Bread-building!

Arete (a Greek word), meaning excellence of any kind. In its earliest appearance in Greek, this notion of excellence was the act of living up to one's full potential. (paraphrased from Wikipedia)

This is the bread-building book I’m starting from.

Arete in bread building is my goal. When I was a kidling in the early 1960s, we were living on the edge of a Midwestern city, Mom, or some mom, was always baking bread! I suppose most people of my generation and socioeconomic background grew up with the warmth of an oven and the fragrance of baking bread filling their houses and heads.

Wouldn’t you know it, I forgot the butter! Not having time to melt the delicious stuff I poured several tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl instead. Fortunately, the flour accepted it with a little extra effort from the mixer.

It sticks in my mind that a Catholic pope once ruled that during Lent bread could not be made using butter? As the story went, this ruling favored the olive oil producers, Italians mostly. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about such favoritism today. Still, the history of bread is fascinating.

Looks good so far.

I'm not much for shaping loaves yet. I figure the dough will rise enough to shape itself to the pan?

Yepper!

30 some years ago, I decided I’d have enough soft, bland white bread and took a shot at recreating Mom’s version of “basic white bread”, the first bread recipe listed in every home cookbook I’ve looked at from that time. Not only could I not eat what eventually came out of the oven, I couldn’t even cut to eat it! Since then I’ve baked loaves that actually turned the edges of an electric meat slicer, ruined an electric knife and provided family and friends with an excuse to laugh at me. I’ve also made breads those same people offered to buy from me! I’ve carried homemade loaves of herb bread, olive bread and white bread (sliced for sandwiches) along snow-covered roads so friends could have bread with their meals when the bread trucks couldn’t deliver to the local stores.

I’ve met bread builders who’s “so so” loaves have caused me to bang my head in frustration. I’ve given bread away at the local library and shook off the praises of “such good bread!” by telling everyone those loaves were my flops. The good bread I NEVER share!

I believe in balance. I don't share my good bread so my body has developed an intolerance to wheat gluten. Since I'm going to suffer a bit to enjoy a good chunk of bread I HAVE to build the best bread I can! Not being able to eat all the good bread means I have to share it. Ha! Hopefully my intolerance wont become a full blown disease the way it has for so many others I know.