White Bread

A thought occurred to me at work this weekend:  I’m rather detached from the circumstances around me. . . and I didn’t used to be.  I grew up in rural Ohio; my parents ran a dairy farm.  For college, I moved to Columbus which isn’t necessarily a big or violent city.  Regardless, when I started nursing school I remember facing the reality of violence and murder.  As an ICU turned ER nurse, these situations happen.  Not every person can have a miraculous recovery.  Frankly, most codes don’t result in the desired outcome.  This weekend, like many weekends, trauma filled the ER.  One patient had been shot and killed.  The team performed a well-orchestrated resuscitation.  And then, life went on.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I still hope to see that beat on the monitor.  Yet, at the end of the night, I come home, hug my Nate, and go to sleep. 

And when I wake up, I make food.  Like bread.  Simple and basic.  The stuff at the grocery is an injustice to the name Bread.  Real bread is soft, warm, chewy, moist, and amazing.  No candle compares to the scent of a loaf fresh out of the oven.  And little known secret, real bread has actual comforting powers.  Try it and you’ll see.

White Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon AND 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 2 3/4 cups bread flour

Directions: 

Combine water, salt, sugar, oil, and yeast.  Add 1-1/4 cup flour.  Stir together.  It will still be on the soupy side.  Allow to sit in a warm place, covered with a towel.  Allow this to rise until around double in size, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.

Using the remaining 1/4 cup to flour a work surface, slowly knead in the remaining 1-1/4 cup flour.  It shouldn’t take long, just until the flour is fully incorporated.  Form the dough into a nice ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover and allow to rise like before, doubling in size.

Place in a greased bread pan.  Allow the bread to rise one last time until it peaks above the pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes.  If you prefer a less brown crust, tent some foil over it for the last few minutes of baking. 

Look, he’s helping take pictures!