That would go good with a stew!! Everyone needs some type of activity that they derive pleasure or self-fullment from. You made a very good post about it.
I’m on my own now as you know. I planted tulip bulbs for the first time. And since I am from The Netherlands I’m seeing them starting to come up. When they bloom it will give me a little joy.
But add a good soup to that bread and perhaps some wine as an accompaniment. Very nice.
Believe it or not. I look forward to the weekend, watching a week's worth of Coronation Street on Britbox alongwith drink in hand. I am originally from Scotland now living in the US ad grew up with Corrie. I sit down to watch it and just feel myself relaxing
Good post Kevin time to reflect ... Flowers, plants, trees. A walk
in the park or countryside listening to the birds and currently the spring blossoms. - cherry. magnolia in fact any blossom brings joy and lifts my mood. We have nearly got through the short dark days of winter .
But then nurturing my sourdough starter and kneading bread also give a sense of contentment along with eating it too of course preferably with a big lump of blue cheese!
Yes, flowers, and then more flowers... My neighbour has a large Soulageana in his front garden... It's just coming into flower now... I look at it every morning on the way downstairs. A small joy to start the day.
Ah, sourdough. You are a lady of my own kind. and probably a better baker too. That loaf had 10% dark rye starter in it. But, now I will tell you my dark secret. When I am in need of bread quickly I use a bread maker to make the dough and I boost the starter with a little yeast. 😱 Stretch and fold, shape and then proofed in a banneton. Next, into a screaming hot clibanus. Finally, I get to do my Elm Street slashing. 😈.
There's something very fundamental about baking bread isn't there? It makes me feel connected to some 3,000 years of bakers. And, not two of them can agree as to the best way!
From your forum name I'll wager you like a good tea too.
Waving to you and wishing all of us a lovely Spring.
As I lost my darling Duncan on the 9th and we laid him to rest on Saturday I will need to look hard for the joy in life.I will find it though as he had been such a joyful,funny man before psp who found happiness in simple things.I am proud we kept him home till the last three weeks when.he went into the care home.They loved him and looked after him and us as we spent the last 5 days living in with him.We had a privacy there we could not have had in our house living in a village where everyone is your friend.This forum has been such a help.
That loaf looks wonderful, the smell of freshly baked bread served with butter, oooh delicious.
I love to cook, to entertain, which obviously is going to be difficult now.
I'm blessed with a lovely garden and I love watching the beautiful birds who live in it. Since retiring I have started to paint and this too gives me tremendous pleasure.
So hopefully with better weather, I shall spend time pottering and paintjng.
That looks one tasty loaf of bread Kevin, think I may go and get myself flour etc and bake myself a loaf, you have inspired me. Not sure I will exhibit it on the forum as doubt it will be up to your standard. Trouble is you then have to eat it all yourself with lashings of butter ( as Enid Blighton would say! ) as you are self isolating.
Joy is the word l choose for my mantra several years ago. So l am really enjoying your post today & your bread looks like a winner to me. SHARING HUGS IS MY FAVORITE JOY. I bet you thought l would say baking cookies or throwing axes... (l hate to be predictable!) Sending Hugs to U & Liz... Granni B
My garden on my back porch, my little solar shed building in the mountains all with recycled materials. All thing that give me joy and peace. Wish I loved to cook more but is a struggle for one. Love the smells though. I can almost smell your bread!
How lovely. I do so understand that. Today I was putting in the onion sets in warm Spring sunshine. The black soil in the deep beds smelt so rich and aromatic. I paused to watch the first butterfly go by.
The shed thing sounds lovely. It has been a small joy for me to imagine it and I am typing with a smile.
Yes, cooking for one is not so easy. I cook for three. Me, me and me... The freezer makes it work.
If there is a heaven the winds would be scented, at different times, with blossom, bread and coffee
Your bread looks soooo good Kevin, I can imagine the lovely aroma as it bakes, then waiting for the butter to slowly melt on top whilst still warm, best way to enjoy home baked bread. I bake wheaten bread which is a family favourite, especially with cheese board and glass of ruby port 😋, or 2 😂😂. As for joy, my lovely grandchildren are my joy.
