My focus lately, but I have arrived at...something.

[AhZo]

So, for the last decade plus I have been slowly cutting processed foods out of my life. First it started with making my own salad dressings. I forget where it went from there.
Now I make all my own condiments (ketchup and mustard are soooo easy and keep so long, and mayo is fast), and we pretty much cook everything from scratch. We keep things simple, but that can be soooo good.

Oh, we do not really go out to eat. There were only 3 restaurants we ever eat at, and one closed. One of the restaurants is the one we had our first date where we have also eat at 3 times a year before the pandemic and they even catered our wedding. We hope to get there this year for our anniversary.

Anyhoo, about 5 years or so ago I started on making bread!
Like really getting in there - making it as often as I could to try to learn the 'feel' which is so important.
Then I slowly lost the use of my hands - could not knead anymore. (Yeah, depression kicks in)
Then at the beginning of COVID our oven went out, and honestly we have not had the need to replace it, other than I miss baking cookies or cakes.

Then I think last year we bought a bread machine for our anniversary (we do not buy gifts for each other, we decide on something we both want and purchase that). So I got into making the usual breads, and of course pizza (we have pizza stones on the grill and make the best pizza in our opinions - no need to go anywhere). Sort of back in the saddle.
But I wanted a nice delicious european style bread - a crusty boule that smells so good you just want to tear into it.
Well, slowly go the right tools over time, and although I am still learning techniques, this is our first boule proofed in a banneton, cooked in a dutch oven on the grill.
I am a proud papa and will happily eat this little wonder!

Next step is exploring sourdough. I have one of those samples of the "150 year old San Francisco sourdough" starter, so we will see! I grew up near SF and dearly miss that San Francisco Sourdough taste. (the instructions are daunting though)

Okay, but I reached this point...back to soaping...?
And making MORE DISCO STACHE WAX! untz...untz....untz...untz...

 

[BWt]

Your bread is simply beautiful. It makes me want to begin making bread again.

 

[AhZo]

Your bread is simply beautiful. It makes me want to begin making bread again.

Thank you.
I am so happy with how it turned out and it is just wonderful tasting!
You want fresh homemade bread...do you not? LOL

Sorry. heh heh
I will be back on the soap bandwagon by the end of the week because I have new stuff to play with and we need shave soap.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Beautiful loaf! I can almost smell it from here.

 

[dibbles]

Beautiful bread - and impressive that it was baked on a grill. Our daughter and SIL lived in San Francisco for awhile and shared some starter with us. Hubby really refined his skills during covid and makes bread and english muffins regularly. There really is nothing like fresh baked, warm from the oven bread.

 

[AhZo]

Our daughter and SIL lived in San Francisco for awhile and shared some starter with us.

Reall SF sourdough starter?!? mmm

I just bought some that is purportedly 150 year old SF sourdough starter. I am afreaid to 'start' it because it is a daily committment and I...well...oh look shiny.

 

[dibbles]

I think ours just sits in the refrigerator until hubby wants to use some. He makes english muffins about once a week, but I don't think he really does much of anything with the starter in between.

 

[AhZo]

mmm...sourdough english muffins.
I really need to get that starter umm....started. heh
I am just so happy with my dutch oven. I have never had one and funny that we bought it to cook....bread. heh
Oh yeah - on the grill IN the dutch oven.
But we cook rolls and stuff on stones on teh grill - they are like 7x7 pieces of a high heat clay thing as 'pizza stones', but with the tiles we can arrange them how best they fit on the grill. (Note: we still have no oven....4 years now I think)

 

[dibbles]

I really need to get that starter umm....started. heh

You won't be sorry!

 

[GGMA0317]

So, for the last decade plus I have been slowly cutting processed foods out of my life. First it started with making my own salad dressings. I forget where it went from there.
Now I make all my own condiments (ketchup and mustard are soooo easy and keep so long, and mayo is fast), and we pretty much cook everything from scratch. We keep things simple, but that can be soooo good.

Oh, we do not really go out to eat. There were only 3 restaurants we ever eat at, and one closed. One of the restaurants is the one we had our first date where we have also eat at 3 times a year before the pandemic and they even catered our wedding. We hope to get there this year for our anniversary.

Anyhoo, about 5 years or so ago I started on making bread!
Like really getting in there - making it as often as I could to try to learn the 'feel' which is so important.
Then I slowly lost the use of my hands - could not knead anymore. (Yeah, depression kicks in)
Then at the beginning of COVID our oven went out, and honestly we have not had the need to replace it, other than I miss baking cookies or cakes.

Then I think last year we bought a bread machine for our anniversary (we do not buy gifts for each other, we decide on something we both want and purchase that). So I got into making the usual breads, and of course pizza (we have pizza stones on the grill and make the best pizza in our opinions - no need to go anywhere). Sort of back in the saddle.
But I wanted a nice delicious european style bread - a crusty boule that smells so good you just want to tear into it.
Well, slowly go the right tools over time, and although I am still learning techniques, this is our first boule proofed in a banneton, cooked in a dutch oven on the grill.
I am a proud papa and will happily eat this little wonder!


View attachment 73556


Next step is exploring sourdough. I have one of those samples of the "150 year old San Francisco sourdough" starter, so we will see! I grew up near SF and dearly miss that San Francisco Sourdough taste. (the instructions are daunting though)

Okay, but I reached this point...back to soaping...?
And making MORE DISCO STACHE WAX! untz...untz....untz...untz...

Nice! I want to slather butter and garlic on it. I learned to make bread a few years ago. I make cheesy garlic and chive dinner rolls and pastries for our family winter holiday gatherings.

I'm working on a pizza crust recipe right now. My first attempt was pretty darn good!

I gotta get back to soaping my last 6lb batch of LS as well.

Thanks for sharing and I hope to see more breads soon.

 

[Jorah]

One of the best memories from my childhood was having fresh grape jam (from wild Concord grapes we picked in the woods) on fresh bread hot from the oven. The jam was also still hot from the pot, not having set yet. Spooned onto hot buttered home-baked bread, it is one of the top food items I've ever had, and now I want to find fresh Concord grapes...