staff of life

If you don't eat gluten, you might not enjoy this post. I am getting the hang of the artisan bread baking...from my first ugly loaf (here,) to my second loaf, below, to today's collage photo of stages of my second batch of dough, I am finding the knack of handling the dough. In my bread-mania, I managed to purchase a dough bucket and pizza peel online since the first batch, and having the right tools does make the process easier. The consistency, taste, and crust is so much better than what my bread machine made all those years. I think I will never use the machine again. It has been in storage in the cellar for about seven or eight years as it is. Time to find someone who would like it. Meanwhile, good thing this only makes a one pound loaf at a time. It is hard to stop eating this even after you are no longer hungry. [Recipe found at the preceding hyperlink.]

second loaf - first batch of dough -- still couldn't get the "slash" right on top

second batch of dough...the slashes worked this time!