Bread...No, scratch that....FRESH Bread!!

There's just something about freshly baked, fragrant, soft chewy bread. You know; the good stuff. Restaurant quality goodness that if you try and buy it at the market is sold for an arm and a leg as "Artisan Bread". This happens to be one of the areas of the culinary expertise which has consistently eluded me. Seriously, up to this point, the results of my bread making efforts have been of the brick variety. So, being me I have decided to conquer this oh so terrifying aspect of my culinary repertoire. 

Yes, since this idea popped into my mind, it has become something of a mania...why you ask? Well, it all started last week when I was planning a simple dinner of grilled cheese and soup. As I began checking for items I would need before my trip to the market, I grabbed the full loaf of whole wheat bread on the counter,  (one of many) checking through the bag to make sure it was still good. No mold! Yay, one less thing I have to buy! I was just about to set it down and I noticed the little colored tag at the opening. The date was... OMG. This bread is almost a MONTH old! I opened it up and inspected it a bit more closely, no funny smell, no mold, still soft. My Gawd! I can only imagine what heinous chemicals they have added to this that it won't even molder after a month! Nope, not for my kids!

So after trying the whole kneading and sifting thing a few times while the kids were at school (had to make sure those merciless little midgets didn't witness my failure) I started looking for cookbooks. Found one! It has since arrived and I am positively blissful in my new ability to make fresh bread, without a bread machine, even with high altitude and even with my crappy oven.

The book is called, "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and for once it is a truthful title (not including bake time of course). Basically, you make a load of dough in your mixer (No Kneading...I know, I think I just had a "food "O" typing that!), throw it in a tupperware, let it rise and then put it in the fridge. I can do that! When you want bread, grab a hunk of dough, shape it, let it rest a bit and bake.....beyond wonderful! I just made a different variety of dough today, and I will let you know how it turns out. Till then....I am in bread bliss with 3 loaves waiting to bake! Toodles.