Tiny Steps
A little pat on the back, yep, that’s what I’m after… just so we’re all clear.
Before we begin—
Attention Baking Aficionados!
The following is not whole-wheat. It is not filled with other healthy grains. It is not fashioned by hand. It is not baked on a stone. But what it is…my first baby steps toward breaking the bond that supermarket-purchased bread has on our household.
So, deciding that it’s better to begin with a process that makes it as easy as possible to stick with it for more than just one week, I availed myself of Lucy-Of-The-Lodge’s offer to use her bread machine, which was sitting in the back kitchen unused for many a-year. Right, viewing that as my own personal ‘re-use and recycle’ programme…
Of course I wrestled with the conundrum of which is better—to add another electrical appliance to the kitchen (thereby using more electricity) or establishing a habit of bread baking. I vote good-habit-making and I’ll make sure the kids turn off more lights in the house. Besides, having bread rise in a more-often-than-not chilly house might present its own challenges. It’s all about sustainability at the moment…sustaining the initiative to do this!
Finished product? A little loaf for the Kiddies and me…now, where’s the organic honey?
Oh Yummy. I feel hungry now even though I’ve just had breakfast
19 Jan 2008 at 10:08 am
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….. Now be very, very still and listen very intently. Do you hear that??? Listen just a wee bit harder.. Did you hear it that time?? What was that sound you ask? Well sweety it was just me, applauding your accomplishment……. and yes there was a pat on the back that came along with it.
19 Jan 2008 at 1:58 pm
Now the goal becomes making the bread last long enough to become a staple. There is something about that fresh bread emerging that makes everyone want to just sit around and eat it by the loaf…Congratulations and good luck! That is a lovely formed loaf (or, should I say WAS a lovely formed loaf…).
19 Jan 2008 at 2:10 pm
Yummy looking bread. Makes me want to pull out my bread machine and have a go at it.
19 Jan 2008 at 2:22 pm
I use a breadmaker, too, because a loaf for just one lasts a whole week. My grandmother would be either disgusted that I need a modern appliance to accomplish this, or she’d be dancing for joy that she wouldn’t have to spend the entire Sunday baking bread for the family. Cheers to you for taking the first step!!!
19 Jan 2008 at 3:49 pm
Bravo!!!! Take a bow, that is a lovely loaf of bread!! Mmmmm, topped with some sweet, creamy Irish butter… oh, divine bliss!!
19 Jan 2008 at 4:07 pm
That scrumptious-looking loaf makes me want to bake some bread! Have you ever tried baking french bread swirled with pesto? Pat out the bread dough into a rectangle ( as for jelly roll), slather with pesto, roll up, seal ends and bake!An absolutely divine taste of summer! Especially on a cold, winter day like we’re having where the actual temperature is -14 F waming up to a high of -4F! It’s a snuggle in, cook, knit, and read weekend! Cheers to you on that gorgeous loaf!
19 Jan 2008 at 5:39 pm
Ooooooh. Nice bread! Yum. Good for you. And healthier than store-bought. Now you can experiment too.
19 Jan 2008 at 9:24 pm
I had exactly the same problem with the chilly kitchen - and I am very happy with my bread machine now! and anyway, bought bread has it’s downsides too - it doesn’t fall ready-made from the sky into your house without using energy, does it?:)) apart from the taste…. and if you do the dough by hand without the machine - it still has to bake somewhere - I don’t think making flat bread on sun-baked stones is a feasible option in ireland:) so I’d go for my breadmaker any day (I have less appliances than most households anyway - I think there is only so much any one person on the planet can change and even though I know there are some, who do more than I do for the environment - I also know there are plenty out there who do far less! which goes for your entry from a few days ago, too:)
19 Jan 2008 at 10:43 pm
btw - you can make a yummy brioche in the machine, too…. not the proper shape, but at least it has a nice taste!
