Isolation Bread Baking - Part 1

Stay-at-Home #1

If I hear one more person say, "....during these unprecedented times....," or ".... we are all in this together.....," I will scream. Yes, we are experiencing a stay-at-home order, but why such drama? Must everything be such hyperbole? 

I decided that when I'm not wallowing on my couch in pure boredom and frustration, I would learn how to make bread. And gain weight. 

I started with a very easy recipe from Peter Reinhart's masterful cookbook "The Bread Baker's Apprentice". You can find the recipe on line or you can purchase the book for yourself. Warning: it's quite a serious cookbook including lots of scientific explanations and lengthy techniques, but I know you have time on your hands during these unprecedented times...... 

 One major suggestion is to roll the dough two times as large as the recipe suggests. Reinhart calls for one sheet pan and it will easily roll to fit two sheet pans. You'll get a better, crispier cracker.

Here you see various seeds and paprika. Delicious. I also made a batch with Middle Eastern spices (curry, cumin, harissa, mustard seed, etc) and it was out of this world! Be sure to include black pepper and/or salt.