A Pictorial

Since I am already all over the place on this little cyber space, I have decided to add a pictorial.

What I have been up to...The pictorial.  Do I need to specify that this is a pic heavy post if I already called it a Pictorial?

Nothing totally exciting.  But it just happens to be absolutely delicious!  For Christmas I finally allowed myself to by a stand mixer.  I had been on the fence for more than a few years about it.  I just couldn't justify the price.  I would go back and forth so many times that I might have given myself whiplash.  I'm not sure what was different this year.  Curiosity finally got the best of me?  Aspirations of grand baked goods while being a full time Mommy/Wifey/Juju?  Perhaps.  I'm not sure of the reason.  I'm just really damn glad I finally bought one!

"Classy" is a little dusty.  I took the picture while actively making wheat bread.  And yes, I name things.  I have relationships with objects in my life.  I was devastated when my mac went down.  I was scared for the longest time to start a new "relationship" with my replacement.  We are getting there slowly.  And I have at times been known to refer to my vehicle as "Big Red" or if I am feeling spicy "Rojo Grande".

That whole paragraph may make me seem a little insane.  I don't care...go ahead throw me the look.  I'm used to em!

So back to the bread.  Since purchasing Classy, I have probably whipped out 10 or so loaves of white bread.  Two loaves of unsuccessfully accepted Wheat.  Wheat is not well received around these parts.  Hubs wont eat it.  Clover will eat anything that has butter on it.  Well actually, she would probably love me even more if I actually did let her eat "butter on my hand?  Mom?".

So yesterday I decided to try my hand at Wheat all over again.

     
Added the lil yeasties to the bowl with the paddle attachment.  With filtered water (from the fridge) around 105* and 115*f and a spoonful of brown sugar.

Add Milk, Brown sugar, Olive oil and a healthy squeeze o honey from the trusty bear shaped bottle.  Mix in mixer til combined.  Add salt.  Mix in one cup of Whole Wheat Flour at a time until it gets too thick for the paddle to handle.  Usually about three cups.  Add hook attachment continue to beat dough up and add about two more cups of flour.  Usually takes about 5.  knead on hook/beat the dough up for 5 minutes.  Take out and shape, place in greased bowl.

I used to cover with plastic wrap but then a bunch of dough sticks to it, so I just put it in a cold oven to proof.  To keep the top from drying out I place a cup of hot water in the oven as well.

Then the dough gets nice and pooooooofy.

  Then you get to take it out and shape it.  One batch usually makes two loaves for me.

Shaping a loaf is easy.  cut the massive ball in half then shape one like a rectangle and roll up and place in loaf pan.

Let it proof again in the oven so they can get nice and pooooofy again.

oh looks like I used a bowl that time.  Take everything out and set oven to recipes directions.  Then when the oven is preheated add the bread.  Remember to take the bowl out.

About a half an hour your nose will be greeted with one of the most warming soul calming smells you will ever smell.  Then your nose will tell your stomach to tell your legs to walk into the kitchen and get you some bread!

Pop these out of the oven and cool.  Not too much because you want the bread to still be warm enough to melt the butter!

Yes, I am still using paper plates.  I had them leftover from hosting Christmas.  Now this bread wont last as long as general grocery store bread since there is no preservatives in it.  But really I have had no problem with storage since NONE of it has lasted longer than three days.

I'm not sure if pictorials are going to be a steady attraction around this cyber space.  I have to constantly remind myself to take pictures.  Maybe next time I will shoot a horrible video!  Something to think about.  Although I have already decided that the next one will be on Marshmallows!

Yum!