19 Jan 2008 at 10:43 pm
Looks good! I’m sure this little machine uses less elec than the big oven (hope that makes it less painful and easier to justify!, lol) I have an excellent recipe for a loaf with honey, sunflower seeds and pepitas. Addictive!
19 Jan 2008 at 11:57 pm
I’ve been thinking a lot about baking bread, too! I just got one of those industrial-strength mixers (the kind made for home kitchens, but really really strong), and I thought it would be perfect for bread baking. After all, the part of breadmaking that I don’t like is the kneading, and my machine has a dough hook! Even so, I’ve been a little hesitant about taking the plunge and trying a loaf. Maybe tomorrow should be the day, now that you’ve inspired me!
20 Jan 2008 at 12:31 am
I think a bread-making machine is a fairly efficient device plus you control all of the ingredients that go into your bread. Hurray for fresh homemade bread! Yours looks yummy!
20 Jan 2008 at 1:47 am
Oh, YUM, that looks good. I”m sure your kids and honey will appreciate the fresh-baked and in time might figure out how to push the buttons themselves. That’s the bonus of the machine right there — someone else to actually get involved. Sustainability!
20 Jan 2008 at 11:17 am
Pat pat pat. Good job! And a bread machine is probably more energy efficent than using the oven anyway.And when you consider all the fuels that are not being used to create and move the bread that you are not buying from the store, you are definitely ahead.
20 Jan 2008 at 2:13 pm
I think the bread machine was the greatest invention for us Martha Stewart wannabes who do not have the time nor the talent to bake home bread and don’t forget it is great for making pizza dough!
20 Jan 2008 at 3:55 pm
It’s definitely more sustainable than buying it! And probably tastes way better, too - and this way you get to experiment!
20 Jan 2008 at 7:26 pm
Yeay! Oh, fresh baked bread is the best! I’ve often longed to be one of those people who could mix up and knead by hand the perfect loaf…alas, yeast and I do not seem to have a good relationship, and no amount of effort on my part to make a yeast-based item has ever yielded anything remotely tasty. (Except for one cinnamon roll recipe I have…but I don’t make that very often.)
After trying out my mother-in-law’s bread maker several years ago, and not getting the finished product I wanted either (it was always still too doughy in the middle…never figured out how to solve that), I resorted to buying frozen bread dough…probably not much healthier than regular store bought, but at least it was fresh and it smelled SO good baking!
And then I had two more kids and it all went out the window. Maybe now that they’re older I’ll give it all a try again sometime.
21 Jan 2008 at 1:38 am
congratulations! good job! the bread is beautiful. no matter how it is made, home made bread is the best. with the timer, waking up to the smell of just baked bread is heaven; also, if there is a dough setting, coming home to already prepared pizza dough so everyone can make the pizza of their choice on a friday night can’t be beat!
21 Jan 2008 at 2:50 am
Good for you! A friend gave me his breadmaker nearly a year ago and I have yet to use it. Had learning how to bake bread on the list for this week, actually!
I adore your blog.
21 Jan 2008 at 5:25 pm
I recently tried my hand at breadmaking (as part of a new year’s resolution) and felt certain its brick like texture could be blamed (at least in part) on our frigid kitchen. After getting many “whatever you have to tell yourself” sort of looks from friends, I’m thrilled to read that temperature does matter. Thank you! Now I feel ready to give it another go.
22 Jan 2008 at 1:58 am
Yum! I´ve never tried baking bread in a bread maker but it looks delicious and so fresh.. you´ve made me hungry now!
22 Jan 2008 at 11:50 am
Hi, I’ve just moved to Dublin (from Paris) and I’ve been looking for fresh yeast because I want to make my bread (no bread machine yet…just my hands ;-)…and I’ve not found any dry or fresh yeast in the supermarket (Tesco). Could you tell me where I can find some. When I asked someone in the supermarket, I was answered : “people don’t bake anymore…” You are the proof that it is not true.
22 Jan 2008 at 12:09 pm