One of the favorite events around our house is dabo snack (formerly known as bread snack - until we added a couple Ethiopians. Dabo is their word for bread). About once a week I bake bread for the family and when it comes out of the oven, piping hot, we all sit down and eat a couple of slices. As a special treat, I always make one loaf cinnamon swirl. Now you need to know that the whole motive behind this post is so I can show off my lovely loaves of dabo. How vain, you may say, but remember, I have also shown the world my GIANT piles of dirty laundry and the piles of junk that WERE on my bedroom dressers. I think it's time for some self-promotion for a change :)
BEAUTIFUL BREAD!!!! I'm so proud of you Barb. It makes me want to bake a few loaves of bread!
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Natalie,
ReplyDeleteEverything I know about bread baking I learned from you :) (and the Bread Bible) . Thanks for being a great teacher!
Barb
Ok Barb and Natalie! I envy your bread making skills! I made spoon bread rolls last night (good ol' white flour) but could never post a photo of them.They were only good for eating but not looking at!
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They are just beautiful and I'm guessing they have disappeared by now!
ReplyDeleteBaking bread is kind of like the water cycle....
ReplyDeleteActually, there are long periods of draught where I actually have to (gasp) buy bread from the store. Don't tell Natalie....
Barb, What a wonderful treat for your kids. I still remember when my mother baked fresh rolls (clover leaf) -- she was not into baking bread, and we would eat them fresh from the oven. Mom
ReplyDeleteBarb!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful bread. Maybe you could post your recipe. I have all but given up on whole wheat bread, it just hasn't been coming out right. But we'd eat THAT!
You go girl!
Jean,
ReplyDeleteI CAN post the recipe, but as my dear friend Natalie told me when she gave me the recipe - bread baking is more of an art than a science and therefore, the recipe is rather vague. I grind my own wheat, so the flour is very fresh and rises better than store bought wheat flour.
***WARNING***it took me a year (literally) to get it right. We ate lousy bread for an entire year before I finally got the hang of it. Be patient and you will get it!
Here it is for three loaves
3 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup honey (or sugar)
1/2 cup oil
3 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. yeast
Flour
Mix all the water with the honey and 1 Tbsp. or yeast. Add 3 3/4 cups flour. Mix and let sit for 1 to 8 or so hours covered with saran wrap. Mix in remaining yeast, oil and salt and add enough flour to make the dough look "right," this is where the art comes in. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but not be too dry. Knead with electric mixer for about 12 - 15 minutes or until gluten strands become stretchy (another art thing). Cover bowl with saran wrap and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Punch down, make into three loaves and place in loaf pans. Let rise again until doubled and then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Barb, I love your humor -- you're so funny when you write -- I just love reading your blog! And, you put Brownberry Bread to shame! :)
ReplyDeleteIf I could get my bread to look that good, I might make it more often.
ReplyDeleteTo get your bread to look like this you need to fail miserably at making it for at least six months (closer to a year) and when you are so sick of eating very dense fallen bread -presto - you succeed!
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