Bread and Soup

It’s Day Four of being in the new home. A few kinks to work out – especially since we won’t see our furniture for another 11 days! It was a Bekins mix-up. Oh well, shit happens, right?!? Fortunately, my sister and sister-in-law came through with some pots and pans, dishes and glassware to see us through.

On Day Two, I went shopping and decided to make a big pot of soup. It was wet and rainy, so soup sounded right. I had originally planned it as a lunch meal, but Victor suggested having it for dinner – so… I decided at the last minute to bake a loaf of bread to go along with it!

Not all bread takes hours to rise and bake… James Beard has several recipes that call for single rise, no rise, start in cold oven… and they’re all good loaves!

I went with his 20 minute rest/rise loaf – and it was perfect.

James Beard Single Rise Loaf

  • 2 package of active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-115 degrees)
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg white beaten with 1tbsp water
  • course salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Let proof about 5 minutes. Add oil and 1/4 cup flour. Mix.

Add salt. Add 1/2 cup of flour and continue mixing.  Slowly add remaining flour.

Knead for several minutes until the dough springs back and is satiny and smooth. It is a fairly wet dough.

Form into a loaf about 20 to 22 inches long, let loaf rest about 20 minutes.

Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt or seeds.

Bake in a preheated 300°F oven about 55 minutes.

Bread and Soup

The soup was beef and chorizo with carrots, celery, onion, green beans, diced tomatoes, and cannellini beans. The perfect first home-cooked meal!

After 55 days, it is a lot of fun being back in a real kitchen! I really cannot wait to have all of our kitchen equipment here and in place. I have no idea where everything is going to fit, but it’s going to be a lot of fun figuring it all out.

More meals to come!!