Since my sourdough has been a little unpredictable lately, I decided to make a double batch of Japanese Milk Bread. It’s the same recipe I made for the Thanksgiving hot rolls. So tender and soft! The recipe shows the loaf made in four pieces in the loaf pan. I did that the first time but didn’t see the point other than looks, so I just made it in a regular loaf shape. The recipe makes one loaf so I doubled it and it worked just fine. You can find the recipe here.

As I was working up this bread, I was reminded the dough is deceiving. I waited the requisite 60-90 minutes for the first rise and it only puffed up a little. I thought I’d messed up another bread batch, but I decided to heat a small saucepan of water to a boil then put it in the bottom of the oven. That brought the rise up much better. I’ll bet I let that bread rise between 2.5 and 3.0 hours. Then I shaped it and let it rise in the pan another 1 to 1.5 hours before baking it.

Bread baking is a science, but it’s also an art. After you’ve baked for a while, you get a feel for the dough. And there are so many factors that affect the rise. Temperature, humidity, quality of ingredients, and barometric pressure all make a huge difference in your results. 

Other than the baking, we didn’t have much else to do yesterday. It was quite a bit cooler last night than it has been, but I toughed it out in the camper anyway. I just turned the little ceramic heater on, turned the electric blanket up a bit and I was snug as a bug in a rug. Mr. FixIt goes bowling tonight so I’ll have my little bit of weekly quiet time. Who knows? I might learn something new and share it with you this week!

Hope you have a Blessed Sunday!

💚

“And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”   ‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for a safe travel day for Big as she went home for Spring Break. They’re planning a big meal today with her favorite green chili that her Mimi makes for her.

#Bread, #Baking, #Family