Adventures in bread baking

By Sarah

I recently got it into my brain that I needed to bake my own bread. I don’t know why, exactly, as I am the furthest thing from a baker, but there you have it.

I Googled “easy bread recipe” and clicked on the first link that appeared, which took me to Steamy Kitchen’s recipe for No Knead Bread: So Easy a 4-yr old can make it!

A quick perusal of the how-to pictures and ingredients told me I could do it. I have many years of experience in the kitchen! I got this!

I sent Chris off to the store for bread flour and yeast, two things I’ve never purchased in all my life. The text conversation went as follows:

Chris: Does “Better for Bread Flour” work? That’s all I can find.

Me: Sure

Chris: Oh, [store brand] bread flour?

Me: Yeah

Chris: Yeast. Rapid rise? High active? Active dry? Does it matter?

Me: Instant. As for the other stuff, I don’t think it matters.

Chris: None say that. Rapid rise?

Me: I guess? Bread is hard!

Bread is hard people, bread is hard.

I’m not sure what Chris actually ended up getting, except to say that it worked perfectly because look! I made bread!

This recipe was great for my first foray into bread baking, as it was – just like the recipe title says – easy. Other than measuring, mixing, and letting it sit, there was almost no dealing with the dough. “Dealing with the dough” is by far my least favorite part of baking.

Also, the whole "just plop it into a hot Dutch oven” – while slightly terrifying, I’m not sure why – really appealed to my sensibilities. I just … Plop it in there? And it doesn’t have to be perfect? DONE.

And the delicious, crusty bread sitting on my kitchen counter? That's (almost) DONE too.

My adventure in bread baking was a success, I'd say!

{Photo credit: Me}

Comments

[Akymbo]

YES! Baking bread is the best! French bread is amazing. As is challah! YAY! So excited for you!