BAKE 8 – MAY 1, 2020

Yeast Utilized: 1 teaspoon

This recipe came from my beloved Aunt Julia, who—through our monthly letters (like actual letters on paper; I love it)—heard about my baking endeavors. Of this Oatmeal Bread recipe, she says, “It goes back to my Azorean grandmother.” I still had both apple bread and my sandwich loaf, but I couldn’t wait. I wanted to make this one right away. (Good thing I like bread, eh?)

This was another overnight rise. It also took a bit of math and thinking. Julia’s recipe was for two loaves, so I had to cut all the measurements in half. Also, it called for half of a “yeast cake” and molasses. I found a converter to know how much a yeast cake would be, and I substituted local honey for the molasses.

I knew nothing about how it should look or feel, so I made the dough and then left it to rise, with no idea if I’d done anything right.

Goodnight, dough. Goodnight, crow. Goodnight, all the things I don’t know.

The next morning, it wasn’t as fluffy as the apple bread dough (and I forgot to take a picture because I was too excited to knead it), but it was good, respectable rise. I felt encouraged. So, I kneaded it and got it ready for the loaf pan.

Per Julia’s letter: “My grandmother’s name was Mary (probably Maria 🙂 ) Da Rosa Bettencourt. When my mother baked this bread (which was a pretty common thing) she always indented the sign of the cross on the top of each loaf ‘so that it rises’ — because, she said that was what her mother had done.”

Not being a particularly religious person, I chose to honor that spirit by indenting my loaf with the Star Trek insignia.

Live long, and butter (your bread).

Time to bake, for an hour. I checked on it at 30 minutes, then 40, then 55, but the full hour seemed just right. Why did I doubt my foremothers??

Starfleet endures.

I let it cool for a bit, but honestly, the best part of this whole journey is getting to have the first still-warm slice of each loaf. This one was especially good. May actually be my favorite so far. Just a good, solid loaf, perfect for daily bread.

Guh. I even love the color of the inside. Look at that.

I only wish I lived closer to Julia so that she could tell me how I did. And I put proper molasses on my grocery list.

To the next bake—–>