(Stirring was Little Woman’s first task and she worked really hard at it!)Making bread has become a big job in our house! It used to be that I could make eight loaves and they would last two weeks but now I pretty much need to make a batch a week! I have been finding it a bit daunting but today decided to get started before the sun was up and before I could talk myself out of the job once again. Little Woman and I kissed her older siblings good by and immediately rolled up our sleeves and got busy!
This was her first time helping me make the bread and I don’t think she realised it took all day because of rising and pounding down again. Little Woman enjoyed helping with this job as much as with dishes. My shadow was full of gusto and always at my heels. She was a life saver when it came time for me to work the dough, she was a pro at adding just a little flour here and there when it was getting stuck to the counter.
(She couldn’t help but pat the dough once we put it in her Great Grandma Smiths bread bowl to rise.)
I had to run out twice today but we managed to make it back just in time to pound down our bread once again. There is something about returning to the bread and pounding it down just in time all through out the day that makes you feel like you have it together!
There is a serious rise in your optimism as you shape the bread and buns and place them in pans to rise! Anticipation hits a climax when you put them into the oven and it is pretty near impossible to let them cool under the damp towels once removed from the oven.
Just before supper we had all the loaves and buns complete and ready to be packaged and frozen, after a few taste tests of course! I am proud of my Little Woman and her interest in all things domestic! I hope she finds the art in it as I have and doesn’t grow to see it as cultural expectation and nothing but labour, as was my view of it in my youth.
The big pay off for all of our work was when the older two returned home. They had barely entered the house, the door was in fact forgotten and open in spite of the winter weather. Exclamations of ‘OH that smells good!’ came out of beaming faces! Little Woman and I where happy to share, we having already reveled in the first fruits!
TTFN
*drools and wipes chin* that looks so delicious. i can almost smell it from here!
on a side note: you need a bread-maker, girl!!!! i could never devote an entire day every week to making bread. you rock! 😉
yum that looks good. I need to get your recipee. Your loaves turn out amazing!
That’s does look amazing and It’s even better that its not white. I don’t eat the stuff. Have not for years How did ya get the loaves sooo big. It looks huge compare to Little Woman. Great Job Little Woman helping out your momma with such a big job.