Okay, so I consider myself a pretty good cook. I mean, I can follow a recipe and not have problems. I will even experiment a little here and there. Jeff and the kids love my food, so I must be doing something right. My mom was a great cook and she taught me a lot of the basics. I'm trying to do the same with my kids. But the one thing I really haven't been able to conquer is bread. Yuck! I just seem to never get the yeast and warm water right on. The recipes I've tried never come out the way they are supposed to (gummy, too heavy, they fall) and it seems like it takes forever.
But two weeks ago Borders was having a sale and I came across this book that looked so great I had to get it. I love pretty pictures in cookbooks and this one has a lot of them. I wanted to have moist, dense, and chewy bread with a brown crackling crust - like the ones you get in Europe or buy for 6 dollars a loaf at the market. But I didn't want to have to go to the store and eat it the same day or else have dried out bread. I wanted to be able to make it at home whenever I wanted it.
So today I got up the courage to try a recipe in this cookbook. Noel and Shera helped me measure and mix it in this bosch bread mixer Jeff had given to me a few years ago. (This was my first time to ever use the machine by the way!)
I followed the directions exactly and was quite nervous to see what the outcome would be.
But I couldn't believe how beautiful the bread turned out!
Not only did it look good, but it made the whole kitchen smell good! The batch of dough made four loaves.
Heidi was clamoring for some too!
We ate all four loaves tonight either plain or with butter or homemade strawberry jam! It was delicious! Finally, a recipe that I can do! I don't feel right about giving this recipe out because it just doesn't seem fair to the cookbook authors. (They actually ask in the book to not share the recipes.) But if you are looking for a great artisan bread cookbook that is quick and easy, this is the one for you! I highly recommend it and can't wait to try other beautifully delicious recipes from this book!
5 comments:
Yah Carol! Those loaves are BEAUTIFUL!! You're amazing! Doesn't it feel great to conquer a goal!?
Do you like your Bosch mixer? I have one and use it all the time!
You are my new hero! I have yet to make a perfect yeast bread too....yours are absolutely gorgeous! I'd be tempted to make them everyday just to have the smell of it throughout my house! YUM!
How did you like the Bosch machine? I haven't used mine yet either--but I'm trying to work up the nerve :)
oooh, nothing better than freshly baked bread. And it looks so beautiful! I just want to know where you get your energy from???
First of all, I'm SOOO jealous that you have a Bosch! My Kitchen Aid just isn't quite big enough and strong enough to conquer big batches of dough. Plus, with the Bosch, I love how you can sift flour into the bread WHILE it's mixing.
I used to be so scared of making breads, so I always avoided it. But then, I married into Grants family-- Growing up, Grant's mom made 4 loaves of fresh bread every Sunday for the family to enjoy with their sandwiches! (She's a much nicer mom than I am!) Anyway, I was always scared that I wasn't getting the temperature of the water right...too hot or too cold. My M.I.L told me to get it to where it feels quite warm. Almost too warm to wash your hands in. But by the time you put it in a measuring cup, it's cooled down to the perfect temp! It works EVERY time! (not sure if that made sense...I'll have to show you sometime.) I also ALWAYS add a tablespoon of sugar to my water/yeast mixture to make sure it has food to grow (even if the recipe doesn't call for it.)
Now that I have the temperature thing down, I make bread in various forms every few weeks. Carbs are totally my downfall, otherwise I'd make it every day! Some of our recent favorites have been fresh Naan (DIVINE!!!) and homemade hamburger buns.
Way to go for your awesome artisan bread success! My friend swears by that book and uses the method where you keep dough in your fridge at all times. She makes a loaf for dinner almost each night. She has also experimented with fun add-ins like parmesean and proscuitto! YUM! I've been meaning to make it for a long time, and now I think you've convinced me to try it.
P.S.- We just found out that we'll be in CA for 4 WEEKS in December and January for some work training. YAY! We'll have to hang out lots while I'm home. :)
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