Dear Reader Column 9-19-05

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Dear Reader,

My husband, Bob, and I had a "Bread Bake-Off Contest" over the Labor Day Weekend. The only rule we adhered to was that the bread recipe had to include yeast. My husband chose a Hearty Wheat Bread, the recipe on the back of a gourmet wheat flour package. I was ambitious and decided to bake Northern Maine Oatmeal Bread, and I made a braided twist and cinnamon rolls from a sweet bread recipe that I used when I was in home economics class in 1968.

The sweet dough is a cool rise recipe--the dough rises while it's sitting in the refrigerator, and you can leave it in the fridge for 2 to 48 hours. There wasn't time to wait for bread dough to rise and then bake it off all in one class period, so it was the perfect recipe for students. And I have to say that it's still a perfect, no-fail recipe for me today, too.

Everyone interprets a recipe a little differently. The instructions in the recipe that my husband was using instructed him to warm up his bowl. The next thing I knew, he had the hair dryer on full blast and was aiming it at his baking bowl. (Yes, there is a photo link at the end of this column.)

After my husband tasted my oatmeal bread and cinnamon rolls, he awarded me the Bread Bake-Off Blue Ribbon and he suggested that I shouldn't even taste-test his bread. The poor guy, his bread looked hearty all right, so hearty that in his words, "If we ever decide to build that addition on to our house, we can make the bricks out of this bread dough recipe."

We had a lot of fun making bread. In fact, I've made the bread a couple of times since then. Next Labor Day I think I'll invite my son and daughter-in-law to join in the "Beecher Bread Bake-Off Contest", too.

For recipes and photos that will make you hungry--my cinnamon rolls tasted mighty fine--go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/bread2.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

Comments

[Heather]

Just wanted to thank you for your book club, I have enjoyed the books you have selected so far. I ordered the mentoring book from the bookstore.

It is nice to link a face to the writing, and I enjoyed your bread bake-off pictures. Copied the recipes to try.

Have a great day,
Heather

[Mike Watson]

I think it is wonnderful that you have a such wonderful variety of books and that you use a variety of authors. All the books i have read so far are fantastic. Thanks again

mike watson