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The Simple Pleasure of Bread - 11:16, Monday, January 29, 2007

    Today I got to do something I love to do. I made bread. Not the quick bread you mix in a bowl, pour in a pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes. I did many of those loaves for Christmas gifts. No, today I got to make the kind of bread you spend time with; the kind you put you hands in. I haven't made yeast bread for months. Maybe even for a year.

   I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started assembling my supplies. First, I had to proof the yeast. That's actually a fun process, filled with anticipation waiting to see if the yeast is still viable. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes for the yeast to foam.

   Then I had to mix in the salt and oil. My nice foamy yeast settled down to get ready to receive the flour, one cup at a time. I tried to stir in the first cup by hand, but it didn't smooth out as much as I would have liked so I got out my small hand mixer. It was only strong enough to do three more cups of flour. Then I was back to mixing by hand.

   By the time I had added the sixth cup of flour, it was getting so stiff I decided to incorporate that one with my hands...so begins my favorite part of bread making: my hands in the dough.

   After working in as much of the flour as I could, I turned it out onto the counter and set the timer for 10 minutes. It only took about eight minutes of folding and turning a quarter turn to get a smooth consistency. I was little disappointed the bread worked up so quickly. Kneading bread is one of the best ways of relaxing that I have ever done. But the dough was ready and I had to move on.

   I oiled my antique bread bowl (circa 1830s), placed the dough in, flipped it to coat all sides with oil, covered it with a clean towel, and set it to rise on the back of the stove away from drafts. Periodically, I checked to see that all was well. I can’t resist peeking. After about an hour and a half, the dough was ready to punch down.

   I punched it down, held it in the middle to divide into two loaves and tore it into two fairly even pieces. Again, I got to knead it, although for this part my technique is different. I take the dough in both hands and turn it away from me several times, stretching it smooth on the top. I patted it into a loaf shape and placed it in the greased loaf pan. Then, I got to repeat it for the second loaf.

   While the loaves were rising on the back of the stove, I made a quick shepherd’s pie for supper before my dh and ds headed out for their Boy Scout meeting. It’s one of my dh’s favorite meals. We were introduced to really superb shepherd’s pie at Quincy Market in Boston when we were stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base several years ago.

   Back to the bread…since the temperature in the house was a little cool, it took longer than the 30 minutes the recipe said it would for the second rising. It ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes. I put it in the oven right as the boys got back. Thirty minutes later, the loaves were beautifully browned and the whole house smelled wonderful. I pulled them out of the oven, rubbed a stick of butter over the tops and while fighting off my ds and my second dd, I turned them out of the pans and wrapped them in aluminum foil for about twenty minutes. This step makes the crust soft and delicious.

   No one was willing to wait to make sandwiches tomorrow, so I sliced up one of the loaves, smeared a little butter on the still hot slices, and handed them out to everyone. Even my 23-month old grandson sat quietly and gobbled his slice. Of course, I had to pass out seconds. There is just enough of the first loaf for my ds to take a sandwich to school tomorrow…if he can wait that long.

“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth…bread that sustains his heart.” Psalm 104:14-15

Thank You, Father, for simple pleasures that strengthen my soul. Amen.

Amish White Bread – makes 2 loaves

2 cups warm water (110°F/45°C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1-1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 tsp salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 cups flour (the recipe calls for bread flour but I used Gold Medal Organic All-purpose flour)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well-oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well-oiled 9x5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes.

Quick Shepherd’s Pie—serves 6

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 or 3 carrots, peeled (or just washed), sliced, and cooked till just tender
1 can creamed corn
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain, reserving 4 cups of water used to boil potatoes. Mash potatoes with ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup milk, and a dash of salt. Set aside.
2. In a 9x12-inch baking pan, layer ground beef, carrots, and creamed corn.
3. Pour potato water into a large skillet. Add 2 or 3 beef bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Mix ¼ cup flour with ½ cup milk and pour into boiling potato water. Stir constantly until thickened. Pour over layers in baking pan. Incorporate the gravy throughout the layers.
4. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and smooth it together to make a crust.
5. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Don’t let the potato crust get brown.