The Art of Zen Living

There’s something very satisfying about making a loaf of bread.  It’s almost as if home made bread is the ultimate in domestic achievement.  You tell someone you’re baking home made bread and their eyes light up.  It’s a very pleasing experience, heavy on the senses - the contrasting colors of the ingredients, the firm but pliant feel of the dough, the heady scent of the yeast as the bread rises, the sound of the whisk in the liquid before you add the flour, and the clank of the spoon against the bowl as you mix the dough, the pounding of the dough being kneaded.  Finally, the wonderful aroma of the bread baking, and the taste of the fresh, still warm bread with butter melting into it.  Yummy!

Somewhere along the line, we’ve been tricked into thinking that bread is hard to make (it isn’t - if I can do it, then believe me YOU can!), that it’s cheaper to buy at the store (not by a long shot - but that’s another post in the frugality category), or just that you don’t have the time to make bread.  Let me walk you through the steps, and you’ll see that it takes very little time and effort, and is extremely rewarding!

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