Julia Child Started It

[degringolade]

 

https://www.wikiart.org/en/vincent-van-gogh/hand-with-a-pot-the-knob-of-a-chair-and-a-hunk-of-bread-1885

One of the first things that I will need to do is figure out baking.  It really isn’t all that hard, I can bake bread, but I do have a lack of knowledge about the hows and the why’s of the process.

Now, there is always a temptation to go to the University of YouTube and let someone tell me a recipe and show off their “skills’.  But I can’t really say that such a thing appeals to me.  I have the time now, so I am thinking that I can autodidact the process to see what happens when I just do it.  

Now, there is a pretty good chance that I will be eating quite a few loaves of bread that have problems.  But they will be edible and probably not at all up to the standards of the culinary snobbishness that has become de rigueur in this shallow time.  

One of the things that we have cast aside in our consumerist rush is the idea of good enough and simple.  Bread made at home now has to be comparable to what you get at the Boulangerie Moderne and be presented with an élan that marks you as one of the culturally anointed.  

Nope.  Not for me.  I am just gonna work on how to turn simple ingredients and a little time into something tasty that I can make into a decent meatloaf sandwich.  The crumb might not be absolutely perfect.  The crust might not have that oh-so-satisfying chewiness and tear that makes going to a bakery worthwhile.  But for the day to day, it will end up being 90+ percent of all of that.  

Endnote:  

Bread works out OK.  Tasty, but I was a little undisciplined and forgot to oil the top of the loaf.  Top crust isn’t all that shiny and cool.  Crumb is good.  Makes a mean meatloaf sandwich.

Comments

[prayergardens]

:) My baking trajectory also had a (substantial) trial and error phase! I've learned that extra, or less good as the case may be, bread can be frozen and saved to turn into bread pudding or dressing and then it's very tasty with no waste. Also, my chickens have eaten some of my culinary experiments.

Good Luck!

Homemade Bread

[(Anonymous)]

Give King Arthur Baking (formerly flour) a look. They have recipes for many types of bread, not just artisan types. Weigh your flour if you choose to try out a KAF recipe, so you will get more consistent results. Vintage US cookbooks from pre WWII often have wonderful bread and roll recipes. Of course these are what cooks today consider old fashioned. Thick crusts and random large holes in the bread were considered a sign of a poorly made loaf. Making bread is a wonderful adventure and at the worst can be sliced, dried, and turned into bread crumbs or croutons. Enjoy yourself.