enjoying my Christmas present to myself

I bought myself a cookbook about bread baking at Christmas for myself.  I think I did pretty well because in total I think I went to four different bookstores at Christmas.  I went shopping by myself.  I went shopping with my Mom.  Everyone gets books in their stockings in our family.  And I was tempted by the Bien Cuit baking book by Zachary Golper.  

I have had so much fun using his techniques and my bread is getting lighter.  Even though I am not using any active dry yeast at all.  The techniques definitely help but I am find that the baking by weight gives me a starter that I like the consistency of better.  Also, I have been being heritage flour that has been shipped to me so that the weight measure is much more accurate due to how packed down the flour is when it arrives.

The technique lets me actually have a dough to work with compared to the no-knead recipes or even the Tartine recipe that many people swear by.  I do bake the bread so that the crust is not hard and crispy.  That is something that I get asked repeatedly not to do.  My whole family, no matter age or generation, hate eating bread that has the possibility to cut their mouths.  I can live with that if I can bake bread.  And with the recipes creating a dough, my hands are in dough much longer.

Simple things, better bread.

More toast.

More joy!

I am going to start tweaking a few of the recipes to add more flavors.  I am thinking cardamom or cinnamon rolls from the pane dolce and if I can figure out croissants . . .  

More bread!