March is coming to an end, and I thought I'd write an entry to review my progress with baking! I know we're not quite at the end of March yet, but I know I will not be able to bake anything until next month because I am going to be very busy! So I will wrap up Q1 now.
January:
I started out by making quick breads. I did not even know what quick bread was when I started! It is bread that does not require yeast. Instead you use a leavening agent (such as baking powder or baking soda) to make the bread rise. This was the right move on my part. If you are just learning how to bake like myself, I highly recommend starting with quick breads.
February:
In February I graduated to yeast bread. I started with a basic honey wheat bread that turned out okay, except for the fact that I burned it. Because of this, I now literally sit in front of my oven and watch the contents during the last five or so minutes of baking. Pat calls it my new TV. I also made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that were a hit with Pat's co-workers! I even got a request to make them again!
March:
March is when I really got crazy! I made bagels, Japanese milk bread, blueberry pie, and a cheddar Sriracha bread. It was fun learning the different methods of making specific kinds of dough, and getting different results. For example, to make a bagel, you boil the dough in sugar water! And for Japanese milk bread, you cook part of the dough on the stove to create a paste. Then you add the paste mixture to the dough. So many different ways to make bread! Who knew!
All in all, it's going rather well! I will say with confidence now that I am no longer scared to bake. I used to be so intimidated by it, and I think my nerves would get in the way, causing me to screw up nearly everything I would try! But I am not scared anymore! And by making all these bread recipes, I'm starting to learn the general process of baking bread. Mix the ingredients, knead the dough, let it rise, knead again, shape it, let it rise a little more, then pop it in the oven! I'm also pleased to learn that baking bread is not as exact as I thought! It's actually pretty intuitive once you know what a proper dough is supposed to feel like. It's all about getting the perfect consistency. I don't know what the perfect consistency is yet, but I'm learning.
For next quarter, my goal is to try my hand at pretzels, a cake, biscuits, and more types of bread, specifically sourdough bread. Pat and I eat more sourdough than any other bread, so if I can make an acceptable sourdough loaf, we'd be set!
Thank you, everyone, who have been following my journey on Facebook and Instagram, and who have left very kind and encouraging comments! Also shout out to Pat and our friends who have served as my guinea pigs. I haven't made anything that's been straight up nasty yet, but it's bound to happen, and when it does, you guys get a HUGE thank you!
January:
I started out by making quick breads. I did not even know what quick bread was when I started! It is bread that does not require yeast. Instead you use a leavening agent (such as baking powder or baking soda) to make the bread rise. This was the right move on my part. If you are just learning how to bake like myself, I highly recommend starting with quick breads.
February:
In February I graduated to yeast bread. I started with a basic honey wheat bread that turned out okay, except for the fact that I burned it. Because of this, I now literally sit in front of my oven and watch the contents during the last five or so minutes of baking. Pat calls it my new TV. I also made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that were a hit with Pat's co-workers! I even got a request to make them again!
March:
March is when I really got crazy! I made bagels, Japanese milk bread, blueberry pie, and a cheddar Sriracha bread. It was fun learning the different methods of making specific kinds of dough, and getting different results. For example, to make a bagel, you boil the dough in sugar water! And for Japanese milk bread, you cook part of the dough on the stove to create a paste. Then you add the paste mixture to the dough. So many different ways to make bread! Who knew!
All in all, it's going rather well! I will say with confidence now that I am no longer scared to bake. I used to be so intimidated by it, and I think my nerves would get in the way, causing me to screw up nearly everything I would try! But I am not scared anymore! And by making all these bread recipes, I'm starting to learn the general process of baking bread. Mix the ingredients, knead the dough, let it rise, knead again, shape it, let it rise a little more, then pop it in the oven! I'm also pleased to learn that baking bread is not as exact as I thought! It's actually pretty intuitive once you know what a proper dough is supposed to feel like. It's all about getting the perfect consistency. I don't know what the perfect consistency is yet, but I'm learning.
For next quarter, my goal is to try my hand at pretzels, a cake, biscuits, and more types of bread, specifically sourdough bread. Pat and I eat more sourdough than any other bread, so if I can make an acceptable sourdough loaf, we'd be set!
Thank you, everyone, who have been following my journey on Facebook and Instagram, and who have left very kind and encouraging comments! Also shout out to Pat and our friends who have served as my guinea pigs. I haven't made anything that's been straight up nasty yet, but it's bound to happen, and when it does, you guys get a HUGE thank you!
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