This past weekend our resident Breadhead was in the kitchen making his weekly loaves of bread for the family. Hands down homemade bread is one of our favorite creations here. It’s one that allows us to reap so many benefits – monetarily, nutritionally, and emotionally.
Making bread serves as a bit of therapy, giving us a quiet, calming, almost meditative feeling when we make it. Aside from the calm it provides, homemade bread saves us lots of money, and is more healthful than store bought, giving us the comfort of knowing just exactly what ingredients are in our bread.
Bread baking is once again finding its way back into American homes – despite nearly 2 decades of teaching us to fear carbs. The romance, the flavors, and versatility (from no-knead versions, to those with fermenting time), are ensuring bread baking is definitely back in fashion.
And, if you thing baking bread is a challenge, think again. Of course it will take a bit of trial and error, but it isn’t to complicated. You just need to find a slice of time in your week to make and bake it! (yes, I meant that pun!)
The Power of Touch
You may have made bread using a bread machine, or a stand mixer to knead your dough, but think about it, the power of touch is unmistakable. That’s why baking bread by hand (and not a machine) gives us so much pleasure. When we use our hands to knead the dough, there is a sensual connection with the dough, and our brains are activated. Making bread serves as a bit of therapy for us.
Engage yourself in the process of making dough – fully by hand. It may not be the way you choose to make it every time, but once in a while, indulge in the hands-on method that provides you with the benefits of touch.
As I await our family Breadhead, Greg, to make our next round of sandwich loaves this weekend, I feel it is time to get back into the kitchen and make something different than muffins for snack. This time around, I’m thinking it will be Cinnamon Raisin Bread – a sweet afternoon snack that will help fill the hunger gap between lunch and dinner. After that, I’ll be on to rye bread, so I can spread it with some delicious butter, sprinkle with salt, and reminisce about the times I sat down Grandma to do the same thing.
Go ahead, put on your breadhead this weekend, and start baking. Then post them on social media and share them with Family Eats, tagging #breadhead !
