Baking Bread, FarmGirl Style

This weekend resulted in a baking extravaganza at Chez Kristi. Over a two-day period, I baked:

1. Six banana muffins because I found a large, over-ripe banana in the kitchen at work on Thursday afternoon.
2. Two batches of butterscotch blondies for husband's co-workers.
3. A two-layer white cake with lemon pudding filling and whipped cream vanilla frosting for aforementioned husband's birthday celebration at my aunt's house.
4. Three loaves of honey wheat bread (using two different recipes) and following FarmGirl's bread-baking tips.

Unfortunately, I have photos of none of these, since I'm still living in 1982, and I don't yet own a digital camera.

Of these efforts, I'm most proud of my bread. If you are an avid bread baker, or a novice one like me, I can't stress enough how incredible FarmGirl's tips are, and how well they worked. The bread I made this weekend had beautiful brown tops, a lovely crunchy crust, and great flavor. And believe me, in the few times I've made bread previous to this weekend, the results were not as positive. While I didn't implement all the steps (I still need to buy a wooden bread bowl, and a baking stone), I believe the ones I did use (including incorporating an Autolyse, and adding the flour in handfuls instead of all at once) made all the difference in the world. Thanks, FarmGirl!

8 Responses to “Baking Bread, FarmGirl Style”

  1. # Anonymous Anonymous

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.  

  2. # Blogger Marie

    Mmmmm mmmm Kristi! Sounds wonderful! How'd 1 banana make 6 muffins?

    Your bread sounds spectacular!! I do a lot of baking, but not bread. I'm too spoiled by Martusciello's!

    That's one lucky hubby!!!  

  3. # Blogger Elizabeth

    Great that the bread turned out so well! I'd love to see the ingredients list for your honey wheat bread.

    By the way, you don't need to have a bread stone (although, it is a wonderful thing to have) to bake freeform loaves. You can just use an upside-down cookie sheet.

    -Elizabeth  

  4. # Blogger Ramona

    Mmmmmm...that sounds so delicious!
    I could eat a whole loaf of bread slathered in butter. sounds like you are turning into quite the Betty Crocker! Lucky hubby!  

  5. # Blogger Kristi

    Amy-Yup, those tips were priceless. It's interesting, in one of the loaves, I forgot to include an Autolyse, and the results were very different from the other two I baked.

    Marie-they were very small muffins, and a very large banana! If I lived as close as you do to Martusciello's, I probably wouldn't bake bread either. I miss being close to good Italian bakeries. There aren't any near me.

    Elizabeth-I used a recipe from Baking Sheet. http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/08/honey-whole-wheat-bread.html I think next time I make this bread, I may add more honey, but other than that, the recipe was great. And thanks for the bread stone tip. I never would have thought to use an upside down baking sheet. I'm also going to blog roll you. Hope you don't mind. Your blog is great!

    Kross-Eyed Kitty- Me too! It's my weakness. I would choose warm bread over a sweet treat any day of the week!  

  6. # Blogger Kristi

    Cara- We can be novice bread-bakers together! And yes, you're right. FarmGirl's bread photos are mouth-watering. How did your bread turn out?  

  7. # Anonymous Anonymous
  8. # Anonymous Anonymous

    Good Job! :)  

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