The sense of smell is a very powerful memory stimulant. The scent of gardenias immediately takes me back to summer days at my grandmother’s house where a shiny green bush starred with fragrant white flowers greeted me and all comers at the front porch. Likewise, when I smell bread baking I need only close my eyes and I can almost hear my mom humming as she pulled rolls out of the oven for dinner.
Bread can be deceptively simple looking – a plain white loaf cut into slices becomes a wrapper for the more interesting filling of meat, cheese and colorful toppings. Add some sesame seeds and it becomes the fancy holder for a hamburger. But getting that perfect loaf with an almost mahogany brown crust and the perfect internal structure can take a lot of practice and the more complicated bread doughs and loaf designs provide a challenge to even seasoned bakers.
So you can see how it’s easy to have a whole category dedicated to breads on my baking bucket list. The goal is not just to complete the challenge but to master it. I expect my house will smell like fresh bread for days on end as I practice, practice, practice … but that’s a consequence I am willing to live with.
– Barb
Links to the bread posts:
8 Plait Bread Braid
Star bread
On the list:
- Carved and stenciled loafs
- Bread centerpiece
- Sour dough bread
- Stuffed Bread