Precisely Pleased!

I like to sew, but am not a fan of patterns. Same with food.. love to cook, but don't love recipes. I tend to just throw stuff together, whatever I can find, and hope for the best. I am a "git 'er done" type, not so much a "details" gal as they say. I prefer to use the word efficient.

But, I plan to take a different approach to being a half-baked beauty! (We'll see how long it lasts!) I figure, with all the time it takes to do these recipes ("formulas" as the book calls them), then I had better do it right and be able to actually enjoy the bread of my labor! So, I read the first 100 pages, made sure I had the correct ingredients, broke out the scale and the thermometer, blasted a little Lady Antebellum, and went to town. And, turns out, following the rules really does get you somewhere. I'm very happy with the results. The bread was much lighter and airier than I expected, and I didn't love the first bite I tasted. But, the flavor really came out in the second slice, and I really like the crust. I think if I make it again, I'll add in more molasses for just a little more flavor.

I will skip the play by play since TMM covered it perfectly! But, I had to post the evidence that I did in fact attempt to be as precise as possible! Notice the 6.0 on the scale! (I zeroed it out to account for the weight of the bowl.)

Here's the finished product! I made two regular loaves and two mini loaves. Breaking them up like this kept them from cresting over the top of the pan, but I figure it tastes same. (Just realized when I wrote that sentence that I guess I didn't quite follow the rules perfectly. Typical!)

We promptly (after the hour cooling period of course) enjoyed the bread with a little Turkey Meatball Soup. Delicious! I love soggy bread, so even though the "crumb" is a little fluffier/lighter then most dipping bread, I still soaked it in the broth anyway. Yummy!