Autumn is HERE!

Yesterday, Matilde and I were busy baking bread because it is officially bread baking season! The house is finally cool enough to use the oven for a few hours in the afternoon and the girls are eating more sandwiches now that school's back in session. Plus, we couldn't pass up a fresh loaf! This bread recipe was really simple, very inexpensive, and it looks like "real bread!" We used flour, yeast, salt, milk, sugar, and water. What more do you need?! Honestly, it was so simple my 5 year old could make it....oh wait...she did! And it's absolutely delicious! 

More Bread

Two more loaves I just had to try. The loaf on the left I kneaded and the loaf on the right I just wanted! Budum tsk! 

That was Andy's joke yesterday. He thought he was pretty funny with that one! 

Anyway, the loaf on the left I hand-kneaded and the loaf on the right I used the mixer's dough hook. Pretty sure I'll be using the mixer from here on out. We haven't tasted it yet, but both girls were excited about it. Evan kept calling it "actual" bread. It looks really nice, but maybe it'll just deflate like the turkey in Christmas Vacation when I cut into it!  We'll have to wait for cinnamon toast to see how it tickles their taste buds. 

Always add a pinch of love...

I've baked two loaves of bread this week, and I must be adding too much love because they have come out shaped like hearts! Andy, on the other hand, seems to think they look like butts, but I prefer to see them as hearts. ;)

Either way you choose to see them, the recipe below is the simplest recipe I've found for bread. Hands down. It's tasty, light, and does the trick. I hope you have success with it.  It takes a little bit of timing and planning because it needs to rise and rise again, but it's well worth the wait.  Bread making is a calming experience and every loaf will be unique. Send me a photo if you try it!  I want to see and show off that beautiful loaf!

Bri'Anna 

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No Knead Bread

3 c- all purpose flour

1 1/2 t- salt

1/4 t- active dry yeast

Stir together in a bowl. 

Add 1 1/2 c luke warm water. 

Mix everything together. (I usually get my hands dirty at this point because I honestly can't work a wooden spoon properly.  I don't knead it. No way! I just make sure I've scraped all the dry ingredients off the bottom of the bowl.)

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-18 hours in a warm, dry place. 

After 12-18 hours your mixture will be stringy and should have had a nice first rise. 

Scrape it out onto floured parchment paper, and press it out with your hands into a nice 10x10 square-ish. (Mine usually end up in giant rectangles.) 

After it's pressed, fold the corners in to meet in the center. 

Turn it over. 

Set folded sides down onto the lightly floured parchment. 

Loosely wrap in the paper and cover with a tea towel. 

Let rise a second time for two hours. 

After 1 1/2 hours place your cast iron dutch oven with lid on in the oven and preheat to 500. That should take up the remaining 30 minutes. 

Remove your baking dish. 

Place your dough ball folded sides up into your dutch oven. 

Cover and bake 30 minutes. 

Below is my cast iron dutch oven. I LOVE IT!! Andy and the girls bought it for me for Christmas at Marshall's. I have to unscrew the plastic knob because it cannot withstand the high temperature, so I replace it with foil. No biggie. You use what you have and make it work for you. Adjust baking times or use a different baking dish if needed. Just remember that Pappy always said 205 degrees will yield the perfect loaf. 

Remove the lid. Lower the temp to 375 and bake an extra 15 minutes for a darker, crispier crust.  (My people like a softer loaf, so I'm done after 30 minutes. You'll find what suits your family.)

Again, good luck and happy baking! 

Bri'Anna 

Sourdough Slacker

I'm not going to try to catch up. I have had a few photos, but I keep forgetting to send them!  You'd think it would be a habit by now! 

Here is the first rise of the second loaf.  It's a marvel to me how yeast reacts. The dough doubled in size in 12 hours!

After the second rise....

A fantastic second loaf of sourdough! We didn't cut into this one. I sent it home with Robin to enjoy and share. We'll see what they report about taste. The first loaf was tasty!  I was proud and a little surprised that I didn't wreck it somehow. And yes, it was definitely sour!

It looks like bread!

It smells like bread! 

Can't wait to taste it! 

I'm in sourdough heaven! 

Sourdough

I'm going for it! Wish me luck!! 

Ps- I'm sorry for being a slacker. Andy has photos on his iPod. I just need to forward them to my device. We have lots of exciting things going on over here: birthday fun, bread baking, a successful rabbit escape, seed purchases, and lots of EGGS!!  With a busy home, I have been slacking on the picture taking and photo sharing. I'll try harder because. March 23rd is fast approaching!  

Shrinkage & Tina Bobeena

After checking on the starter in the morning, I saw that it had shrunk down to the amount when I first placed it in this giant pickle jar. I'm not exactly sure what happened or why it reacted the way it did, but here it is!  I smell pancakes and loaves of bread in our future!  

Tina visited the vet yesterday and came home microchipped and fixed. The cone stays on for another five days and she cannot go outside for another nine. Tilly cracks up every time she sees the cone. Evan loves to baby this little kitty and helped Tina try out a few different bowls to drink out of until they found one that worked. Andy promises that that Tina will be catching mice in no time. Promises. Promises. 

Busy, busy.

I took a few days off from photos because of the holiday. I hope each of you enjoyed spending time with family and friends.  We had a blast here at home!  Lots of visitors, dancing, laughing, and baking! Anyway.....here are a couple photos from some of the happenings at our home during this celebratory week! 

Andy rigged the waterer to the outside of the upper coop/hutch for Eve while she was recuperating from the loss of her ten kits.  It is easily accessible on the outside for Evan to fill, and pokes inside for Eve to drink from. Another great idea!

This is my first attempt at making bread without the convenience of a bread maker. (I broke the machine after many, many tasty loaves! It died a glorious death.) 

I received a dutch oven for Christmas. (The 12 year olds can stop laughing now. You know who you are!). I couldn't wait to try it out! 

It was fantastic!  The bread smell that filled my home was worth the work. Plus, I can't get over the fun of watching bread dough bubble and rise! 

Evan just about ate half the loaf, so I must have done something right! 

This is just another photo of the same loaf in my new dutch oven. It was yummy!

My second attempt was with 100% whole wheat flour we had in the house. It didn't rise the same as the first loaf, but I was reminded that wheat bread is denser. It still looks and smells great. I'll wait to slice it until we have finished the first loaf. 

My new goal is to make all of our bread, but with my love of sourdough and the Franz outlet so close we'll have to wait and see how I do. 

**I am looking for some advice with sourdough starter. Please send any info or advice you may have.  I'm scared to grow my own as I'm not the best at remembering to feed things that aren't children. ;) Wish me luck, friends!