Baking is Hard Core

Okay, so I took some pictures of my baking project the other day. Baking whole wheat bread.

(The pyrex bowls I got from my boyfriend's mother.)

So, baking bread certainly isn't easy, nor is it quick. It took a long time. I started baking around 5pm and it wasn't done until 11pm. Kneading, rising, punching, rising, punching, rising, moving the dough to baking dishes, rising. Baking.

(The blue bread pan is silicone. I spray both with pam butter flavor before baking so the bread slips out easily.)

It's so worth it though. I feel this great sense of accomplishment when I eat the bread. I made 2 loaves, as it seems most recipes make that many. I kept half out and put it in a biz slide plastic storage bag. I also put a paper towel in the bag.

The rest I wrapped in parchment paper and put into a freezer bag inside of a slide plastic storage bag like the other one. Then I put it all in the freezer. Oh, I also sucked all of the air out using a straw. Sucking yeasty fresh baked bread can give you a head rush.

I also baked a chocolate pudding cake and a Devil's Food cake for a friend. I took them to a get together on Sat urday with some friends. The chocolate pudding cake was devoured, and the friend got to take the Devil's Food cake home.

(This is the chocolate pudding cake. I still don't believe it was correct.)

In exchange for my baking efforts he spent hours slaving over a hot stove making krumkakes. You can find out info on them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krumkake

They were very yum.

Last night I found a recipe online for chocolate chip cookies and I used Bob's Red Mill Unbleached White Flour to make them. I want to make a whole wheat cookie. I thought about using whole wheat pastry flour. Any thoughts? Any recipes?

*Edit* I promised pictures a while back, and here they are.

First Post

Well, I was really hoping to get to bake some bread tonight. I may still do so. Unfortunately the yeast I thought I had was over a year old. Haha! I guess that's what happens when nobody bakes and you own yeast. 

I'm really not sure which type of yeast I should get though. Perhaps I'll buy both regular yeast and active dry yeast since man recipes require one or another. I run into both. 

I sure do hate driving at  night though. I suppose it could wait until tomorrow and I could bake one of those cakes I have promised to someone. One of the cake recipes calls for a 9x9 pan but I bought two 13x9 pans for transporting them in. 

I suspect I'll be doing my bit of baking next week while the bf is out of town. It'll be a nice distraction from the quiet of the house. 

I'll post up pictures of my baking fun as soon as I get down to it. 

Take care!

-Missdarque