Christianity Oasis Forum

[itsjanet]

Kimberly, Thanks again for sharing. I'm inspired and want to get started. I'm wondering why are you using a canister for the dough? Is it necessary? Where can I get something like that. Do you ever use a bread machine? I don't have one, but I hate buys kitchen gadgets cause I have a small kitchen. Do I need one to follow your recipes?

[kimberly]

Why does baking bread smell so good?

I think because it smells like home.
I remember sitting in my grandma's kitchen while she made her favorite dill bread. It's the only kind of bread I remember her baking.
It smelled so buttery and dilly, it's a comfort smell.
Bread involves all the senses for me...sight, smell, yes even sound- sourdough crackles and 'sings' when it comes from the oven, properly baked bread of all kinds 'taps' hollow when it's done.
Touch, too...the smoothness of the crust, the spongey soft interior.
But isn't taste the best?
You can tell I love homade bread.
Why am I so hung up on it today? Well, sad story- my mixer broke. It had to go to the shop, and the fix-it man said if I tried to do that amout of dough again, it would break again.
There's another one headed my way and Fiona (yes I name my mixers :D ) is headed to my brothers house....put out to mixer pasture to make cookies.
All this bread free time has caused me to talk to God more about my bread. I think I'm headed for an increase in bread sales...the new mixer makes dough for 10 loaves instead of 4.
It's God's business and ministry, He can do whatever He wants! This is how I give money back to God.
It brought me in closer contact with The Bread of Life to be without my ministry 'tool' for this past 2 weeks.
I am ever thankful that God increases us when we are faithful to do as He asks.
The new mixer will mean more work for me, more potential to increase His business.
I'm excited to see where we are going! And I can't hardly wait for Veronique to arrive. (Yeah I named it already )
After mixing the last 2 Christmas orders by hand, I'm ready!

Happy Rising!

Kimberly

[kimberly]

She's here She's here....she's finally here!

"Veronique' has arrived. O call me crazy, (naming a mixer, who DOES that?) Me! Me! Pick Me!

Finally, I'm back in the bread business!





This is a Verona DLX Kitchen Assistant. (See? She needed a french name.) It's an early birthday gift from my mom and dad.
My dad says he's putting me to work making/selling more bread. I think he's serious.

[kimberly]

Hi Janet,

I didn't mean to ignore you, sorry.
I use those canisters for my starters. I keep them in the fridge and when i wnt to make sourdough bread, I take some out, feed it a little flour and water, and let it get bubbly. Then I mix it with water, flour and salt, and make a dough.

The starters act as the rising agent in the dough. I have 4 different ones. Regular white, San Francisco white, wheat, and rye.
I hope this is enough/not too much info . I tend to go on about this.

Kim

[kimberly]

I just made dough for 10 baguettes! :D

[itsjanet]

How long does the starter last in the fridge? week, month? you can't freeze starters, right?

[itsjanet]

Kimberly, you are inspiring me. Not sure if I can pull it off, so I may just bake in my dreams. I'd at least like to know what kitchen equipment to use in my dreams. Thanks for the reply.

[kimberly]

Hi Janet,

The starter can last indefinitely in the fridge as long as you pull it out and feed it every week or so.I have to remove about a cup, feed it or pour it out (I just can't stand to do that hah!), and feed the starter in the jar also. The jar starter gets equal parts (usually 1 cup each) of water and flour. The starter I took out of the jar gets amounts of flour and water, according to how much dough I want to make. Then it sits on the counter for about 6-12 hours, til it is bubbly and foamy. In a warm kitchen 4-6 hours may be enough.

You don't have to have fancy equipment for this, our foremothers did it with bowls and spoons. W
hile I was without a mixer, I used a danish whisk and a bowl. The dough then gets stretched and folded a number of times to develop the gluten. I use a mixer because I make such large quantities. (I sell and trade some of my bread to freinds and such.)

You can certainly move out of dreamland and into the kitchen! There are a number of wonderful sites where you can ask questions and get all the information you need. (My favorite is King Arthur Flour.) I will answer any question I can.


Don't be afraid to try! When I first started making bread 35 years ago, you could have maimed someone with it, it was so hard. (I killed the yeast with hot water, .) Practice has gotten me this far.

[kimberly]

Veronique's third time out: olive cheese bread. Yummy!

[kimberly]

Wednesdays at our house are special.

Not just because my daughter comes to clean for us, but because we get to do something very special together: eat bread.



I often wonder if the disciples ever later looked back and wistfully remembered the times they sat with the Lord doing that very thing.

Eating bread, talking and laughing, sharing experiences, thoughts, and needs. Hopes and dreams, questions and fears.



Bread is a simple food we all recognize....and there are a million different forms of it. It's a basic in most cultures, a staple in many.

At our house, it's a staple.

But on Wednesdays, it's a must.

Because on Wednesdays, I make Robin's bread.

3 years ago my daughter Robin asked me if I could make a 'healthy' wheat bread for her. (yeah, I hear you groaning :D ) She wanted something good for her body that didn't have a multitude of twenty-letter ingredients no one but a nuclear physisist can pronounce.



Yes, I could make one, but could I make it edible? THAT was the real question. Seriously.

After those many loaves, several a week for 3 years, I have perfected the bread. If you hate whole grain bread, it's not for you. But if you were here when it's in the oven, I think you would try it.

You smell the golden smell of pure clover honey, the warm scent of molasses. There's a nutty smell from the cracked wheat grain, wheat bran and germ. It's surprisingly light, moist, and spongey.

No, it'll never be super-soft white bread-like, but isn't that the point?

It's wonderful tasting, filling and nutritious. Everything she asked for.



So as we sit around the lunch table, eating warm bread, we talk and laugh. We share experiences, thoughts, and needs. Hopes and dreams, questions and fears. We share life, three generations of us.



And the Bread of Life is close, in the midst of where we gather.

[kimberly]

Well, today is one of those really cold days that I don't have to go anywhere. You know what that means, right? In my PJ's all day, just keeping warm. It's a perfect day to make a fragrant loaf of Orange Cranberry Pecan bread!
You've probably noticed, making bread is my way of comfort, satisfaction, and enjoyment. Other people have movies, or reading, crafting, or lots of other physical pursuits that would leave me breathless (and probably injured).
But give me a couple of hours and a few ingredients, and I'm content.
I see breadmaking as an art...just, edible art.
It's definitely a gift. And God has used it more than once in my lifetime.
So making a loaf of warm bread on a wintery day is my nod to what He's done for me.

[kimberly]

Today was pumpernickel day! This is one of my favorite breads. It's rich in whole grain flour, and has a great rye flavor. (Has a few weird ingredients too, hehe.) But they all contribute to the deliciousness. It's terrific for toast with cream cheese, or sandwiches with turkey breast or ham. Are you hungry yet?