baker.baker.

i'm a baker. cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies. i love experimenting. i love the smells, the satisfaction of a good recipe. delivering home-baked cookies to friends. but i've wanted to branch out. try something hard. challenging.

so, lately i've been baking bread. something i've never done before. well sweet breads, yes. but real, yeasty, rustic breads, no.

i must admit. i was a bit nervous. a bit hesitant. the "what ifs" running. through. my head. but hey. it's just flour and yeast. no waste. i can always start over.

and start over. i did. the first try didn't work out like i had hoped. it didn't rise like it should. i think the problem was the yeast. i bought new and better. upgraded. and tried again.

here's some pictures of the process:

the sticky dough.


rising. yes. blue saran wrap. i bought it in error. whoever thought of this product was nuts.


rising again. two loaves in the making.


and.

well.

presto!



and if i do say so myself.

gorgeous!



just. like in the bakeries. but it tasted better. i think because i made it.

i have two more loaves rising right now. a regular white flour variety. and. an experiment. half whole wheat. half white. i won't bake until later this afternoon.
it's a long proofing time. you have to figure time out backwards a bit, if you want them for a meal. but well worth the effort. and so impressive. if i can brag a bit. oh, and if you want the recipe. just leave me a comment. it's well worth it.