Our Daily Bread, Part 2

On Friday night I made some more bread, this time using Victoria Ries' recipe, "Homemade Bread--Easy as Pie!" The title did not sell me; after all, how easy is pie? Not very easy, in my opinion. It doesn't take much to ruin a pie crust, and the fillings--well, unless they're from a can (which I consider a waste of calories)--they're not very easy, either. But upon further reading, "my 10-year-old made it" and "virtually foolproof" sold me.

This recipe called for a bit of fat (shortening) and a small bag of flour. We said goodbye to Kia, as she had faithfully completed her duties as Ally's "baby" for health class.

As usual, my eager assistant was on hand to do the stirring.

I threw out the yeast mixture and started over, as it got too hot sitting on the oven (and I think I killed the yeast! Fungi-cide!). A moment of panic set in when I realized the recipe didn't give a specific amount of flour to be put into the dough. Victoria just said "add enough flour to keep your hands from sticking to the dough...you won't need to use the whole bag". Uh, what?? So I did what Victoria said to do, hoping that I wasn't adding too much flour (which equals poor taste and hard dough).
*Shout-out to Deb: Thanks so much for the Pampered Chef Bamboo Spoons! I use them all of the time. (Well, not all of the time. That would be awkward. But any time I prepare food in the kitchen!) They are magNIFicent!!*

My favorite part of the recipe was the fact that you don't have to knead on a counter. I love kneading, but if I can keep the dough in the bowl, that is a win-win for me. She says knead for seven minutes, I'll go eight for good measure. I'm an over-achiever like that.

After the first raising, an hour later. I cheat and put the bowl on top of a 250 degree oven.

After the second raising. Those are supposed to be loaves. LOL

Four hundred degrees and 22 minutes later, we have bread, my friends!

My taste-testers give it an A. They say, "It looks so professional!" "Tastes great, Mom!" and "Can I have another piece?"

I'll give it an A-. Compared to the last recipe, it is a bit more involved, but it does have a better consistency to it (a little less gummy). A few days later, it is a bit dry, but that's probably my over-flouring, right? It's just not quite as soft as I'd like, but the crust is perfect.

It's a tough job, this bread-tasting, but someone has to do it!
Give us this day our daily bread--Matthew 6:11