Hi Kevin, the bread looks delicious. Here at Buenos Aires, I am in quarantine cause I am elder than 60. I invert a lot of time sending advice to some people and answering friends that I will take care of myself. Due to quarantine, no more delivery. I will have pleasure cooking and sleeping more.
What push me up is piano players like Argerich, Horowitz, etc. Authors like Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Scarlatti. Have fun!!
I've never heard of Martha Argerich. So I've pulled her up on Spotify and am listening to her now. She's playing Chopin, Schumann and Ravel on this album. She's magnificent, such feeling. Thank you for introducing us.
No deliveries in quarantine? That's a tough one.
You will know the phrase, "This too shall pass."
Cooking, nice one. I shall think of you listening to music, cooking and living in your wonderful historic city.
Take care of yourself.
Keep in touch with us all.
Warmly
Kevin
xx
(Telemann too )
Oh, and Glorious J.Bach - You've got me going now LOL
Enjoy Marta playing Mozart with Barenboim on two pianos. Or her concert at 17th, wining the Chopin contest at Varsovia. Besides, I love Vivaldi's Gloria and Stabat Matter. I study always listening Scarlatti sonatas
Very good post - what we need at these times. The bread looks great - I ought to try myself. Every week I buy at least 2 artisan loaves at £3.50 each and meantime in the shed is a perfectly good breadmaking machine as Ruth used to make lovely loaves.... She was telling me off the other night!
Now you haven't asked me for this, so please forgive me:
Bread machines make superb loaves. Just make sure you use a good set of electronic scales and weigh everything carefully.
Artisan breads can be anything. The term sourdough is undefined too. Many supermarkets just add a little vinegar to the dough and sell it as sourdough! Though I expect you are getting yours from a good source.
Here's and artisan bread / bread machine cheat for you.
Pick an easy recipe, say 25% strong white flour and 75% strong wholemeal flour, if you like Brown bread.
Take the weight of your flour and call that 100% (This is called bakers percentages where everything is a % of the flour weight. - Handy tool)
Now get a big jar and put 50g of wholemeal flour and 50g of water into it and a little yeast say 1/8th teaspoon. Let it ferment a little on the kitchen side and then put it in the fridge. It will keep fermenting there, but very slowly. Every couple of days add another 50g of water and 50g of flour. Then back into the fridge. Don't worry about the crust that forms - that's just penicillin and yeast - stir it in.
Next time you make a loaf in a bread machine add 100g of this mix. The long slow fermentation has turned it into a flavour bomb. Do remember to subtract 50g of water and 50g of flour from your recipe. Use the full amount of yeast in your recipe.
Remember bread fermentation is the same as brewing. It's the fermentation which makes the flavour.
When you have mastered that you could go on to this-:
If you have a cast iron casserole dish you can use the dough only setting on your bread machine and shape the dough into a boule (like the one in my picture). Youtube has loads of videos on how to shape a boule. After shaping put it in the casserole dish ans let it rise... sometimes takes an hour. Put the lid on and put it in the oven at maximum temp. This keeps the steam in and gives you a thin crackly crust. Bake for about 30 minutes. Now take the lid off and turn the temp down to 220 deg C , mist it with a little water and give it ten minutes without the lid to develop a lovely dark brown crust.
If you are a perfectionist and have a probe thermometer the bread is ready when the internal temp. is 96/97 deg. C.
Just these tricks and you will never need to buy a loaf again.
Wow Kevin, that is great. I have printed this off and will give it a go. And now more than ever, this is definitely the way to go as supermarkets are a nightmare.
Years ago I decided converting people to the Monty Python Radical Anarcho Syndicalists was not going to work... So now I push home made bread.
Before you do anything else do a trial bake as per your breadmaker recipe with 70% of the flour wholemeal and 30% white. (Unless you prefer a whiter bread). This will test your flour and yeast and give you a baseline. Bread makers do a much better job that even the best Waitrose loaves.
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Moments of joy
