Not By Bread Alone

Now that the cooler weather is here, I've been putting my bread maker to use again. The encroaching darkness warns us of the coming winter and the soul cries out for comfort food. What can be more comforting than a piping hot soup or stew with bread fresh from the oven - or bread machine. I found myself pretty limited by the manual that came with the machine, and so I reached for a book that Joe's aunt had given me years ago. I had never attempted any of the recipes except one that I mixed by hand, and to tell you the truth, I wasn't impressed. But, I was feeling a little more than adventurous and decided to take another look.

As I thumbed through the pages I came across this sentence under the heading Pain au Levain ..."This simple bread is as basic as life and breath." Hmm, I thought this could be promising. More tantalizing words jumped off the page...divine, mouth-watering, chewy, crisp crust. But it was these words that made me stop and really take notice:

"Don't blame us if after you've made this bread 5 or 6 times the people who eat at your table burst into tears. Beauty does that to some of us. We can't help it."

I stopped. Here was a sentiment close to my heart. For food is love, is it not? I looked over the recipe, but found that it required at least 5 hours of time - too short for dinner, but tomorrow...

Instead I found a recipe for NO Pain Ordinaire that could be done that afternoon. The authors described it as "instant satisfaction from your bread machine." The result was a delicious crusty bread, aromatic, and chewy on the inside. All the guys said "Yum" and the loaf was gone. I am printing it below for your edification.

For one 1-1/2 pound loaf

1-1/8 c. water
1-1/2 tbs. soft butter
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tbs. sugar
3 c. bread flour
2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Combine ingredients in bread machine in order given.
Process on the basic bread setting.

-from

Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine

If you don't have bread flour, you can make your own using 1 tbs. vital wheat gluten to 1 c. all purpose flour. I use regular yeast with no problem. More on bread tomorrow. Enjoy.