Bread

Every now and then I decide that I am going to attempt to make a loaf of bread. Usually I work all day long on it only to pull it out of the oven and find that it's too brown on top, gummy in the middle and just not what I had been hoping for. I have a friend, Tricia, who was my roommate in college many years ago. Tricia was a home ec. major (oh sorry, I mean Family and Consumer Science major) and she used to make bread for us very often. I was always impressed with her abilities at such a young age - she knew how to cook and clean, sew and decorate. She was the ideal mother-in-the-making. So whenever I would attempt to make bread I would always e-mail Tricia, tell her how I failed and ask what I needed to do to make it better. Well, the other day she e-mailed me and was telling me about all of her sick kids (we're all sick too so I could sympathize with her) and how she was going to go make wheat bread since she loved it and it made her feel better. I decided yesterday that I was going to try and make a loaf of my own. I have never tried to make wheat bread before so this was new to me. Well...after mixing (thanks to Trevor and Colin for helping to pour everything in the mixer) and rising and punching down and rising again I took two perfect loaves of bread out of the oven. I was so proud of myself I just had to show it off. It was perfectly browned on top, not gummy at all in the middle, but soft and delicious. I was so happy to find I have a new skill! So, don't be surprised if I start giving out loaves of bread for things now that I know how to make it!