| Baking bread. The usual question I get is, "What kind of bread machine do you have?" In this case, I'm it. But creating a batch of bread is a very satisfying way to spend a day. My recipe calls for several rounds of rising and kneading, and to get the bread just right, you've constantly got to pay attention to how it looks and feels. I start with about five cups of warm water, yeast, molasses, powdered milk, and at least two types of flour, mixing first to a thick batter. That rises for about an hour, then you add flour to the dough stage, knead for 10 minutes or more, then place in a bowl and let rise. Twice. This is the bread dough after the first round of that second stage of rising. |
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