Baking Bread

Who doesn't enjoy the smell of fresh baked bread? The aroma of baking bread was always so tantalizing as you drove on the freeway past Mrs. Baird's Bread Company.

I recently bought the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois. Included in the title in smaller letters is, "The discovery that revolutionizes home baking". And after making a loaf I might have to agree.

You begin by putting all your ingredients in a bowl and mix until you have a uniformly moist dough. This then goes into a plastic container and covered loosely. You notice folks there is no kneading involved. Yes I said NO KNEADING!! After 3 hours your dough is ready to become bread but they actually suggest you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, which is what I did. The next day you cut off a grapefruit-size piece of dough and quickly formed it into a ball which you let rest for at least 40 minutes.

Thirty minutes in the oven and VOILA - a beautiful loaf of crusty bread. "And tasty too" as Lucy would say. This bread was made using the master recipe but there is many more flavors of bread to try.

Jim has now requested a baguette so we will be trying that out tonight. I'll keep you posted