Bread: Part 3 – Tassajara Yeasted

Today I made bread for the first time following the Tassajara Yeasted Bread recipe. My last two posts have also been about the preparation of this event.

I made the bread without a mixer, or a bread machine, using just a bowl, a spoon and my hands. Oh… and a couple of bread pans and a hot oven.

Tassajara Bread spongethe important sponge

Tassajara Bread add salt & oil salt and oil added

Tassajara Bread add flour

with flour

Tassajara Bread rise 1

kneaded and set to rise

Tassajara Bread risen 45 min

risen after 45 minutes

Tassajara Bread punched down

then punched down

Tassajara Bread 2nd rise 45 min

only to rise again after 45 minutes

Tassajara Bread ready for the oven

then kneaded and ready for the oven

Tassajara Bread baked

baked bread

Tassajara Bread slice

sliced

Tassajara Bread slice

the contentment of success

“The food will taste better when the cook is joyful.” Edward Espe Brown

Bread: Part 2 – From the beginning

Ten days ago I shared my desire to bake bread. Here’s my progress so far. I’ve begun reading The Tassajara Bread Book that arrived from Amazon. The Tassajara Bread Book is written by Edward Espe Brown, a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, teacher and chef.  His website is The Peaceful Sea Sangha and he has a Facebook page.

The Tassajara Bread Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought the basic ingredients for making Tassajara Yeasted bread. I went shopping at Restaurant Depot for kitchen supplies. I purchased two bread pans and a new board.pans & board
The Tassajara Yeasted Bread recipe is the basis for all the other recipes in the book, so it seems like the right place to start. The Washington Post calls The Tassajara Bread Book the “The Bible of bread baking”. I’m hoping to have a religious experience.

 

Bread

I want to learn to make bread. I want to learn to  make it without even thinking. I want it to be effortless. I want it to be delicious…

I want I want I want I want I want… also there is no Greek angle on this post, but I have been thinking about this for a long time. Time to get into action.

Here’s my first step toward this desire: The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown. I need to buy this book. I learned about this book because I watch a lot of documentaries. This is one of my favorites and how I learned about the book.

I’ll keep you posted (ha! double meaning) on my progress…