Paul, over at The Fresh Loaf, had some interesting thoughts this morning on why we bake bread, and what it is that makes bread important as bread—especially its flavor.
Which started me thinking. (A potentially dangerous activity, but I risk it from time to time.) I started baking bread again about six months ago, because I missed the experience of baking, but also because I missed the taste and smell of home-made bread. But as I've blogged about the recipes, even with all the descriptions of how to do it, and lovely pictures (or sometimes not so lovely?), I've been leaving out that important point: the resistance, then give, of the crust in your teeth; the warm, sharp tang of the sourdough; the simple "Here I am, feeding you!" of plain white bread. I'm going to change that. I'll start blogging more about what the bread smells like, and feels like, and reminds me of.
As I said when I wrote my About Me page, is part of what I'd like to be sharing with all of you: not just "How do I make this bread?" or "What does it look like?" but "What is it like to make this bread, and eat it?" That's important to me. Bread is not just intended to be something mechanically produced (despite the existence of commercial bakeries); the whole process of bread-making, and certainly the bread itself, is to be savored both literally and figuratively.
So the next time I think to myself, "What am I going to blog about?" I know what one answer will be. Go into the kitchen, cut a slice of bread, close my eyes, and ... aah. The proof of the loaf, and its purpose as well, are in the eating. That's why "all sorrows are less with bread." God speed!
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