Kneadful Things Now

So this is going to be one of those boring posts that has no pictures attached. About a week ago I took a bread class from a local lady here in Houston. She is LDS and the class was just at a lady's house in another ward. This lady is amazing. She has studied famous bakers and even talked to them. She has done so much research and understands the chemistry aspects of bread making. I almost confused my bread class for a chemistry class as she was describing the process the bread dough needs to go through to be at it's best. Honestly I thought I would never make bread this way...why do it all by hand when I have a kitchen aid? Why would I spend more time letting the bread rest when I have a recipe that is done is half the time? But I was sold.

At first I wasn't sure why I enjoyed making bread so much. Now I realize that by making bread for my family it is one way I am able to serve them...show them how much I love them. My dad's mom passed away a long time ago, but while her 7 kids were at home (6 of which were boys) she would make bread for them (I think she even made it everyday). I think those action along with many other things she did were evidence of her love for her family. It is interesting to me that whenever my dad and his siblings talk about their mom, someone always mentions how hard she worked to knead the bread. What a legacy of love to leave behind.

If any of you are up to the challenge, here are little bread tricks I learned... (Note: Some of these tricks aren't necessary if you are using just flour and no wheat)

1- Use quality wheat for your bread. Go to her website to learn the difference between wheats. www.kneadfulthingsnow.com

2- Make your "biga" and "soaker" the night before. Go to her website to learn more about these two terms.

3- As you knead, the dough will get sticky, resist the urge to add more flour. Just use a bread scraper to get it off the counter and roll it back to you. Then once you are done kneading, scrape your hands and add it to the dough.

4- You need two rest cycles (Three if you count the rest when the bread rises in the bread pan). One is about 30 minutes, and then the second can take as long as an hour (you need to the dough to double) You'll knead a little more between the two cycles.

5- When letting it rest place a wet towel directly on top of the dough.

6- When rolling out your dough before it goes into your bread pans, drizzle oil on the counter instead of flour. Then roll it up like a Cinnamon roll (really tight) and then tuck the ends under the loaf and place the seem of the roll at the bottom of the pan.

7- Your oven needs to be HOT. Start pre-heating your oven when you place your dough in the bread pans.

8- Create a steam box by placing a measuring cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes till it is at a rolling boil. Quickly place your loaves in the microwave with the water and allow it to rise just above the brim of the pan. (Don't turn on your microwave!)

9- Bake it for 5 minutes at 425 and then reduce the heat to 325 for 30 minutes. After you place your bread in the oven, right before you shut the door, she has a little trick where you toss 1/4 cup of water to the back corner of the oven floor. It will sizzle and steam. Quickly close your oven door. She'll toss another 1/4 cup when she reduces the heat. Note: the cooler the water, the more steam.

10 - You must let it cool. About 3-5 minutes in the pan and then take it out of the pan and let it cool another 10+ minutes. You'll notice the top of the bread will be hard as rock when you take it out of the oven. That's because all of the moisture is in the center of the loaf. By letting it cool completely the moisture will redistribute back out. When letting it cool, place the pan on a cooling rack so all sides of the pan are exposed to air.

"I find it very satisfying to knead and manipulate the dough into something that is so nurturing for my family. Give it a try the old fashioned way. Roll up your sleeves and knead the dough. You can watch the gluten develop, hear the dough snap and pop under your hands, feel the softness and warmth of the dough, and smell the goodness. It is a multi sensory experience that you deny yourself by throwing everything into a bread machine. Put the machine away, put on some relaxing music and experience the satisfaction of artisan bread handmade by someone as important as you." - Karen from Kneadfulthingsnow.com. I couldn't agree more.