When is the last time you baked your own bread?

To be honest, awhile ago. I like to bake Irish Soda Bread.

 

I love to bake my own bread. I used to make most of our bread, but then I went back to work full time. Now, I hardly have time to make anything. I try to make a batch of bread on the weekend. I don't feel too bad about the bread I buy, though. There is a little grocery store down the street from our house and they make good bread. At least it's local.

 

Last week. The only reason it is last week is I am packing up to move and my bread pans are of course packed. I am into yeasty things. I make my own bread mostly and I also make my own wine. The baking and the brewing go hand in hand. So I bought store bread. I love making sourdough bread mostly.

Sourdough Starter: Take two cups of flour and a pinch of yeast and put them in a jar or better yet a crockery container. Add enough water to make a very thin mixture. Cover with a cloth or cheesecloth. You want air to get in but not dirt and such. Let the tame yeast grow and invite their wild cousins to join them. After a day or so it will be frothy and sour smelling. Use as part of the liquid in your bread recipes. You can add extra store yeast if you want a light loaf or just let it rise longer. You can also use it as a replacement for buttermilk in biscuits and other quick breads. Add some soda to the dry ingredients. About a teaspoon for every two cups of liquid is what I use. Keep your starter healthy by adding more flour, water and maybe some sugar or other sweetening at least once a week to keep the yeast healthy and happy. You can cover it with lid after it gets going. The reason to add a little store yeast to the starter is to get the ferment going faster so bacteria doesn't have a chance. If the starter gets old but is not moldy or have a funky scum on top then just add some more store yeast and feed them. If there is a funky scum on top or mold throw it out. Like down the commode. Or on a compost pile. There will be a clear to light amber liquid floating on top though after a bit. That is hooch. It is a form of beer. But it tastes nasty and I would not drink it but the miners and "sourdoughs" did in the old west. It is fine to include it in the recipe just stir up and measure the liquid. Or you can pour off the hooch and do with it as you please. Add some water to replace what you poured off.
Or distill the hooch down and you got grain alcohol.
There ain't a better smell or taste than a fine loaf of sourdough bread fresh from the oven and a bowl of soup on the side.

Peace, Cricket

 

I made bread a couple of days ago. Actually I'haven't purchased bread since last fall. I got a bread machine for my birthday. I used tomake bread all the time but arthritus has set into my wrist so I couldn't make it any more. Now with the bread machine I can have homemade bread all the time. My machine also makes jam. I haven't tried that yet but I'm going to soon.

Someone asked how long it keeps. I find that if you're going to keep it for more than two days you need to freeze it. The lack of preservatives means it won't last very long.

Kathi