Yes, I finally did it.

Last Saturday morning while folding clothes, I caught the last half of a special on bread around the world on PBS. Home-made bread has always held an allure for me. Even more so now while trying to live sustainable, by our own hands or those of our neighbors and community.  After watching this verrry interesting program I decided I was going to make some sourdough starter. Very easy. Hard part: waiting for it ferment, 2 to 5 days. I am a big sourdough fan so it was 5 days.

On the fifth day, I pulled out one of my three faithful cookbooks, my Betty Crocker binder my husband gave me 10 years ago; my grandmother’s old GE hand-mixer ( I know what you are thinking, and yes, I found out the hard way); and my mother’s old 2-quart Tupperware measuring cup.

 

Now, since I’ve been home full-time and had my life turned up side down (by our choice), I’ve been pretty handy in the kitchen and have done a lot of baking. Too, I put flour, water, salt and yeast in my bread machine and use the dough setting, shape the rolls myself and bake them. Everyone seems to be pretty impressed with this.

 

Now handed kneaded bread is different, it’s a mystery, it’s something that only mother-in-law’s, Mennonites and rural stay-at-home mom’s can do. Not the rest of us. Oh, wait- I’m a rural stay-at-home mom now!! Yes, it was time to break the myths and knead my own bread using my own starter.

 

As I said, I got all the tools and ingredients out, checked the recipe 12 times and began. Needless to say, today I’ll be using elbow grease and my mother’s 35 year old Oster countertop mixer/blender/cuisinart/meat grinder to make my next batch of sourdough bread. My grandmother’s poor hand held GE mixer may be out of commission for good. Sniff, sniff…

 

All went as specified in the cook book, with the exception of a small appliance death, and in the end I came out with a pretty good looking piece of dough. Time to knead. Wow, what an experience. This is what I need to do 2 to 3 times a week if I want arms like Jennifer Aniston. How I figured out I was done kneading, I’ll never know. It was a combination of time, soft, bouncy dough and arms that were on fire. What ever it was, it worked.

 

I’m sure this is something that is typically taught generation to generation. Such as canning, making pies and grinding your own sausage, all of which I’ve all done this year.  On Wednesday after reading up on kneading and bread making, I taught myself.

 

Being somewhat OC as I age, it had to be perfect. Of course, first times are never perfect. And I’m learning that’s fine. However, I was very pleased with the outcome as were my family and my in-laws. That night I made some home-made marinara sauce, noodles and meatballs from local beef and we shared our bounty.

 

My husband was very pleased and my kids were quite impressed. I felt good that day and still do. Funny thing is, it wasn’t that hard. Just like making pies, canning and grinding your own sausage or ground beef.

 

All of these skills and more came across to my generation as something your grandmother’s and mother’s did, and we went to college. And, I did go to college. For a long time. But the satisfaction I feel now making my own bread and that I continue to feel make me wonder what drove women out of the home. I know, I know… there were a plethora of reasons. However, this college-educated, ex CEO is very happy to be back at home and learning and doing as my relatives have done for the past 3000 years.

 

Wish me luck on my baking today!