Tag Archives: baking bread

Sundays

Bill’s beautiful bread & home brewed beer in the basement…

The weather has been really crappy this week. We have snow on the ground that is a few days old, but it’s been too cold for it to melt. Consequently, it’s not very pretty to look at right now. The sky is kind of light grey and foggy; I can see my breath when I breathe; and I just don’t feel like going anywhere.

I’ve been thinking about a few possible travel related topics based on the many trips we’ve already taken. But I don’t know if it’s worth my time to write those pieces, since this blog doesn’t get that much traffic… except for a few curious posts that I wrote ages ago. I probably will write them eventually, but not until I’m feeling especially motivated. 

So, today’s post will be quick and to the point… which could be a very foreign thing, if you’re also someone who reads my main blog. I think I’m writing today’s “travel” post because I want to hear more of my nostalgia playlist before I start practicing guitar.

As I write this, Bill is in the basement preparing to start brewing his latest batch of home brewed beer. He says he’s brewing a stout this time, and he has some new equipment to try out. I am a fan of his hobby, so I’m letting him have at it. Yesterday, he baked me a gorgeous loaf of sandwich bread. I requested it a couple of days ago, because although I like the artisanal loaves he makes in our Le Creuset bread oven, I especially love the old fashioned loaves that I can more easily turn into sandwiches. 

I’m actually thinking of having a piece of that bread right now… 

I used to love baking bread. I found it a great stress reliever. As I’m writing this post, I remember that I used to bake bread in Armenia when I had an oven lent to me by the USDA. And it just occurred to me that when I bought yeast there, I knew the Russian word for it, rather than the Armenian word. I just looked both up, just to be sure… and yes, back in the 90s, we used the Russian word for yeast, not the Armenian one. I wonder if that’s changed. Maybe that’s reason enough to visit there again soon. ;)

Seriously, after we take our upcoming intra-Germany trip with Bill’s mom, we will probably plan a trip to Spain. Spain won the last champagne bucket drawing, and Bill wants to go there to explore whether or not we’d like to retire there. Frankly, I think Portugal could be a better bet… I’d like to visit there again, too. Or maybe Italy. I love Italy… even if it can take a long time to get things done there.

We had sushi for dinner last night. It was pretty great. And I expect Bill will cook a roast for dinner. It is Sunday, after all, and we like our British traditions, even if we’re Americans living in Germany. :)

Anyway, I’m pretty proud of Bill’s work on that loaf of bread. If you’d like the recipe, here’s the link. 

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anecdotes

Adventures in German baking…

Perhaps it’s unfair to refer to my baking as German…  really, it’s more like me just baking American style in Germany!  I haven’t yet tried any German recipes, unless you count our Hello Fresh meals.  Bill makes those and they don’t really count as baking anyway.  I did recently acquire a Schwabish cookbook which I may decide to use someday.  Today, I decided to bake some bread.

I decided to bake bread after watching this video, which someone posted in a local Facebook group…

This video made me laugh…  It also made me want to bake bread in the worst way.

I went to my puny German kitchen and found my trusty Virginia Hospitality cookbook, where I found a recipe for French bread.  I had never actually used that particular recipe before; I usually opt for the one in my Betty Crocker cookbook.  But I was feeling daring today, so I used the “new-to-me” recipe…

My bread as it bakes…

I must admit, my bread turned out beautifully, except the bottom was not as brown as it probably should have been.  I don’t care, though.  I’d rather have pale bread bottoms than burnt bread.  And it was baked long enough that it’s not falling apart, so there you go.

I find baking in Germany a bit challenging because of the Metric system.  I did learn how to do temperature conversion back when I took high school chemistry.  In fact, that particular lesson was the only one that made any sense to me.  I barely squeaked out of my chemistry class with a D.  Of course, it’s been many years since I was 16 and I have completely forgotten how to do temperature conversion.  I’m also too lazy to consult a conversion chart.

Yes… this tastes good…  I guessed correctly when I set the oven’s temperature.

 

I used to bake a lot more often than I do now.  Unfortunately, I like baking comfort foods and my ass gets enough gifts as it is from all the beer I drink.  So I try not to give in to the urge to bake in an attempt to prevent my ass from getting its own area code.  Sometimes I fail, though.

I’m actually dying to learn how to make a Black Forest Cake.  Of course if I made one, we’d never finish it.  I need to make more friends.

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