Baking Bread

Back in the seventies when I was a domestic diva, I learned the joy of bread baking. Why I got into it, I can't remember, but it was a time when the book Diet for a Small Planet was influencing the way we thought about food, and I became a part of the whole earthy thing. Thanks to my my German genes, I took to bread making naturally. As I pressed and turned the warm dough I felt not only a oneness with it but also a connection to all the women who ages before me had done the same. I baked sweet, savory, and hearty loaves, braids and doughnuts, and eventually developed enough confidence to try to duplicate any bread I had tasted with success. After I became a nurse, there was no more time for bread, because time is the main ingredient. Now I have a quieter house and occasionally the time and inclination, so I will get out the flour and yeast and come up with something. It is like riding a bike; you don't forget. But I have recently started learning more about different flours. I have enjoyed adding some spelt flour to yeast breads as well as quick breads and can tell the difference in flavor and texture. Tonight I made the best brownies; best because I used a pastry flour for the very first time. (I must remember to write how I did them.) Tomorrow I will probably use some of the organic whole wheat, with some spelt and bread flour for a healthy loaf.