Bread making

is definitely an art as well as a craft. I have not made much progress in it. 

I long ago gave up believing I could knead bread by hand. My fore paws are not strong enough to do this successfully. The Senior Cat had no idea when I once tried to show him what to do. 

It was after that we were given a bread machine. It was a second hand find by a friend. She found it in what would amount to a pawn shop I suppose.  It was in the window and looked almost new. Knowing my friend I also knew it had been thoroughly inspected before she bought it and gave it to us. 

She had the same brand and model herself. I was given strict instructions about the need for accuracy in the ratios of yeast to flour to water. For the first few months I stuck strictly to the suggested ratios and I added nothing else to the mix.

After that I cautiously added things. The "raisin" cycle meant I could fill the little cavity provided with pepitas or sunflower seeds without much trouble at all. The Senior Cat and I decided that such additions were a distinct improvement. 

Since then I have added other things as well - sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fruit and more. I have varied the flour. I have taken out a cup of one sort of flour and added another. For the most part I have used mixtures of wheat, rye and barley. The flour for those is more readily available. I have added chopped nuts. I have added cheese.

Getting through a loaf of bread on my own can only be done by cutting it in half - and then freezing one half. I don't eat a lot of it. On a couple of occasions I have succumbed to buying bread.

Yesterday a friend came for lunch. She comes about once a month - after a meeting. I made bread. She took half the loaf home with her. It is about the right amount for each of  us. 

But it wasn't that so much as something else. I went outside to wave her goodbye and then back inside again. Even a couple of hours later there was faint aroma of freshly baked bread. It smelt good. It was a reminder of one more good reason to make my own bread.