Fresh Bread

My wheat/white bread.

Ever since I started cooking for myself one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen in bread.  My Mom use to bake bread fairly often and there is nothing quite like the smell of bread baking in the oven.  I love the taste and texture of fresh bread and will all the jam and jelly Molly put up this year we need something to spread it on.  I used to always make a simple french  bread mostly because the recipe is predictable and I can count on it rising.  I still use the same recipe but now I do 50/50 whole wheat / white flower mixture.  I feel that this gives the bread a little more nutrition and makes it hardier.  I would like to start adding more grains and seeds and stuff to the bread, again to make it more nutritious and hardy.  One of the things I love a making bread is that the ingredients are so simple and that I almost always have what I need on hand.  The final reason I love making bread is that it give me an excuse to have the oven on for a while and make the kitchen nice and warm.  Just picture it: a warm kitchen, the smell of fresh bread, homemade strawberry jam that gives off a little wisp of steam as you spread it on the bread still hot from the oven.  If your mouth isn't watering you should probably see a doctor.

-Ryan