Bread

I made three loaves of sandwich bread yesterday afternoon. I found this recipe on A Year in Bread. It's become our family favorite, and I haven't bought sandwich bread in over a month.

There's something satisfying in creating staples like bread, which I've always depended on someone else to make for me. It's so simple, too (not to mention you're able to take out your aggressions while kneading). I think that's why I enjoy knitting, and growing vegetables, fruit, and herbs. One more thing I can do for myself so I'm not so dependent on stores, and their prices that seem to be going up like crazy right now.

Sunday night I stopped by the grocery store for a couple of things. In the doorway were bags of hot dog buns that you can usually buy for $1 when they're on sale. Their sale tag said $2! Then I went to get sour cream, usually $1.50 on sale, normally $1.75. $2 on sale! I thought it might have been that particular store, but when I went to my local warehouse store on Monday, milk had gone from $4.65 for two gallons, to $6! Yikes! I'm sure that it's been creeping up and I've never noticed, but still....

Someone once complained about the amount of time it takes to make bread. I don't think it takes up that much of my time. Of the 3 hours it takes to make, most of the time it is rising or baking, and I'm doing something else then. The recipe makes three loaves, and it lasts us a week and a half to two weeks, so I'm not doing it daily. One gets eaten (last night half of a loaf was gone before it was cool) and two go into the freezer.

Now that I have sandwich bread down, I'm ready to start trying my hand at some of the "artisan" breads that the stores sell at a premium. Pugliese, french bread, sourdough boules.... Or maybe I should start with lowly hamburger and hot dog buns?