If you’re a bread lover, nothing beats the tangy taste, the chewy texture, the waffling aromas, or freshly baked flavours of homemade bread. There is something magical about watching a simple loaf of bread rise to two, three or four times its original size, knowing it will bake into a crisp golden crust and fill the room with tantalizing aromas. As the yeasts turn the lump of dough into feather-light rolls or a crisp thin baguette, it’s easy to become intimidated about the process and think that bread is something only the most experienced should attempt.
In a busy hectic world where most people work full time, few of us have the time or the energy for learning how to bake perfect bread, yet it’s something we yearn for. With such exotic, ever-changing variety on the supermarket shelves, why make bread? Because those of us who do, find that home-made bread has a taste and texture worlds away from even the best you can buy.
Homemade bread can turn a simple meal into something special. Imagine what a fresh loaf of dark pumpernickel bread will add to soup or how warm butter rolls will dress up a simple salad. Think of how special breakfast would be if the toast were made from multi-grain bread fresh from the oven.
One avid bread maker I know places his dough outside in this car. Under the warm magnification of the dash board window, the bread rises perfectly every time. He even swears by this technique on a sunny winter day.
Baking the perfect loaf is one part art, one part science, and a bit of delicious practice. Much of the flavour in homemade bread comes from the quality ingredients used. For a rising agent, you can use active dry yeast or compressed yeast.
The flavour of the dough comes from the basic flours used. Nothing beats the flavour and texture of bread baked with fresh, stone-ground artisanal flour. The ideal texture should be soft, but not sticky. Buying from artisanal flour makers has the advantage of talking to them and asking questions to make your loaf of bread a perfect one. the flour has a completely different texture and is as pure as any food product. Here are a few to look for in Ontario:
CIPM, www.harvesthastings.ca/local/producers/cipm-farm
K2Milling, www.k2milling.blogspot.com
Arva Flour Mill. www.arvaflourmill.com
Morningstar Mills, www.morningstarmill.ca
Castor River Farm, www.castorriverfarm.ca
Poschaven Farms, www.poschavenfarms.yolasite.com