On Baking Bread

Last winter I found a fabulous winter bread baking routine, I would get up in the morning and make dough, letting it rise next to the wood stove until it was ready for the oven.  This year I found I was really struggling with finding that same routine.  Personally I blame this strange weather we've been having that doesn't always feel like winter.  Needless to say it has all changed with the discovery of my new book .  I must say we have been eating a lot of bread!

This dough that stays in the fridge (similar to a sour dough starter really) is fantastic!  I make a batch for the fridge and then pull off a hunk every morning, let it "rest" for an hour or two and throw it in the oven for 30 minutes!  It's cooked w/ steam which helps to make an absolutely divine crust.  And the smell, oh the smell...really I can't think of a better smell then fresh baking bread wafting through a drafty old house in winter.

I haven't really gotten past the master recipe (which is amazing with soup, pasta, almond butter and of course butter) or the soft whole wheat sandwich loaf but the book is full of some amazing recipes that I am sure we will get to.  It's amazing how just one little book has created such a trend in our house.

A bit of bread baking has spawned into cracker making!  Something I've always meant to do, I've heard how easy it is, but jeese...I'm so busy and a box of crackers from the store is easy.  Well, boy oh boy let me tell you!  The only problem I've had so far is keeping the jar full!

It almost seems that I need to be baking them constantly, but they are super yummy with hummus I assure you.  I got a "wheat thin" recipe from a friend that is very popular.  One day I was out of whole wheat flour and I made a batch with a mix of all purpose and barley flour with some garlic salt...another yummy success.  I may never buy a box of crackers again!

 Then, just to make all this bread love complete those crafty kids of mine got down to making us some cloth bread bags (another thing I've been meaning to do for ages).  Corey whipped them up with his usual draw-string bag pattern from some cotton tea towels I had and a bit of unbleached cotton fabric left over from another project.

 On Miss Molly's end she was busy with iron-on details.  We have this Sukie Iron-on Craft Pad full of cuteness that she has really been having fun with!  There have been t-shirts, doll diapers, bread bags and the such going on a bunch lately.

 Aren't they just darling?  We've already gifted one to one of our favorite friends and I have a feeling there will be more.

Well, I must go check on this applesauce banana bread I've been working on.  If it tastes as good as it smells right now I'll be sure and post the recipe.  In the meantime go whip yourself up some cotton bread bags to go with all the bread, they are practically perfect in every way!