Bread, Part Two

          I almost forgot about the post I made awhile back about bread.  With the weather getting warm, I haven't been as inclined to fire up the oven as I am when it's cold outside.  But there was a portion of dough in the fridge, and Evie was at her grandma's for the afternoon, so I decided it was time for fresh bread with dinner.

          This is also the time of year when my late father-in-law is on my mind a lot.  Mike was a wonderfully kind, loving guy who always seemed to be smiling or laughing about something.  He was also one of those few individuals I've mentioned who radiate Christ's love like a holy wood stove.  He also died in the spring of 2012, a week before I discovered I was pregnant.  Every time I see spring flowers, I remember the way I first saw them after Mike had passed; fresh, saturated with color and scent, and so damn beautiful it was like they didn't know he was gone.

This was one of Mike's favorite Bread songs, and it's still one of ours.  I always feel like crying a little when I hear it.  Not a painful cry, but a good refreshing one.  I really would give anything to have Mike back in our lives, but until we do meet again, there's the comforting power of music.  And good food. 

Chicken piccatta, minus the capers, with fresh oregano.

The second half of bread making is as easy as the first, using the method I started outlining in the first Bread post.  This one picks up where that one left off, after the initial counter rise once the dough has had some time to chill out in the fridge.

It's not essential that the dough be cold, but it is a lot easier to handle and shape that way.  So first you pull the dough container out, sprinkle flour liberally on top, and dust your own hands with some flour as well.  Then, for a medium-sized loaf, you take out a grapefruit-sized hunk of dough (if it's stretchy
and hard to tear, just cut it with scissors).  



Here's the tricky step, called cloaking.  You hold the dough in one hand, then use your other to gently sweep the doughy surface out and under, from the top on down.  Rotate the ball a quarter turn, then do it again.  You repeat this for about 30-45 seconds, then rest the loaf on a prepped pizza peel.  I use cornmeal on mine, but you can use flour if you like.  The main idea is to have enough on the peel to keep the loaf from sticking when you go to slide it off.

 Once you've got the loaf shaped and on the peel, it needs to proof, which is just a fancy word for rising.  While it's rising, go ahead and heat the oven up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, with two racks inside; Top one for the baking stone, bottom for a broiler pan or similar metal pan. 

After about 30 minutes, the dough will be ready to bake.  Dust the top liberally with flour, then slash it with a serrated knife.  You can do a simple cross cut, or a tic-tac-toe pattern or scallop it, it doesn't have to be fancy.  Then, get a cup of water ready nearby.  First, slide the loaf off the peel and onto the hot stone (this takes practice-believe me!), then dump the cup of water into the hot pan and quickly close the oven door.  The pan will hiss and steam, but you want that.  Steam helps the crust to form. 


 Set the timer for 30 minutes, and watch the magic! After 30 minutes, check the loaf by thumping the crust.  If it sounds kind of hollow, it's done.  If not, let it go another 5-10 minutes.  It's always better to overbake and get the crust a little more brown than to be chewing on a doughy, half-gooey bread. 

When it's finished, take it out with the peel (again, this takes practice!), and put it on a rack to cool. Then grab a bread knife and some butter and honey, and Cut.  That.  Sucker.  Open.  I promise you'll never eat store bread the same way again, ever.  That, and this will make your house smell amazing. 

This is the regular white artisan bread, but there are hundreds of variations involving different types of flour, herbs, nuts, you name it.  For more information from the Artisan Bread in 5 website, click here:Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

The best part, is that homemade bread is good with just about anything you can think of.  Soups, salads, roasts, pasta, or even by itself.  We've spent many an evening making passes through the kitchen to snag another slice of jam-covered goodness! 

When things are going well, or poorly, or only so-so, bread is a wonderful constant.  It not only fuels us, but keeps us grounded to the earth, our family, our foundations of life.  As a kid, I always imagined the manna from heaven must be sweet like cake, but I think it was probably more like this.  You'll have to decide for yourself.

Much love from the kitchen!