learning to make bread: a resolution in progress

last week, i decided to tackle my new year's resolutions of two years. and call me foolish, but i decided to attack it on two fronts: wheat bread and artisan bread. two years ago, when i first decided that i wanted to make my own bread, i wanted to learn our family recipe for whole wheat bread. however, since then, i also came across the book, "artisan bread in five minutes a day." randy and i love artisan bread, and after reading several positive reviews of the book and the method, i decided to add that to my bread making goals.

i have avoided this resolution for so long because i have been afraid. of yeast. and all of its volatile qualities. after making my whole wheat bread, my fears were confirmed.

fallen bread.



sunken loaves



just like my hopes.

perhaps if it had just been the shape of the bread that was the problem, i wouldn't have been so discouraged. but the texture was way off, too. the bread was actually still edible and i had it in hot milk toast every morning last week, but you couldn't make sandwiches with it or really spread anything on it. i was pretty sad about my bread debacle. randy just laughed at me and reminded me that it takes a lot more than one try to become a great bread maker.

i later figured out that yeast may not have been my only enemy. apparently, the seemingly innocuous flour was also against me. the recipe that i went off called for 3-4 cups of flour, but when i looked up the recipe in a different place, it called for 6 cups. big difference. i made the bread again this sunday, using more flour, with much better results. not perfect, but much better. i am encouraged again and intend to master homemade whole wheat bread.

my artisan bread had similar flour problems, although these were purely my fault. with the artisan bread in five minutes a day, you make a wet start for the bread, store it in the fridge, and then pull it out on the day you want the bread and in five (active) minutes of work, you have artisan bread.

my start seemed like it was a little too wet, and the bread lost its shape when it was resting on baking day. sure enough, my "boules" turned out to be more of a flatbread and the bread was a little more moist than i would have liked.

the bread still tasted great though, and i realized that i had forgotten to add a half cup of flour in the original start. whoops. i made the start again yesterday, with the right amount of flour, and it already looks to be much more promising. i'll let you know how the bread comes out on baking day, but i think that i will be able to master this resolution by the end of the year.