A Better Day: Baking Bread

Yesterday was a beautiful
sunshine filled day.
I was so happy to know
I would just be home today.

I had my candles lit.
A lot to do yesterday -
not only did I bake bread
but I made a chicken and rice casserole.
I hope to blog a different post
about this
as I combined two recipes to make it...
well, almost three recipes...!

Meanwhile, I was so happy to have sunshine
in my kitchen and bread to bake.
My starter had doubled in size
and I was delighted.

One of my dear
in-person friends told me that sometimes
in my pictures I am seen too.
So it is; there I am
taking the picture of my
sour dough recipe. :)

I love flour.
I love the feel of it.
My red canisters, metal measuring cups
and simple various sized Pyrex measuring jugs
as it were...

My starter rising; the yeast, the cutting board...
my new and familiar culinary tools...

The recipe from my friend from church
who told me
to watch Jane's video that was on Emily's blog
to see what she meant about kneading the bread.
*
I had already watched the video
but did enjoy watching it a few more times
while the bread rose...
(oh and the alarm in the office went off this time
I am wondering if we did not connect the hallway
one right; I am relieved at the lesser alarm noise
but well, I guess I should mention this to Mr. Husband...
this was in conjunction of the chicken and oil splattering in
the oven (covered with tin foil later) while the bread was
rising and I was working on that
casserole).

My starter!
Beautiful, like a smooth
planet somewhere far from us.

The bread rose.
Two lovely loaves.
I had the windows open wide due to the
smaller alarm incident
so at one point to keep the bread warmer
I put another towel on.

Here they are all done!
The one was a bit floppy to one side
but for my second time baking bread
and all the challenges of open windows,
juggling two very involved cooking tasks,
an oven on all day,
I think it turned out well!
*
It was quite the thing of timing.
Because I was roasting a large chicken
that I had divided into two sections for faster cooking
and the chest cavity part was slow to cook through
I ended up not being able to use a Pyrex bowl
with water under the bread.
So after the chicken cavity/breast was done
I quick put the chicken with the other
metal cake pan of roasted chicken,
drippings and all
and put water in the now empty pan
and put it in the already heated to 425 F
under where the bread would go.
Whew!
It all worked out.

 

Of course I wanted to make
Crosses in my bread.
I am an Orthogeek
married to my Orthoman Mr. Husband
and well,
it cheers the heart!
*
I promised myself to make Mr. Husband lunch on time
(he's home working in the office today)
and so I must go.
I hope to blog about the chicken casserole I made
too at some point...
*
Today after lunch I need to go to the store again
to get a few things to make a chicken stock today
with the left over chicken meat and bones.
After I enjoy looking in a few cookbooks for
soup stock ideas...
*
Thanks everyone for your blog-love about the crazy
day I had on Wednesday.
I am still thinking of those two boys
and of ways I can in time give somehow some way...
for now we can pray.