So today I had 3 tasks. Bake chocolate bread, bake sandwich bread, and attend wedding shower. The shower is at 1:00, so my plan was to make the chocolate bread this morning, attend the shower, then make the sandwich bread. Fine. But this morning, I got up at 6:00 am, bright and awake. It helps that I went to bed last night at 8:30...
So I got the chocolate bread in the oven by 8:00 and started thinking, oooh, I could make the sandwich bread now! But I decided not to. Then I would be juggling breads, probably make a mistake, etc. So I went back to bed for some cuddling with Dale. Dale, however, was fast asleep, so after a few minutes, I boldly returned to the kitchen to make sandwich bread. I was confident I could handle it. (and maybe my breakfast of brownie and caffeinated tea had something to do with that!)
So I got going. This bread is complicated. You have to heat up 2.25 cups of water, then divide the water between the yeast and a raisin mixture of oil, honey, sugar, and raisins. Then you have to premix 3 types of flour. Next, you blend the raisin mixture, and finally, you add the yeast, raisin mixture, and remaining water to the flour. I did all this. No problems. Then I started adding flour. That's when I noticed the dough was really watery. REALLY watery. And I looked at my liquid measuring cup. It was a 4 cup measure, not a 2 cup measure! But I wanted to make that bread, and I didn't want to throw out my dough, so I boldly decided to double the recipe. I frantically re heated water, remixed raisins & yeast, added more flour, and combined. Next I had to knead it, but the bowl of my mixer was overflowing, so I did it by hand. It was massive. Naturally, the chocolate bread was done precisely when the kneading was, which meant my hands were coated with a thick layer (at least 1/2 inch) of raw dough. Fun! Also, my rising bowl is a little too small, so I had to watch it like a hawk - letting it rise exactly to the highest point before overflow. Now my bread is in its bread pans, waiting cooking. I will have the afternoon off. But will my bread be good?
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1 comment:
Well, was it good? I think you take after Mama Cheatham!
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