the first loaf

I finally made a loaf of bread using yeast. I bake so often, yet it took me this long! And long it did.... 5 hours! I thought I might be partially insane and not following the steps correctly, but I read them over and over during those five hours. It turned out beautifully (whew!). And came out of the oven ten minutes before Jayson came home. Mmmmmmm, perfect.
My baking is all vegan and sugar-free, usually limiting wheat as well. It has been an on-going experiment in the kitchen with no two batches ever the same. One might think that all of my training as a chemist would lead me to be very precise and scientific about it, taking notes and measuring..... hah! I generally feel like the mad professor put on a homemade apron and began juggling ingredients until the bowl was full. My friends think it's hilarious and have repeatedly asked to come over when I bake. I have even giggled while daydreaming about teaching an intuitive baking class.

Back to the most recent experiment, I mostly followed the directions on the packet of yeast. Since this is an area I have absolutely no experience in, I decided that when dealing with living organisms I should give them the best possible chance for a fulfilling life. 1 cup of flour (whole spelt) mixed with 1 cup of warm water and the packet of dry yeast. Let sit 45 minutes by the woodstove. Play the hilarious new game from Santa (Piscari by HaPe)

and laugh until everyone has tears. Add 2 more cups of flour, 2 Tbs oil, a few pinches of sea salt, and a BIG spoonful of honey! (We love our Bee Guy, Greg, whose bees pollinated our CSA farm this year)

http://www.csafarms.org/birchpointfarm.asp

Knead and set aside for 1-2 hours. Read books, paint, do floor puzzles, run to the mailbox and back twice,
hang the laundry, return phone calls, sing songs, write a letter to Great Grandma, open one from her in the mail, eat lunch, watch birds, hang more laundry, sort toy animals, make paper lanterns, then knead the dough and form into a loaf. Drop into a greased pan and place by the woodstove until double in size (about another hour). Make dinner, watch home movies, read another book, make pretend smoothies for the elephant and bear, clean up the toys, take down the laundry, bring in more firewood, shovel the deck for the second time, explain how playclips work, send pictures to Nana and Boo, preheat the oven, and finally bake the bread at 350 for about an hour.

The timing was perfect and the bread delicious... I will post photos when the sun is up.

And the house smells delicious!