It would have been easy to buy a bread maker of our own and Arvind tried his best to convince me but then, what’s the fun in that! May be someday in future, I will buy my own gadget too but for now, I want to see the yeast activate and witness the dough double in size. I want to touch the dough and shape it as I like it and watch it change color as it bakes in the hot oven. For the past year or so, I have been baking bread very frequently, sometimes even twice a week. And ever since Arvind surprised me with the sexy blue KitchenAid stand mixer, it became a lot easier. My right hand and right shoulder thanked him big time!
Baking is relaxing and some even say it’s like a therapy. I agree with that. It helps you to ponder on your thoughts as you work on the dough and teaches you to gain patience as you wait for the bread to rise. It’s an act that needs attention and time. In the past months, I made countless disasters and then eventually, I started to get the hang of it. With more and more practice, I am slowly absorbing the complexity of baking breads at home. It doesn’t scare me anymore.
One book that helped me a lot is Bread Making by Lauren Chattman. It’s a great book for people like me who are novices and eager to learn baking bread at home. The easy language and detailed explanation about the science involved in baking eased me into grasping the logic. This bread recipe is adapted from the same book. It was easy to put together and the bread came out just flawless. It had the perfect crumbly crust and chewy soft center. Fresh ricotta cheese added richness to the taste, kept it moist and sage added the flavor. I was extremely happy with the end result.
