When I started making my family's food from scratch, I started small (I thought) with baking bread. I didn't have a mixer, so I did everything by hand. It was very labor intensive, but rewarding. I kept thinking "if only I had a mixer, things would go so much faster."
My mother-in-law gave me her Kitchenaid mixer. Oh wow, how I love that mixer. I had had one in my first marriage, and it saw a lot of use. Not much bread baking, though. I used the bread machine way back then.
I find myself now missing the work I did when making bread. I would put all my ingredients into my giant tupperware bowl, and one of the girls and I would take turns mixing for the required time. At least two of the girls would sit at the kitchen table while I stirred, laughing at the faces I'd make as I tried as hard as I could to keep mixing as it got thicker. I miss punching down the bread. The pungent smell of the yeast and the heat of the dough.
Since I started using the kitchenaid mixer, I haven't had to work with the bread as much. I am trying to decide which I like better: the convenience, or the feelings I felt of having worked it myself.
How does homemade bread make my home sing? I'm sorry, I seemed to have wandered off the subject a bit. Baking my own bread has brought our family together. They get excited when they know its my baking day. "Is it ready yet?" is a common question. The entire house fills with the smell of its yummy goodness. I have to make more than I need, because they will devour it quickly. This is especially true of my Challah bread.
What makes your home sing?
My mother-in-law gave me her Kitchenaid mixer. Oh wow, how I love that mixer. I had had one in my first marriage, and it saw a lot of use. Not much bread baking, though. I used the bread machine way back then.
I find myself now missing the work I did when making bread. I would put all my ingredients into my giant tupperware bowl, and one of the girls and I would take turns mixing for the required time. At least two of the girls would sit at the kitchen table while I stirred, laughing at the faces I'd make as I tried as hard as I could to keep mixing as it got thicker. I miss punching down the bread. The pungent smell of the yeast and the heat of the dough.
Since I started using the kitchenaid mixer, I haven't had to work with the bread as much. I am trying to decide which I like better: the convenience, or the feelings I felt of having worked it myself.
How does homemade bread make my home sing? I'm sorry, I seemed to have wandered off the subject a bit. Baking my own bread has brought our family together. They get excited when they know its my baking day. "Is it ready yet?" is a common question. The entire house fills with the smell of its yummy goodness. I have to make more than I need, because they will devour it quickly. This is especially true of my Challah bread.
What makes your home sing?
Oh I love the smell of break baking. My hubby made some last week.
ReplyDeleteI totally "get" what you're saying. I really just feel like I want to bake bread using my hands just to have the satisfaction of knowing I did it.
However, it will take longer I know. I guess some weeks you do one and some you do the other, depending on the time factor, lol!
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I agree that it takes some of the tactile satifaction out of it when you use a mixer. I make up for that by using the mixer fr big loaves and such. I still knead dough by hand for tortillas, bisquits etc. Sometimes I even skip the mixer just to to it myself.
ReplyDeleteI've only made bread using a bread maker for the first rise and then punching it down and shaping each loaf for the final rise. I think when you look back, you shouldn't look back with regret...maybe you now use the time for something else precious with your children? (Also, love your challah...it looks beautiful...will you give us the recipe?)
ReplyDeleteWow, that is some beautiful bread! It definitely makes a home smell inviting to have homemade bread cooking!
ReplyDeleteErin: I edited my post to include the link to the Challah recipe.
ReplyDelete