A few days ago, knowing that I was having a very difficult week coping with stress, pregnancy, and some medical complications, a friend invited my boys over for a playdate and sent home dinner: lasagna and freshly baked bread.
There was a time in my life when I was a full-time mother of one child. I volunteered with youth ministry and taught a music class once a week. I saved the family money by making most of our foods from scratch, including most of our bread. Later, with more children, homeschooling, and a shift that included time helping my husband with a family business, we began buying sandwich bread at the store. I continued baking bread every couple weeks: dinner rolls for a special occasion, or Italian Peasant Bread to accompany a soup dinner or pasta. Now, however, with our fifth on the way, homeschooling, and a child now in “middle school” requiring lots of chauffeuring , not to mention traveling, teaching, and working for Making Music Praying Twice, I haven’t baked bread in months, maybe even a year.
So, more than my stomach was fed when I tasted the bread my friend included in our meal. At first, I thought it was garlic bread, made from a store-bought loaf. I was surprised to find the loaf fully intact, when I unwrapped the foil package. I tore off a piece. It was clear. This was homemade bread. A well balanced loaf, with a strong flavor, soft crust, and dense texture, similar to my Italian Peasant Bread. The flavor felt both rare and familiar. Just warmed enough to slightly melt the soft butter we were spreading on. It was like eating love. My friend took the extra time to make this bread after making lasagna for both our families and is due with a baby in a few months, herself. I did not feel guilty, just grateful.
The problem with homemade bread is that it doesn’t last long. I’ve seen recipes and recommendations for using leftover or day-old bread, but that only happens with the store-bought stuff. Now, I am filled with the intention of baking some more bread. My energy is low between the anemia and low blood pressure, but it isn’t too much work if you have a heavy-duty stand mixer that can knead for you. I know some of you purists may be advocates of HANDmade bread, but I’m OK with abdicating this job. Making a simple Italian bread doesn’t take a lot of work, but it does take time. You need to be around to attend to it every hour or two. You need to have 5 or 6 hours in the house. So the next chance I get, I am going to bake some bread and remember a simpler time in my life, and also remind myself that someday I’ll look back and remember this time fondly too.
Italian Peasant Bread
3-4 C good, unbleached flour
1 package of yeast
1 - 1½ C warm water (about body temperature)
1 t salt
¼ C Olive Oil plus more for oiling the bowl
1. Gently mix the 2C of flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Add 1 C warm water and mix into a dough. (3-5 minutes)
2. Slowly add more flour until at least 3½ C are in the dough. If dough gets too dry, more water can be added. Dough should be heavy (not wet) and cohesive (not crumbly). Use extra water and flour to control this. It will be a little different every time depending on the weather.
3. Add the oil, and let it incorporate into the dough. Continue to knead for about 10 minutes.
4. Check the dough by kneading by hand for a minute or two. It should be smooth and elastic and well-hydrated.
5. Move the dough to a large, well-oiled bowl, turn to coat in the oil and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in bulk 1½ – 2 hours.
6. Punch the dough down, reform into a ball, turn to coat in oil, cover with plastic wrap and leave it for a second rise. (about 45 minutes - 1 hour)
7. Shape the dough into two free-form loaves on a floured board. Put them on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let it rise another 30 – 45 minutes.
8. Place the bread in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake until crusty brown and cooked through, 30 -35 minutes.
