The Glorious Smell: Bread Baking Day

Oh, look here, another nifty kitchen gadget. This is a dough scraper that I just cannot live without. This little thing scrapes the dough off of my un-floured kneading surface. And why is it un-floured you ask? Because I kneaded too long and soaked up all the four. That's ok though, I have my nifty dough scraper.

And of course, a Food Network product. AWRRR...AWRRR...AWRRR....





I am going to start my apologies right now. I cannot give out this recipe.

This is my tomato bread that I have worked hard at tweaking and adding my own ingredients to to make it perfect.

I sold this bread at the Farmer's Market and it was a huge hit. People came looking for this bread. It makes the best grilled cheese sandwich. The Italian seasoning, cheeses, and bacon grease that are used in this recipe pop when it's placed on a griddle or hot skillet. AWESOME!!

I had a customer ask me for the recipe. "Are you serious?" If I give out this recipe there would be no reason for me to sell it. "The nerve!!"





This looks like a mess, doesn't it? It looks like something my grand kids got into to play "kitchen" with. I promise you though, this will turn into something beautiful.





See, I told you. That floured mess turned into beautiful tomato bread dough. It's amazing what a little kneading can do. Beast turns into beauty...




Uh Oh, another kitchen gadget. My wonderful son got me this for Mother's Day. This bread cutting board is the nicest thing. It has slicing slots to run your knife through so you get even-steven slices of bread.

The grate that the bread sits on is removable, and under the grate is where all the bread crumbs collect. Remove the grate and dump out the crumbs. Genius!! AWRRR...AWRRR...AWRRR...




Four loaves of beautiful bread. And my house smelled amazing...

Sliced and ready to be eaten with a dollop of pumpkin butter. It is fall you know...Ok it will soon be fall, but feels like fall, smells like fall, and things are happening like fall. What can I say, I'm in the fall mode already. And still searching for canned pumpkin.

Country Crust Bread (Southern Living on the Web)

2 (1/4 oz.) envelopes active dry yeast

2 c. warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 TBS salt

1 TBS lemon juice

6 to 6 1/2 c. bread flour

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 1/2 TBS butter, melted

Combine yeast, warm water, and 2 tsp. sugar in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, next 3 ingredients, 3 c. flour, and remaining sugar. Beat dough at medium speed, using paddle attachment, until smooth. Change to dough hook and beat in remaining 3 to 3 1/2 c. four (I added 4 1/2) until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes), sprinkling surface with four as needed. Place dough in a lightly greased large bowl, turning to grease to. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half.

Roll each dough half into an 18 x 9 inch rectangle. Staring at one short end, tightly roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, pressing to seal edges as you roll. Pinch ends of dough to seal, and tuck ends under dough. Place each dough roll, seam side down in a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Brush tops with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 25-30 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to a wire rack, and brush loaves with melted butter. Let cool completely.

This is a very moist bread, but as the recipe title suggests, it does have a country crust.

Why is it, it takes so long to prepare bread, but so little time to bake it? I guess that's what is meant by "patience is a virtue".

When I sampled the the country crust bread it was a little doughy in the middle. I guess that's what I get for not following instructions, or maybe I needed to bake it longer.

Don't do like I did and ignore the instructions for this recipe. If it says to roll the dough, that is what is to be done. I think mine was doughy because I didn't roll it. The last time I followed the rolling instructions (like I'm suppose to) my bread fell apart when I sliced it. I visioned my last rolled bread loaf and thought, "HA, I'm not going have my bread fall apart again"....But when I gave the rolling technique more thought, I think I didn't roll it tight enough. Bread is one of the hardest recipes to work with.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy