BAKE 3 – April 17, 2020

Yeast Utilized: 2 teaspoons

Got stocked up on supplies at the grocery store (for the first time in 18 days) and my success with the round loaf made me cocky. Decided to try a braided challah.

Mixing the dough, kneading, and the rise went just fine. The recipe said to roll your dough into “15-inch ropes” and braid them. Maybe I did something wrong, but my dough would not roll. I did that old Play-doh palm-down rolling motion and nothing moved but me. So, essentially, I gave my dough a massage and then squeeze-shaped it into the fattest 15-inch ropes ever.

I’ve seen tree branches more delicate than this.

I then baked it for it recommended amount of time and what happened?

Nooooo! Burnt braid! Nooooo! That’s on the wrong side of ‘golden brown’.

Loaf turned to hide my shame.

It mostly tasted all right, but the crust gave one’s jaw the sort of chewing workout that could not be called “enjoyable” exactly. So, I adapted and overcame. By turning this loaf into bread pudding (which was the maiden voyage of my new bread pan!).

I had bread pudding for breakfast a few mornings, which I think makes me the most luxurious medieval peasant ever.

To the next bake—–>