Made bread tonight - a big deal for me

[Linda in San Diego]

This may be totally normal for many of you, but making bread and pie crusts from scratch are two of my phobias. Why? Because my female, maternal family members were able to do these things in a heartbeat, and to do them perfectly. Grandma Halter, Grandma and Mom made flakey pie crusts to perfection. Bread, mixed by hand, kneaded to the right consistancy, risen, punched and risen again were special event and holiday staples.

Now I can say, I have two handmade loaves of bread cooling in my kitchen right now. I was inspired by a website called Chickens in the Road, Suzanne McMinn keeps a daily blog that I love to read each day. She has a recipe for Grandmother's Bread, she even shows her 9 year old making it for the first time. I decided I would give it a try, and now the two loaves I made are resting and cooling on the racks! LOL I am so please, and I think the maternal ancestors may be pleased too.

There is nothing to fear except fear itself!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I'll be there within the hour... I can smell it from here!

MMmmmm... I love homemade bread... congratulations! It's not so bad, is it?

 

[Linda in San Diego]

No, not too bad, but why did I decide to become a baker in the summer? LOL

 

[Mrs MIA]

Cuz... homemade bread is great with outdoor BBQs?

Our boys love thick cut french toast ... yummyyyyy.

I'm drooling now.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

I forgot to add the link for her page. Her writing style is fun - I spent hours reading her previous posts and each day I look forward to reading more about her life in WV on her new farm.

Here is the link: http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/

Let me know what you think.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Cuz... homemade bread is great with outdoor BBQs?

Our boys love thick cut french toast ... yummyyyyy.

I'm drooling now.

Funny that you should say that...We are thinking about building an outdoor earth oven. We found the web pages, bought the books and now we just need to do it...After the chicken, garden, pond projects are completed....LOL

I am becoming convinced that a pioneer with internet access can survive LOL.​

 

[blurose]

I made bread today too. I used to make it everyday when I first got married and before I got too pregnant to knead the dough anymore (my youngest child is 24 years now). However, I now have been disabled by rheumatoid arthritis, especially my hands and wrists, so I can't do much cooking anymore. I got a bread machine at a garage sale last week for $2. I got a box mix for Krustez sourdough bread and it was an effortless baking process for me. The bread tastes great too. I'm glad you had success today as well. Be proud of yourself.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I kind of cheat... I have a Kitchenaid mixer that has the dough-hook... it kneads the bread for me. But I make it all from scratch, and make peasant loaves or regular loaves out of it.

My hands can't handle all the kneading, either. But at least I know what goes in it.
I have a really yummy (and easy) french bread recipe that I doctor up with italian herbs and chopped olives... very good fresh with butter.

drool.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
That may not be too far off the mark, Linda... I'm seeing a reversal trend, and we're slowly going back to the "old ways". And it's not a bad thing.

 

[Dawn419]

Quote:
Because deep down inside you really want an outdoor Summer Kitchen.

My mom recently added a "Canning Shed" to her new farm menagerie and she didn't know what I meant by a summer kitchen. I've given up on convincing her that her "shed" is the same thing as a summer kitchen but she's recently dubbed it the "Girls' Great Escape" so it all works out! LOL


Dawn