Baking Fresh Bread

[Dag]

A couple of days ago I made 100% whole wheat bread for the first time. I kneaded the dough by hand and all in all it took me some hours to make. It was delicious and quite satisfying since it was my first attempt ever at making fresh bread.

 

Ever since I read the book The Freedom Manifesto: How to Free Yourself from Anxiety, Fear, Mortgages, Money, Guilt, Debt, Government, Boredom, Supermarkets, Bills, Melancholy, Pain, Depression, Work, and Waste by Tom Hodgkinson five years ago, I have had a desire to make my own fresh bread. The book is a terrific read by the way. Lately I have been doing things to affect my consciousness for the better and it has helped push away many of my excuses that have stopped me from doing things in the past. So I finally did it.

 

Tonight I am going over to my in-laws house for a Cuban Christmas Eve party. I just started some dough and I hope to make fresh French bread to take over for the party if it comes out well. The book I have been using is The Tassajara Bread Book. It was written in the 1970's by a Zen priest in San Francisco. It really breaks the process down and gives me that nice counter-culture vibe.

 

After I get a few bucks together (my wife and I are really trying to save right now), I will be making a batch of home brewed beer (I've made beer before, just not in a couple of years).

 

Anyone else bake their own bread here?

[Reverend Jax]

No, but it sounds good.

[The NZA]

damn, now i wanna try this, and read that book.

[the division of joy]

I sometimes make my own pumpkin seed loaf. Its good stuff. I'll transcribe the recipie sometime.

[Mortiis558]

My dad has some yeast in the fridge that has been alive for like 10 years or so, and every so often we take it out and make the damned best sourdough bread I have ever had in my life. I hate sourdough normally, but this stuff is the best. There is nothing like fresh baked bread. Need to try making my own Honey Wheat bread sometime.

[the division of joy]

Warm fresh bread is one of the nicest things imaginable. The smell of it cooking is sex.

[Thelogan]

My grandma used to (probably still does) have one of those bread machines, which she'd randomly put all kinds of arcane ingredients in. I'm sure it's not the same quality bread, but it was quick and easy to make these experimental breads on a whim. Some of which were the shit and some of which were never to be heard from again.

[Aartemys]

Just yesterday I was looking into and actually considering taking a class in town for making your own sourdough bread...I've actually wanted to get into this for a while now since Ben's nut allergy makes it sometimes hard to just grab a loaf in the groceries bakery. I think I'm also going to look into that book. Anything that will bring me zen is good in my eyes!

[Cathy]

I've only made bread from the box, but the banana bread is good. My grandma gave me her recipe for banana bread, but i've been lazy about it. Once I actually get it done, i'll let u guys know how it turns out.