Well, looks like it wasn't in the cards for today to be the first Bread Day. Woke up this morning barely being able to move. Hopefully it's just a 24hr bug, but we'll see. For now, I must see if I have enough energy to muster to go get some juice from the store. Have a blessed day.
With bread,
~Chad
ADDENDUM 3/4/11-
I'm feeling a lot better now, so I'll be coming back to posting again and making bread. Glad to be back, even though I'm only 5 posts in. :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wheat Bread
This is the recipe my Dad taught me that started my love of bread. When I teach people how to make bread I always start them with this. I had a friend who moved out of state so I wrote down these instructions so she could remember how to make it. It's easy but oh so rewarding. This recipe makes 2 loaves. Each loaf costs about $3 to make with all of the ingredients and for the quality of bread you get that's about $2 cheaper than in the stores.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups - Warm Water (125-150 degrees)
3 Tbsp - Honey
1.5 Tbsp - Dry Yeast
3 Cups - Wheat Bread Flour
3 Cups - White Bread Flour
1/4 Cup (Half a Stick) - Butter; Melted
2 Tsp - Salt
3 Tbsp - Brown Sugar
1. Combine water, honey and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve honey. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. There should be no dry yeast left. Yeast will become foamy.
2. Add 1 cup of the wheat flour and 1 cup of the white flour. Mix well.
3. Add melted butter and salt. Mix well.
4. Continue adding flour alternating between wheat and white, scraping the sides as you go. With your last cup of wheat flour, mix in the brown sugar. You probably won't use all of the white flour. This is ok, the most important thing is making sure the wheat is mixed in.
5. Once dough is thoroughly mixed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, place it on a flat surface with flour sprinkled on it. Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and begin kneading. Continue kneading dough adding flour from the table until dough no longer sticks to your hands, 10-15 minutes.
6. Place dough ball into a bowl covered with a damp towel and let rise until size doubles. About 40 minutes to an hour.
7. Punch down and form into a ball.
8. Separate ball into equal halves and place into greased bread pans. Dough should be flat and fit into the corners.
9. Again let rise with damp towel covering and let size double.
10. Place pans into oven preheated to 375 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes.
11. Remove bread from pans and lightly thump the bottom. There should be a hollow sound. Let cool completely before storage. (Overnight is ok)
NOTE: You can add more nutrition by adding things like ground nuts or seeds to the mix. You can even replace the water with warm milk to add a little flavor and make the bread smoother. Something my Mom discovered is that you can make it fluffier by adding eggs. So, before you add too much flour, put in one or two well beaten eggs into the mixture. Enjoy the experiments.
With bread,
~Chad
Friday, February 25, 2011
Books and Bread Days
BOOKS
I was in Portland last weekend and got a couple bread books from Powell's, a dream of a store. One was "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking" by Brother Rick Curry, S.J., a book with a lot of history in it, which really excites me. It contains stories and quotes of Jesuit Brothers from centuries ago, along with the more recent. The recipes also follow the Liturgical Calendar, celebrating the Christian holidays.
The other I forgot and it's not in front of me, but it's old and talks a lot more about muffins and pancakes than bread, but it was $5. I'm not complaining.
Today, though, I bought 3 more books. These are great. "Classic Breads" by Manuela Caldirola and friends has recipes that represent different countries and are mostly rustic artisan breads, but all beautiful. Lots of goodness for $13.
"Baking Artisan Bread" by Ciril Hitz is great for instruction. Partly because it has a "bonus" DVD. There are things you just can't learn from a book. The DVD is great for a visual instruction. My dream would be to learn from someone directly, but for now, this will do. Bonus included, $25 is worth it.
Last, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart is terrific. It doesn't get to the recipes until page 104. All the pages before that are packed with information. Where most books give one or two pages to technique and ingredients, this book has a chapter devoted to it, making sure to fully inform you of what to use and why, without being snobby. A little steep for my budget, but $35 is not bad for its size and length of information.
