THE ART OF BREAD

AFTER MY SOURDOUGH ‘FAIL’ LAST MONTH I FINALLY FOUND THE COURAGE TO TRY MY HAND AT A COUPLE OF LOAVES OF WHOLE WHEAT BREAD. ALTHOUGH PREVIOUSLY I HAD WORKED FOR A WEEK TO ‘PROOF’ MY LEVIAN AND THEN SPENT ABOUT 14 HOURS FOLLOWING THE EXACT KNEADING/PROOFING/COOLING INSTRUCTIONS …MY SOURDOUGH DIDN’T RISE. (AT LEAST IT STILL MADE DELICIOUS, DENSE BREAD THAT TASTED AMAZING WITH STEW.)

THIS TIME THOUGH..AND WITH THIS DIFFERENT RECIPE…THE BROWN BREAD ONLY TOOK A COUPLE OF HOURS TO PROOF IN BETWEEN KNEADING AND FINALLY BAKING SO IF IT WAS A FAIL I DIDN’T SPEND A WEEK WAITING TO FIND OUT..HA HA.

THERE IS SOMETHING SO SATISFYING IN WORKING WITH MY HANDS TO MASSAGE THE DOUGH AND ALMOST SCULPT THE FINISHED LOAVES.  THE ENTIRE HOME SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN AND CUTTING INTO THE WARM BREAD IS ALSO AN EXCITING MOMENT. I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THE BEAUTIFULLY FORMED INTERIOR.

I IMAGINE THAT’S WHAT GOD MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT WHEN HE CREATED HIS MASTERPIECES. HE FOLLOWED THE PERFECT RECIPE TO DESIGN US IN HIS OWN PURE IMAGE THEN HE ADDED JUST THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS (OUR HEARTS/SOULS…)TO PREPARE FOR OUR INCUBATION PERIOD. HOW MUCH JOY HE MUST FEEL WHEN WE ARE BORN AND HE SEES WHAT HE HAS CREATED …AND IT IS GOOD! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE HAND OF GOD IN MY LIFE.  I ONLY HOPE THAT I CAN ‘RISE TO THE OCCASION’ AND BECOME …’FOOD’ FOR OTHERS ON THEIR JOURNEY.