I happened across The Baker's Bench the other day. It seems that Sandy has taken a stand and decided to bake all of her own bread this year. ALL OF IT - including bagels, hamburger buns and bread sticks, as well as everyday sandwich bread. Wow.
I am a bread baker, but I'm a lazy one. I usually start with wonderful intentions of a house filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread, but then I get busy and end up picking up a baguette on the way home. I have baked hamburger buns and bread sticks (the latter with unimpressive results), but I generally buy these, too. I have never actually made a bagel.
But let's be honest, no store-bought bread can hold a candle to homemade. So I considered the possibility of accepting the challenge. Could I really bake all of my bread this year? Well, yeah, I can. So I'm in. I have joined the ranks of the BYOB bakers. Hooray!
Please check back for many bread recipes and follow me as I learn how to make bread sticks worth eating, perfect a "real" French baguette, discover some fun new grains and sprinkle sesame seeds on hamburger buns. I'll probably take another stab at nurturing a sourdough starter. Who knows, I might even try to make bagels.
Sandy hosts a roundup of bread recipes contributed by all of the BYOB bakers on the 1st and the 15th of each month. Visit The Baker's Bench to meet the others and see all of the bread recipes. Maybe you'll be inspired to join us.
Let's Bake!
