who's the boss?

basic hearth bread from "The Bread Bible
no story, but isn't she pretty?

Before my baby was born, I was going to post about how "bread is the boss of me," detailing the grueling schedule of pre-ferment, kneading, resting, rising, proofing, shaping, baking, and cooling. Bread-making is a serious task master. Now of course, baby is the boss of me. But serendipitously, making bread and raising baby are quite compatible. Each require a few minutes of interaction every couple hours, all day and often all night (particularly if I start my bread making late in the day - I've eaten many a fresh loaf after midnight).

Pane Siciliano

I made this fun discovery while making Pane Siciliano from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart. The bread had a lovely, moist chew, which made me want to try it in a loaf pan next time so it's more appropriately shaped for sandwiches and toast. It was so cute, I just had to post some pics.

pre-rise


after an overnight rise in fridge


baked and cooling


the lovely holey crumb


As with all my breads, I must sample a bite with
a wide array of spreads to determine its usefulness.
This one tastest great dipped in olive oil
or spread with peanut butter.

another mouth to feed...

Jasper, future gourmand

...and I couldn't be happier. This sweet boy is the reason I haven't been posting much lately. He's one month old now and eats like a champ (up almost 800 grams since birth). So now, I'll have two boys to eat all the treats I want to bake. Yay!

Lots of wonderful people have been feeding our family this past month - thank you! But I'm back in the kitchen now, this time with a baby strapped to my chest. Of course, this makes tasks like kneading dough, cutting up a chicken, dropping things in hot oil, or washing dishes a little more complicated (don't worry, baby safety always comes first). I need a prep cook.