From these books I look for the knowledge and wisdom of the great breadmakers that have come before me. I shall document all interactions with them as they come.
BREAD DAYS
Every Monday will be devoted to either a new recipe or the perfection of a technique. I hope that by writing about my experiences, what I have learned will solidify and it will keep me accountable. So, here it goes. On February 28, I start my official journey with bread.
With bread,
~Chad
I was in Portland last weekend and got a couple bread books from Powell's, a dream of a store. One was "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking" by Brother Rick Curry, S.J., a book with a lot of history in it, which really excites me. It contains stories and quotes of Jesuit Brothers from centuries ago, along with the more recent. The recipes also follow the Liturgical Calendar, celebrating the Christian holidays.The other I forgot and it's not in front of me, but it's old and talks a lot more about muffins and pancakes than bread, but it was $5. I'm not complaining.
Today, though, I bought 3 more books. These are great. "Classic Breads" by Manuela Caldirola and friends has recipes that represent different countries and are mostly rustic artisan breads, but all beautiful. Lots of goodness for $13.
"Baking Artisan Bread" by Ciril Hitz is great for instruction. Partly because it has a "bonus" DVD. There are things you just can't learn from a book. The DVD is great for a visual instruction. My dream would be to learn from someone directly, but for now, this will do. Bonus included, $25 is worth it.
Last, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart is terrific. It doesn't get to the recipes until page 104. All the pages before that are packed with information. Where most books give one or two pages to technique and ingredients, this book has a chapter devoted to it, making sure to fully inform you of what to use and why, without being snobby. A little steep for my budget, but $35 is not bad for its size and length of information.
From these books I look for the knowledge and wisdom of the great breadmakers that have come before me. I shall document all interactions with them as they come.
BREAD DAYS
Every Monday will be devoted to either a new recipe or the perfection of a technique. I hope that by writing about my experiences, what I have learned will solidify and it will keep me accountable. So, here it goes. On February 28, I start my official journey with bread.
With bread,
~Chad
Monday, February 21, 2011
Starting Some History
I've gotten my first glimpse into the history of bread. My reference material is coming in. I don't want to put up too many facts right now without more research, BUT! Bread is most definitely from way back when in 10,000 B.C. CRAZY! And yeast was first captured and added to dough intentionally by hand in Egypt around 1000 B.C. Bread has been rising by human hands for about 3000 years.
My obsession with bread only grows.
THOUGHTS:
I had a conversation with my Mother about preservatives and current health issues. She paralleled it to the time when Israel was wandering in the desert and was given manna (manna is an ancient bread) by God. The people of God were to eat what they could and were not to keep any except for the night before Sabbath. Saving the manna would show a lack of trust in Gods providence. What are preservatives but something we add to food that keeps them past their natural state? We lack the same trust. What are the consequences? We have allergies popping up everywhere.
I continued this conversation with a friend of mine just yesterday. The Egyptian word for bread is translated as "life". Bread is often referred to as life in many cultures, ancient and recent. Many people nowadays have allergies to gluten. Our wheat has been genetically engineered. What is the consequence? We have interfered with Gods design, trying to prolong our life, messing with what gives us life, and in doing so we have been rejected by "life" itself.
SIDE THOUGHT:
There is only one preservative that has been used without known problems and has been used as a representation of who we are to be as Christians. Salt.
Numbers 18:19 - "I am giving you, your sons, and your daughters all the holy contributions the Israelites bring to the LORD. These contributions will always be yours. It is an everlasting promise of salt in the LORD'S presence for you and your descendants."
Matthew 5:13 - "You are salt for the Earth . . ."
Salt purifies and preserves. It is a symbol of longevity blessed by God.
With bread,
~Chad
My obsession with bread only grows.
THOUGHTS:
I had a conversation with my Mother about preservatives and current health issues. She paralleled it to the time when Israel was wandering in the desert and was given manna (manna is an ancient bread) by God. The people of God were to eat what they could and were not to keep any except for the night before Sabbath. Saving the manna would show a lack of trust in Gods providence. What are preservatives but something we add to food that keeps them past their natural state? We lack the same trust. What are the consequences? We have allergies popping up everywhere.
