Let's Talk Bread

My family loves bread.  Breadsticks! Buns! Flatbreads! Rolls!   

Bread is perfect for every meal.  For breakfast: toast, French toast, waffles and more.  A nice hardy, homemade loaf to make a delicious sandwich for lunch!  And for supper, garlic bread with your pasta!  A nice wrap! Maybe some biscuits or rolls with your soup;  does not matter what meal, bread is a perfect accompaniment.

Let’s face it.  Those breads that you purchase in store just don’t stack up to a nice loaf of homemade bread.  The sliced stuff you buy is too thin and when it is toasted, crumbles like sawdust.   Let’s be honest, some of it tastes like sawdust.

You can buy bakery bread.  I’ll admit that I do.  If I have not had time to bake, or decide my meal last minute, I will purchase a baguette or some rolls from the bakery at the grocery.  It is not quite the same as homemade though. 

   

When you make it at home, you get to eat it hot out of the oven with a favorite topping (butter, peanut butter), or just plain and delicious.  The house smells WONDERFUL!  There are no preservatives in it so you don’t get an aftertaste in your mouth.

I often make flour tortillas for homemade quesadillas.  At our home, we end the week by making homemade pizza, starting with the homemade dough for the crust.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.

I found myself borrowing Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille so often that I finally had to purchase a copy for my home collection. AVRL has two copies just waiting for you to borrow and try out the fantastic recipes.  I also use Company's Coming : Breadsby Jean Pare.  I have only mentioned two titles.  However, the library has many titles to choose from.

I should mention that making bread can be very therapeutic.  A little irritated?  Make some bread dough to knead and pound.  You’ll feel better and you will have something delicious to eat.

Vicki Holland, Acquisitions