On the art of bread making - to loaf or not to loaf...

Recently I decided to answer myself a question. Why do I pay for bread? Why when I insist on buying - or resentfully not - "nicer" loafs of bread. I hate paying upwards of $3 or $4 for a loaf that will be eaten by my seven year old who would rather - honestly - have cheap honey wheat? She likessss the soft goooo. Not me - I like texture and it seems texture = more money!

So, as my grandmother - Doris Boyer - never bought a loaf in her life - why can't I attempt to create wholesome goodness from what equals very little moooola? Honestly - it can't cost even a $1 for a loaf of homemade goodness!!! That's not common these days - to make it is usually more expensive. Just ask Martha - she is the queen of making homemade more special and more expensive. Martha and I are close too. (wink wink)

So. Experiment 1.
It didn't rise. It took twice as long as it said to rise and then, well, never really did. Did I mess up the amounts of flour or yeast? Is this what I get for pulling stuff off of the internet and looking for something that would work with the ingredients I had in my pantry (without going out)? Well, perhaps...so although B, E, and J declared it delish, I wasn't happy.

Experiment 2.
Same recipe again. Being more careful with the flour. Now I wonder if the online recipe is somehow off on the amount of flour called for. It seems to ask for much less than the other recipes I see. As well as I have to add a bit more to create a dough that will pull away from the bowl of the happy green mixer - while using the dough hook. (Did I tell you about my green happiness? Another day, another day. But three words - green, Williams and Sanoma, and sale!!!)

Well, this ended up being too dense. Made a mean grilled cheese though. Perfect texture for that, but my tuna salad proclaimed it too heavy. Again, E and J loved it... or perhaps it's just the Nana Jam spread on it. (My mum-in-law's gift to earth - strawberry freezer jam...yum!)

Experiment 3.

When in doubt, Meg turns to Martha. You know.... MARTHA.... So, out came my new to me cookbooks (Christmas door weights/cookbooks from the girls and B for me!) I have so enjoyed trying different recipes from here. So I actually get B to buy all the needed ingredients. There were a rather long and different set than in my previous experiments. ALSO this calls for a round loaf - no pans here! I wonder....

Well, it did rise. But not to the extent I was expecting. It was just "heavy" feeling... don't know how else to explain this. But I thought it to be going well - until I cooked it. It alone could be used as hardtac to keep you alive for years. Not good... But B (ever the encourager) slices it and proclaims it heavy but good.... He only lies to make me feel good. He even ate my risoto the other day - I didn't, but he did. What a support.

So, I proclaim the third try to worse on the clock, tummy, and pocketbook. So, round rock sitting in my glass cake server on the island. Who dares to try me will live forever..... (or not, but you may survive a long long time...)

Conclusions

1. hmmm
2. ummm
3. ok. So, need a new recipe. Any ideas?
   
4. I have lots of leftover supplies - so i am not giving up.
   
5. Not I!
6. To be continued - one day!!!