I've gone in and out with bread making over the years -- varying degrees of time to devote to it, and varying degrees of interest around the house in eating it. I do make pizza dough every Friday, but that's a story for another day.
So it happens that Dean gave me The Bread Bible for Christmas, and I set aside time over this past weekend to try out the recipe for hearth bread. It was the first time I went through the "sponge" process where you put the beginnings together one day and let it sit overnight before beginning to actually make the final dough. Wow. I turned out a loaf that's wonderfully rich and dense, yet not heavy (does that make sense?) -- Dean and Ken both declared it "restaurant bread-basket worthy." None of the steps was difficult, but it did require being around on "day 2" to manage the various rises and all. Totally worth the effort.
And now I get at least a few days worth of my favorite breakfast -- toast made with good bread. A nice reason to have winter, I think.
5 comments:
"Restaurant bread-basket worthy?"
You have achieved the highest ranking possible!! Geoff took me out to dinner, and they brought the basket. The basket with The Bread. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes that bread is like a first meal after riding adrift in a leaky raft for four days and six nights... it's insanely, irrationally good! Dean was smart to give you this gift, and Dean and Ken are lucky you are diving in. Wish we were there!
I have many visions, Natalie, of shared meals, of cooking and eating together while we laugh and toast (both kinds!).
May I ask which recipe this was from The Bread Bible? It looks lovely.
Oh, I see now that it's called Hearth Bread. My error. :)
Hi Julie! I highly recommend making this -- instructions are long, but each step is easy. I've made this about 6 or 7 times now, and it comes out great each time! Enjoy~~
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