This has been both fun and frustrating. But mostly fun. So yesterday I decided I should at least attempt to make a dietary staple of mine – a loaf of bread.
I don’t actually know anybody who makes bread. Or if they do, I don’t know that I know. So I grabbed an old Mennonite cookbook and went at ‘er.
And, to my surprise, they turned out. 4 loaves (well, 3 and a little one). They rose. They baked. Were a bit dark and crunchy, but were basically very edible and tasty. I am so pleased with myself. This is a really weird life marker, but it is important to me.
I took pictures of my wonderful loaves (mental note: don’t say that out loud). It’s a bit of a drama loading them onto my work computer, so I am having trouble sharing them with you. I’ll give you an idea of what it looks like:
That’s a bit deceptive. Here is an artist’s drawing of my loaves:
That’s more like it. So thanks for reading my tale of the loaves. One step closer to being a truly self-sufficient human being. Yay!
10 comments:
oh! I completely understand where you are coming from. i too have been pining for a bigger collection of life skills. unfortunately, i am learning rug-making instead of something a little more practical than loaf baking. cheers to you... maybe we can learn canning from my mum
-corrina
i mean a little LESS practical ... um... sorry.
good for you in baking bread! that is something i have not yet tried...buns, but not loaves. i can't wait to see pictures--make sure to post them!
your loaves look good.
but seriously, it's an awesome thing that you're doing. in a class we watched a documentary about cuba during the time that they had oil cut off from them, and it was a huge challenge for people to relearn the skills that used to be just common knowledge. i've always wondered how north american's might survive if the same thing were to happen. it definitely has instilled in me a desire to learn to garden properly amongst other things.
I am going to learn to make yogurt soon, and then I can teach you that! But you see, if we get to the root of the issue, what I should really be learning is how to grow a cow, who will squirt milk into a bucket for me (wait, I have to do that part too, don't i) that I can then turn into yogurt. Your little stick man person in your bread drawing better hurry up and eat that bread before they die of starvation!
Glad you can make bread now!
Nice job Bre. If you take up fishing you can make a run for apostleship. No, I'm serious; John, Peter, Bre....
Hey Bre, Kevin Bourque makes homemade bread all the time, at Prov it was every Saturday morning and he would share it all over campus.
Yes Bre...way to make bread. That's fabulous. I cheat, and use a bread maker (mostly because it's easier, faster, and Sabrina-proof). I think it's great that you desire such skills. Maybe we can bake sometime together.
Bread making takes a long time, but I think it's worth it. I'm not very good yet, but I will keep trying. Twice I tried to get some older ladies to teach me to can properly, but no one would. :'(
This year, I made yogurt. It turned out a little watery, I mean, milky, but I'm going to try one more time when I have an oven.
I need more skills and one more hobby when I go back to Canada. Have any ideas?
Well, as an ex-hippie type, I USED to bake our bread, make our yogurt, grow sprouts, save peelings for soup stock, etc. Then I got a real job and lost touch with how fun it is and how satisfying - to produce things from scratch. I still bake bread so if anyone wants a lesson on making really good white or whole wheat, let me know.
-Mary
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