The Bread Chronicles

Some interesting discoveries and results in the last few loaves. First, I can not hold a double batch of dough in my container. can NOT.  This finally stops overflowing and I put the lid on it and put it in the fridge to relax a little. This is my next discovery:

You have to appreciate- this is after I've taken the exploding container out. This is part of what's left. part. The lid has flown off and dough. is. everywhere. Surprisingly, the dough (in the container) was still ok. It felt air hardened and I worried it would be any good, but mixed it in and gave it a go and it was tasty! 

Next discovery- the steam is absolutely crucial to the great crust and must be started immediately. As in, not 10 minutes after the bread goes in (even if it's a 30 minute bake.) You can still eat it the other way, but the crust is much chewier and distinctly less fabulous.

failed baguette/awesome batard in process

Discovery 3: I make a great Bâtard. Alas, what I was trying to make was a baguette. Interesting side note, Bâtard is French for the word it sounds like. This is stolen from the Yankee Pot Roast. It's so beautiful I must share it:

It's the end of our date, that awkward moment where we kiss good-bye and I hope it's not really good-bye.

"Would you like to come upstairs and make sandwiches?" Lucy asks me.

"Oh yes. Yes, I would."

"I have many varieties of meats and cheeses," she whispers. I lick my lips.

We walk up three flights to her apartment and I'm getting hungrier with each step. She unlocks the door and before we even reach the kitchen, I'm rolling up my sleeves.

She opens the fridge. I grab a knife. We slice some Genoa salami, very, very thin. We slice turkey. We slice turkey ham. We slice turkey balogna. Slice, slice, slice. She pulls out some muenster, some Swiss. We're slapping slices on bread. We're squirting mayo, squeezing ketchup, splashing mustard. Spreading everything evenly. We're pushing our top breads onto our bottom breads. We've made great, big Dagwoods. I give her the knife and she slices her sandwich diagonally. Then mine, likewise. And then we raise our sandwiches and, at the same moment, we each take a hearty bite, as much as our mouths can handle.

"Mmmmmm," she mumbles through a stuffed mouth. "This is delicious."

"Mmmm," I say. "Mine too."

- Josh Abraham, Yankee Pot Roast

Now that is just hot. I have to go make bread right now.

Boots, Glorious Boots!

I'm having a love affair with a pair of boots I've never touched. It's a long distance relationship. But as I find myself online yet again, praying to find a similar pair with a much less similar price I thought I might post them here. Perhaps the shopping gods will see this and bring me a fabulous pair of knockoffs! (Or a 75% off coupon, that would work too!) Here they are in all their glory:
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Shoes-Boots/Flat-Boots/AZ114/Womens-Casual-Leather-Boots.html?NavGroupID=11

I can't seem to get a photo on here though. Let's try this:  woohoo! It worked! Though only tiny. Que sera. They really want to be mine, can't you hear them? However their price tag of $278 screams just a bit louder. Why is it so hard to find fabulous, simple boots? No buckles, no straps, no bling, just great boots?

A friend of mine suggested a "things I love" section. This may be because she hates shopping and is hoping I'll do the leg work for her, and I'm okay with that. Let the Glorious Boots begin the Things I Love collection!

It crackles!

The Book (I feel it begs capitalization, yes) says your bread will crackle when it comes out of the oven. Well, sure, maybe their bread. But yesterday it did! I felt like the old Rice Krispies commercials- I just sat hunched over the bread listening and grinning like a 4 year old! Which happens to be an excellent grin. This second batch is significantly better than batch 1! So the question must be, is it the weird rising? It rose more, in all the wrong conditions, but none the less, it rose more. And this morning it received it's highest compliment. My husband was slicing some to take with some chili for lunch to work and asked, "can I just take the rest of the loaf with me? Are you making more today?" <insert said proud grin here.> My kids devoured it, the crust was better (I think that lies in the steam- when you remember it that is), I of course love it, but now a new fan! Hoorah! I can't wait to see how the baguettes turn out! I still have 2 more loaves worth of dough in the fridge before I attempt those. Though, these loaves are going pretty fast... Also, I'm really loving the herbs in it (rosemary & thyme.) I was a little worried they might add too much flavor, but no, it's just perfect! All in all I'm still loving this book! The authors have another book, Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a Day that I may have to try after this one, though I don't know where on earth the dough would fit in my fridge!

• Something wonderful has come of this project, lettuce! A friend of mine mentioned on FB that she was planting lettuce and there are few things in the world as tasty as really good, really fresh lettuce and I was inspired. So off to the dreaded Wally World (this is where she obtained hers, so I followed suit, I am generally not a fan of the place.) and they are planted and looking lovely on my potting table! Where is this all headed? Hopefully to the worlds greatest sandwich! I have a dream...avocado, turkey, still warm bread, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts maybe, a slathering of mayo, a suggestion of mustard, and...joy. The pure joy that only comes from a kick ass sandwich.
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