I spent 3 hours making bread yesterday. Of all the things I can do on a perfectly good December Sunday afternoon, I made bread. Actually, I made Parker House rolls from the Foodnetwork and one of my favorite chefs, Bobby Flay. Those warm and cotton-like treats with a hint of sweetness. It matter less the variety of bread but the making of the bread. I am addicted. I am infatuated with bread making (ooo... sounds dirty). Let me explain.
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| From yesterday's batch: crusty on the outside, soft inside. |
A few months ago, I finally mustered up the courage to attempt making something with yeast and flour. Yes, yeast. The dreaded bacteria-like substance perceived as being alive and could make or break your pastry dreams. Since the shit-show (pardon my French) 3 years ago when I tried making pasta, I've had a phobia of dough or similar substances. The recovery was slow but sure. Last year, on a trip to South Cali, my good friend showed me how to proof bread and knead dough. But most important of all, she produced the most delicious aroma I have ever tasted on this sweet earth. It was the smell of fresh bread. Though I've never been to heaven, I'm sure it smells like bread everywhere and all the time. It just says home. And that's why I decided to make bread. Eating the bread is also lovely, though secondary. To fill my tiny home with its enticing aroma is exactly the point (I just had an idea for a fresh bread scented candle... tell me below if you think it already exists).
I have been very lucky. I've made Parker House Rolls three times and each time turned out brilliant. There are little lessons I need to improve on but all in all, very very edible. Here are some photos of the finished product.
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| From yesterday's batch (Dec. 8). Softer and less doughy then last but a touch less salt would be perfect. |
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| From Nov. 8 batch. A little more doughy but amount of sweetness was on the money |
The first time was a bit nerve wrecking. Really, alot of things can go wrong. What if the yeast doesn't work? What if the milk is too hot and cooks the egg? What if the bread doesn't proof? What if I over-knead and bread turns into rock? Luckily, there was no big disaster. Though I became a wee bit concern when my dough refuse to rise one time after resting for 60 minutes. Then, I made one of the most rewarding discoveries about my appliances. My oven has a build-in Proofing function! God bless you, Samsung appliance division. Once activated, the furnace transform into the perfect bread proofing medium. In full disclosure, I did not know about this function when I bought the thing. Naturally, I slid the bowl of dough swiftly inside the oven with a glass of warm water to keep the humidity up - something I learn from the thousands of hours of cooking shows I logged. The dough grew to double in size beautifully in about 60 minutes. It took 2 hours but ladies and gentlemen, proofing has been achieved for the first time ever. Strike that off the bucket list.
Now is time to knead. Without sounding like an erotica, sinking your fingers into a relaxed dough and releasing the flavour of the yeast and butter is just ...well, satisfying. Over and above the memorizing sensation, making bread is therapy. Remember Kitty from That 70's show? She bakes a truck-load of stuff when she gets stressed. The process puts you in a certain frame of mind and relaxes and entices your senses. Bread making places you in your own wonderful world - much like high quality marijuana and select marijuana products.
Anyway, after shaping the lovely rolls into small round pillows, I placed them onto the baking tray and once again let it sit and get fat. This time only 40 minutes. Bold and proud, they sit next to each other without a hint of hesitation. I then brush a thin layer of shiny egg-wash and bake for 20 minutes at 350 and wait for the miracle transformation.
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| Look how proud my babies sit - after second proofing |
After about 10 minutes, my home starts to smells uber-nice. I feel like I'm living in a cozy mushroom shaped house I stole from the smurfs (or is it smurves?). It just smells terrific. Another ten minutes later, they are done. I take them out to cool down. These are a feast on the eyes. Beautifully golden brown and perfectly circular. Almost balloon-like. I did a quick chop-stick test to make sure no raw dough remains. We are officially complete in our journey.
I left out half a tray for a quick grab and go breakfast and the other half straight into the freezer to lock in the freshness. As a quick breakfast, my wife and I would take one out of the freezer and nuke for a quick 30 seconds to kill the chill and bring back to warm and fluffy goodness. On several occasions, I made sliders with sweet potato fries. Boy, they were just delicious. The sweetness from the bun and onion counteract the heaviness of the fresh wholesome beef patty.
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| Sliders (tiny hamburgers) with Sweet Potato Fries |
My message here is this: I know bread is really inexpensive. But if you love food and wants to chill for a few hours, find a recipe online (or use
this one) and make some yummy, delicious bread.
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