Savor: Homemade Bread

Part of my "One Little Word" objective is focusing on savoring foods more, feeding my body more healthy fare and eating a bit less.  Reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is probably helping me focus on this aspect of "savor" a bit more as well.  The book moves between discussions of the industrial food complex and how they spent a year eating locally, growing their own food, etc.... This has me pondering thing like my spring garden and whether I might try making cheese someday as I vaguely recall my parents doing.  Both of those are stories for another day.   Today's story is about homemade bread.  There are few things more worthy of savoring and I want to share it with you.

Today, after a wonderful, long Zumba class with Tracie at the Y, I came home and decided it was time for M and I to make some bread.  I do not, to my husband's chagrin, make bread that often of late.  This is not because it is difficult, but more because of the perception that it is time consuming.  In reality it takes less than two hours and most of that time you can be focusing elsewhere.  I would guess less than 30 minutes of focused attention once you have the hang of it.  The resulting bounty is more than worth that and I'm hoping to bake bread more often this year.  Homemade bread nurtures the body with whole grain goodness and now wacky chemicals, is a fun family activity, tastes heavenly and leaves my house smelling amazing.

Back to today's adventure, Lady M, is a problematic helper because she is unduly fascinated by my Kitchen Aid Mixer.  She reaches in and plays with things (even when it is spinning) drops her spoon in, changes the speed, covers herself comically in flower, etc.   In short, I had a few challenges in my bread making today. Even with a helper that was routinely taking ingredients out of  the bowl and with her hands in everything it worked well.  The ingredients are few: flour, water, milk, butter, sugar, salt, yeast, maybe an egg (and a couple secret ingredients).  We make a big batch and divide it into a few different styles of bread-- usually this includes, a loaf, at least a dozen rolls, and usually either cinnamon rolls or meat pockets of some kind (more on this later).

I am thinking of describing the joy and process here, but think instead that I will give to you as a gift an in person tutorial in bread making for those of you that are nearby and interested.  If enough are interested, my mom, the true master, might even join us.  (Her bread is INCREDIBLE.  She taught me long ago and has that special touch).  Once our in-person tutorial is complete, I will write out the lesson here for my more distant friends, if there is interest.  Note in the comments if you're interested in a hands on lesson at my house or a blog/discussion about the specifics.

For today, we pulled the hot, steaming crusty bread from the oven, rubbed a smear of butter over the top and enjoyed.  My favorite today was a new variation that, to me, was the word "savor" incarnate.  Traditionally, the "meat" pockets above refers to Kraut burgers (cabbage and a little meat in a bun) or Ranch burgers (my mother's creation -- sort of a beef, bean and cheese mixture in the bun that she would take to the field at harvest for an in-hand filling meal).  For those not so familiar with the homemade version, think hot pockets, but approximately a 1000 times better.

Today, I invented my own, perhaps based loosely on that hot pocket idea.  I wrapped a slice of ham from the deli around a slice of colby cheese broken into two pieces, attempting to seal the cheese inside.  Then, I wrapped the dough tightly around the ham bit before placing the roll in the pan for the second rise.  Once cooked and hot from the oven, this was so incredible.  I ate it slowly.   I savored each bite.  I ate only one because after one carefully, fully enjoyed, I was satiated and happy with the knowledge that I have five more to slowly enjoy in coming days or freeze for future lunches. 

Sound tempting? You too can make this and probably more easily than you think.  My gift of savor to you is your very own lesson to up the taste and healthiness of your 2011.  Let me know if you're in and we'll work out a date/time.