had to discover good flours and second off we did not yet live in the age of "yeast" as we know it now. It needed to be "pampered"- Proofed to make sure you did not make a fully packed- uneatable brick.
I worked on and learned to make bread- I scaled the milk, proofed the yeast, had a sourdough and learned about sponge. I made all the family bread for years. My kids knew other kids ate bread from a loaf, but that was rare in this house.
Meanwhile I also raised goats, pigs and rabbits.
Then there was pottery- which took over our lives and soon I was not making bread but pots- I was given a bread machine. I tried it and thought the bread a bit "unexciting".

I used it to make the dough and did the final rise in the pan and baked in the oven.
Then- my son grew up and started making his own bread.
But- Mom all I use is water, four, salt and yeast.


It was falling on deaf ears- Yea, yea yea----
Mom I want you to "watch" me bake bread- okay, I said- humor the boy.
Well I did and it was simple and good!


Then within weeks Tom Gray hand deliver a loaf of his bread.
And it was GOOD as well- better then most of the breads I had slaved away on.


One afternoon at his kitchen table- a borrow book and I was on my own.
That was early January. I have not looked back.
Since then all the bread is coming from the kitchen.


Here is the base:
3 cups of water room temp
1 and 1/2 TBS. yeast
1 TBS. salt
1 cup whole wheat or 1 cup rye
5 and 1/2 cups good bread or all purpose flour

the down and dirty on mixing- I use my Kitchen aid mixer.
Throw in water- yeast salt and 1 cup flour- add 1 cup at a time holding back on adding too much. If you are truly into it you can weigh out the measurements. I gave this up for look and touch.
The dough is damp and sticky.


Place it all in a 14-16 cup container and leave it on the counter to rise for at least 2-3 hours. Burp a corner of the lid and leave it not on tight!
After the rise knock down the sides and place in the refrigerator.
Leave it for about 3 days if you can. The dough will still rise but start to go dormant.
Pull your container out- place some flour on the counter and flour up your hands. Take out one third .

Now I am handing you over to a site which explains it all!
I just found this one:
Cheap like me

Follow their instructions on baking day

Now- I don't use the dutch oven- I use the broiler pan in the bottom of the oven with a cast iron griddle, which I love and bought just to bake the bread and it was worth every penny I paid for it.

I let the dough rise- preheat to 450 degrees- throw in 1 cup water and bake 25-30 minutes.
I take the temperature of the bread the last 2 minutes and take the bread to 205 inside-.
Cool before slicing - do this!
this bread is better if you cool it.

Next I am going to tell you how I am beefing up this recipe adding more grain and oats- but not today I have to go make pots!