The first kneading is at night. The following morning, the steps for putting dough in pans, allowing a second rise, and baking, each take just a few seconds and seem timed just right to fit between morning tasks of waking up, showering, dressing, breakfast, and out the door. By some measures you'd have to say home-made bread takes hours of work, but if we choose a recipe that fits our schedule, we get three loaves of fresh bread for about 45 minutes' work (in the evening, in the kitchen, with music on the radio, sometimes with kids around chatting, at a time of day when I didn't want to do other work anyway).
As I smell this bread before eating it the next evening, I think there are some things that statistics on food prices and time use will never quite measure.
recipe please!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed.
ReplyDeleteNight before:
4 cups oats
8 cups bread flour (not all-purpose)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp yeast
3.5 cups to 4 cups warm water (depending on humidity in kitchen)
My friend advises soaking the oats in the water first. Mix and then knead 15 minutes (I knead longer because I'm still learning). Let sit overnight in big bowl covered with plate.
Next day:
1. Wake up early, punch down, divide in thirds, flatten and roll up into 3 loaves. Warm the oven just a bit, but then turn off oven. Put 1 thick stripe of olive oil in bottom of bread pans. Coat the 3 loaves slightly by rolling them in the oil, and put in unheated oven for second rise 40 minutes.
2. Then just turn the oven on to 350 degrees (bread is already in oven). Bake for 35 minutes in pans, then 15 minutes sitting open on oven rack (50 minutes total).
I like your interview.
ReplyDelete