Homemade Bread

 

   Last week a friend gave me a loaf of bread that her husband made. Bread baking is a hobby of his. I was very happy to receive this loaf. I like homemade bread.

   It wasn't always like that. I grew up eating bread that my mother baked. We kids always got a slice when the bread came out of the oven. Sometimes we would put butter on it. I liked to roll the inside of the bread into a ball and eat it. (I was always a weird kid.) One it cooled, I didn't like it so much. Many times I wished we could get store bought bread. Store bought bread isn't as dry as homemade bread and the crusts is not as thick.

   Bread baking is something I've always wanted to try. I'm a little nervous because it seems so complicated. You have to let it rise the right amount so that it won't be too light or too dense. The water has to be at the right temperature so the yeast grows but doesn't die. I want to try it because it looks like it might be fun. There's something about getting your hands in the dough to mix it and shape it that just appeals to me. I also like the fact that when you get done, you have these wonderful loaves to share or to keep. I have memories of watching my grandmother shape dough to put in the oven. Like the good Catholic woman she was, she always made a cross over the loaf with her hand before putting it into the oven. 

   My Dad likes to bake bread, but he uses a bread machine. Nearly every week, when I come to visit, he makes a loaf of my favourite which is three seed bread. It's a dense bread and when I eat it just seems healthy. For some reason it never rises very high so the loaf is usually pretty small. It's just enough to last me until the next visit when I get a new loaf.

   Right now, I'm enjoying the loaf from my friend. Over the weekend we made French toast with it. It was wonderful. Today we enjoyed it with some chicken wild rice soup.Tomorrow I may toast a slice and have it for breakfast.

   What a thoughtful present.....