Great Smell

The smell of freshly baked bread has got to be one of the best smells in the world.  Today I decided to bake Finnish Cardamom bread so the house would smell great when Gene gets home from Albuquerque tonight...and to practice my bread baking skills.  The recipe is from my favorite bread book, " Baking with the St Paul Bread Club" by Kim Ode. I was going to make the Beer-Rye Bread from that book, but couldn't find my rye flour and also didn't have enough Guiness in the house either. So, that one will have to wait for rye and beer!

Right now I am waiting for the loaves (braided) to rise before baking. I also used the Pie in the Sky cookbook for some hints on baking at this altitude...didn't let the dough rise totally double and gave it two rises (raises?) and will not let the loaves rise double either.... I think they looked pretty when I was done braiding them and the dough had a lovely feel to it... very supple and elastic etc.  Got out my food scale and weighed the braids so that each piece was about 7 oz... hoping that'll make them rise and bake evenly and look purty!! Probably will do an egg wash before baking so they'll brown nicely. This is really a test of my oven - sure do miss the ovens I had in Seattle...always knew they would work perfectly and loved the proofing setting on them also. But I've kept the dough covered, even when forming the ropes, and also during this final rise to keep the surface from forming a skin.  I did get an oven thermometer so I can make sure I've got the temp correct.

Stay tuned...........

OK, it's done. I did an egg wash before I baked it and sprinkled the loaves with a lite dust of sugar....they look great, IMHO. The smell is wonderful....so tempted to taste them but will wait until the loaves cool. So quite successful bake if I do say so myself.

Update - the bread tastes fabulous.... !!


Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!  ~James Beard