An Art

October 28:

Homemade Bread is a Art which comes from years of Practice. One just keeps making it and learning a lot. I made Homemade Whole Wheat Bread for Dinner this Evening. While I have been making Bread since the 1960s, I had taken a bit of a break from it the last few years.

Making Bread today came with some distractions. I was not completely focused. We were busy inside and out. Plus, I changed the Recipe a bit to accommodate changes in tastes and preferences in recent years.

In short, this was not one of my better Breads. It was Good, but not the Best. Lest you think that we 3 C's are on a path to achieving perfection, we are not. We are simply committed to learn and grow.

In this case, the Loaf was pretty good, especially the next day. I had left it in the Pan which is not recommended; the Bread stayed moist. The Rolls were just OK, a little dry and hard on the outside. While I was shaping the rolls, they just didn't feel right.

I pondered the results and thought about possible causes: the Bread could have had too much flour; they could have been overkneaded; they could have been overbaked; I used Molasses rather than Sugar which could have altered the structure; I used very little Salt but Salt seems to have a very important function in making Bread.

Scratching our heads, we thought the Rolls would make a great base for Stuffing. I do want to keep working with this, but will make smaller batches in the future to test the Recipe to the standard we like.

In the meantime, the Homemade Apple Pie, which also shared that same oven, is almost done. Over the course of my Adult Years, I have never let my Pie Making lapse and have taught many others how to make Pie. The secret is in that Crust.

The Apple Pie just came out. Think about it: Warm Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream somewhat melting over the sides. Melanie suggests topping the whole works with a spoonful of her Homemade Apple Cider Syrup. If you were here, we'd have a piece to share.