Comments on: Raising a Good Loaf

By: Kathy McQuown

Kathy McQuown — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:53:21 +0000

Beautifully written, Nina, and do you have any of the pickle-tasting bread left? Sounds like a winner to me. I’m sure bread machines make good bread, but to me the hand kneading is the point. It has all the good effects of meditation and weight training in one pleasurable, rhythmic, fragrant few minutes.

By: Shoshana

Shoshana — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:39:52 +0000

I have to admit that I have had the Tassajara bread book sitting on my shelf for years and haven’t made anything from it. (I’m from California) Lately I have been having great luck with no-knead crusty loaves with Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day. Here is where I posted about it. http://www.couldntbeparve.com/.....wagon.html Whole wheat flour can be subbed for much of the white flour with great results.

By: alix

alix — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:57:36 +0000

I wrote this post http://jcarrot.org/how-i-love-my-cuisinart some time ago about my secret for making the best bread: the bread machine. I still feel a wee bit guilty about it, but it really takes all the guesswork out of it. Not only do I make delicious challah (some have told me it’s the best they’ve ever had) but other kinds of breads as well. We had one when I was growing up, so I knew it was something worth having as an adult. When making challah, or any bread, I take the dough out before the machine starts baking it, to braid it or shape it into a regular loaf. Delicious!

By: Renee C

Renee C — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:34:16 +0000

I began baking bread years ago with nothing more than a plastic bowl, a wooden spoon, and a cookie sheet. Later, I bought bread pans. I’ve never had a thermometer — water for the yeast should be what I’ve often called baby-bottle warm. Now I have Kitchen Aid mixers that knead the dough for me. Ed Espe’s book was great — years ago a friend threw a bowl large enough for his recipes to do its rising. When I first started, I would put on some music I liked, set a timer for 10 minutes, and knead until the alarm rang. I’ve learned that as long as the yeast is alive, dough will rise no matter what the temperature is. I bake all of our bread these days — except for bagels and New York City Rye bread……….I can make a tolerable rye, but bagels have been failures, although this winter I think I will try again.

By: Susan Bodnar

Susan Bodnar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:38:56 +0000

We are new to bread making in our family and it is actually my husband who seems to be paving the way toward soft insides, crunchy outsides. I’m still hard, tough and flattish. I think I’ll check out the book, and thanks for the warm invite to the world of bread.

By: susan g

susan g — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:21:23 +0000

Use Ed Espe’s directions for braiding challah. Very rewarding!

By: Hannah Lee

Hannah Lee — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:33:23 +0000

I started making bread while in college and the early loaves were suitable as a doorstop, but I’ve become much better and my husband now prefers my challah to storebought ones. Our youngest likes the cotton-candy feel of commercially prepared challah. My sister who makes her own candy is daunted by yeast (while I no longer own a kitchen thermometer and cannot tell if something is at the proper temperature). My brother-in-law tried the no-knead bread recipe from the New York Times and almost burned down his apartment.

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:07:50 +0000

Great post, Nina! I tried making challah once but got intimidated by the yeast. I couldn’t figure it out, since I’ve been baking cookies since I was eight and I’m, well, a lot older than eight, so you do the math. But bread, as you pointed out, is a whole other thing. Maybe I’ll try again in the new year.

By: Rhea Yablon Kennedy

Rhea Yablon Kennedy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:04:52 +0000

I love your style–I laughed a lot while reading your post–and your bread looks delicious! Thanks for the info… after giving that cookbook as a gift, I think it’s time to get my own copy.