A domestic rite of passage

Yes, for the first time in my life, I baked bread.
Now, I've baked banana bread, cookies, pies etc before. But for some reason I had never baked bread. And again, for some reason, it was just a different experience.


Ah, isn't it a thing of beauty? Now those loaves aren't too well formed but I'll be darned if I didn't tell Johann that I wanted to throw down some eggs, cheese and butter next to those loaves a paint a still life.




It seems to me there is something so essentially domestic in baking bread. Its not something extra like pie and cookies, but its not something you can whip up over the camp fire either. Its the warm, versatile and still so very basic bit in the food pyramid, much like the home is in the pyramid of life.
Now if you think I'm getting carried away, well,you are probably right. Welcome to the life of my poor, poor husband. =)
Now, I think I'll go enjoy a piece of bread. With some butter. Maybe a tid bit of jam. mmmm.



Here is the recipe for this deliciousness:

(Yields 3-4 loaves)
2 C scalded milk
3/4 C honey
2 cubes butter
10 C WW flour
3/4 T. salt
6 eggs
1 C warm water
3 T. yeast
1 t. honey

First put yeast into warm water with honey to proof.

In mixing bowl mix scalded milk with honey and butter and 1/2 of flour with salt. Then mix in eggs one at a time. Add yeast mixture. Add remainder of flour one cup at a time. Knead for 10 minutes. Let rise until double. Put into loaves (3 to 4). Loaf pans should be greased. Let rise until about double. Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Check bottom of loaf to make sure completely cooked.