Therapy
- Therapy is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. In the medical field, it is usually synonymous with treatment.
This is a fancy definition of what most people think of when they hear the word therapy. When I think of the word therapy I think of getting back to balance. For some people this may require treatment outside themselves, counseling, physical therapy, medication. It really all depends on what is out of balance for you. My life is stable, it is quiet, it is routine, it is exactly what I want it to be. Sometimes I wake and the brain seems a bit fuzzy or it seems consumed with thoughts that make it difficult to do daily chores. Sometimes I need to empty the brain of all the stuff that has built up, release the toxins that invade. Toxins are poison that need to be purged from the body. I do exercise daily to purge the toxins from my physical body, I also drink a ton of water to wash other toxins out. Occasionally the brain needs more therapy than exercise or water can take care of. This, for me, is where baking has worked miracles.
I started baking my own bread ~ 3 years ago, I had been making my own pizza crust for several years previously but that's about it. Chris had gotten me a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas 2005 or 06, I loved it and was so excited to have it--it was PINK! I used it sporadically but never for making bread. Mostly it was a decoration for my kitchen. When the grandchildren started showing up my daughter-in-law started really paying attention to what her family was consuming. This prompted me to do the same. Reading ingredient labels and really taking stock of what I was buying and eating was so eye opening. Then one day I figured that I could throw ingredients into my mixer bowl and let it do the work. Well not only did the house smell amazing but I found myself loving the process. There are times when I knead the dough by hand just to get a really good workout in my arms and to feel the consistency change into what I desire for that particular loaf or pan of rolls. One time I was attempting to make ciabatta, this required a long kneading time with the mixer and it is a stiff dough. Well it happened, I blew out my little pink KitchenAid and I cried. I took it to a local repair shop and 1 week and $36 later I was back at work. I had to be careful as to what types of dough I was working with and do more by hand. This past Christmas my wonderful Chris got me a new KitchenAid bigger, better, sturdier and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!! Although it is not pink it still makes a fine addition to my kitchen. And the pink Kitchen Aid sits in the closet waiting for me for smaller jobs. I used it when making all my Christmas cookies.
The act of baking bread---or rolls, English muffins, bagels---has so many layers. First it is the finding of the recipe, many of the recipes I use, not to mention most of the ingredients, come from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/. Their flour is the best you can use and they have been around for 225 years so they must be doing something right. Another thing I like about King Arthur is the reviews on the recipes, these are helpful and King Arthur will post comments following reviews with helpful suggestions. Fresh ingredients are key to success, be aware of how fresh everything you are using is. I buy flour in a 25lb bag and it may last a month or two. I buy my yeast directly from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ because it is so much more economical. I use whole milk and real butter. Once you start making your own bread you will not be satisfied with store bought. I'm still working on hamburger buns. I have made pretzel buns that are amazing, if I say so myself.
Okay so you have all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and the magic begins. I stated previously that I generally let the mixer do all the work because I am doing more than one thing at a time. And to be honest I have been having some shoulder problems that cause the kneading part to be a bit painful. I am almost healed and will be kneading again soon. So the dough is exactly how you want it and ready for the first rise. This is my favorite part because you can see the action taking place. This takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours, again depending on your surroundings. Sometimes I have over-proofed the dough--don't worry, punch it down and let it start over. Time consuming, yes? but worth it in the end. After the first rise comes the shaping and second rise. Rolls are a little more work but if that's what you're going for you have to invest the time. The second rise is a little more critical because you don't want to over-proof at this stage of the game, timing is important so don't schedule anything that requires you to be away. Bake according to directions, but also know your oven, watch your bread as it bakes and try not to open the door because it releases too much of the heat. Let your bread or rolls cool for a few minutes in the pan, as much as you want to tear into a hot loaf, it needs to rest just a few minutes. So there you have a fresh loaf of bread made with your own little hands and with no extra ingredients that you don't need. Be warned there is a short life to fresh bread, no preservatives so it will not last forever. You can freeze your bread and when you want it wrap it in foil and heat in a 300 degree oven and it will taste as good as the day you baked it.
What have I learned from all of this: Baking bread is not scary, it is not difficult, it is time consuming, I have yet to find a whole wheat loaf that I love that doesn't weigh a ton. Baking bread is cheaper than buying bread, I give my bread to my kids and they don't seem to mind. Each and every step of the process is exciting for me and keeps me on my toes. Lancaster's love bread so it is vital that it is available, in all forms. I don't want to do this as a job. I am happy to make it for anyone who asks. The smell of fresh bread is one that cannot be duplicated in a candle. The taste of fresh bread cannot be described effectively.
Anyone can bake bread, even you!
PS: cinnamon rolls are Chris's favorite!