I continued this conversation with a friend of mine just yesterday. The Egyptian word for bread is translated as "life". Bread is often referred to as life in many cultures, ancient and recent. Many people nowadays have allergies to gluten. Our wheat has been genetically engineered. What is the consequence? We have interfered with Gods design, trying to prolong our life, messing with what gives us life, and in doing so we have been rejected by "life" itself.
SIDE THOUGHT:
There is only one preservative that has been used without known problems and has been used as a representation of who we are to be as Christians. Salt.
Numbers 18:19 - "I am giving you, your sons, and your daughters all the holy contributions the Israelites bring to the LORD. These contributions will always be yours. It is an everlasting promise of salt in the LORD'S presence for you and your descendants."
Matthew 5:13 - "You are salt for the Earth . . ."
Salt purifies and preserves. It is a symbol of longevity blessed by God.
With bread,
~Chad
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Beginning
Bread is love. In its beginning it must be mixed, folded, kneaded, then left to rest only to be punched down. From its fallen state it is formed and left to rest once more then put through a time of intense heat. A transformation happens. It become durables and sustaining, giving life to those who eat of it. Bread is life.
I learned how to make bread from my father. My family, including distant cousins, is on this back-to-basics kick, I am no exception. Learning how to make such a basic part of life was amazing to me. Bread seems to be something people only think can be found in stores, little thought given to making it, almost like it's a lost art form. I learned and I began to make it weekly back at my own house. The smell of baking bread would fill the whole first floor of my house along with the stairwell. My bread would come out of the oven and at least 5 people would show up. I quickly learned how much I love bread. The crush started with the amazing taste of fresh bread, of course, but it evolved into something else. Bread brings people together. It's something that is common to so many cultures.
I soon started having "Bread Days" with people in my house and taught them how to make bread. My love for bread grew. It was something else that was great about bread. The satisfaction of making bread from scratch is immense and sharing it with another is even greater. Seeing someone else get so much satisfaction from making a basic element of life is indescribable. The knowledge that they can actually make it themselves is so invigorating.
This takes me to where I am now. I want to know more about it. I have caught a glimpse of what bread represents and I want to know more and it has now become a personal study. I want to understand all aspects of bread, the physical, relational and theological aspects of it in both the past and present. That is why I have started this blog. This is my journey through bread. I'll have my research posted here, including historical and Biblical references along with my experiences in baking it. I'm pretty excited about this and can't wait to get started.
Bread is love, and may we all have plenty of it in our lives.
With bread,
~Chad
I learned how to make bread from my father. My family, including distant cousins, is on this back-to-basics kick, I am no exception. Learning how to make such a basic part of life was amazing to me. Bread seems to be something people only think can be found in stores, little thought given to making it, almost like it's a lost art form. I learned and I began to make it weekly back at my own house. The smell of baking bread would fill the whole first floor of my house along with the stairwell. My bread would come out of the oven and at least 5 people would show up. I quickly learned how much I love bread. The crush started with the amazing taste of fresh bread, of course, but it evolved into something else. Bread brings people together. It's something that is common to so many cultures.
I soon started having "Bread Days" with people in my house and taught them how to make bread. My love for bread grew. It was something else that was great about bread. The satisfaction of making bread from scratch is immense and sharing it with another is even greater. Seeing someone else get so much satisfaction from making a basic element of life is indescribable. The knowledge that they can actually make it themselves is so invigorating.
This takes me to where I am now. I want to know more about it. I have caught a glimpse of what bread represents and I want to know more and it has now become a personal study. I want to understand all aspects of bread, the physical, relational and theological aspects of it in both the past and present. That is why I have started this blog. This is my journey through bread. I'll have my research posted here, including historical and Biblical references along with my experiences in baking it. I'm pretty excited about this and can't wait to get started.
Bread is love, and may we all have plenty of it in our lives.
With bread,
~Chad
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