Easy bread making is one of those kitchen myths like a non stick frying pan and an organised pot cupboard. Easy the instructions may be but the alchemy of bread baking is in the hands of the proving gods. My most trusted bread adviser tells me, having worked many years in the commercial bread producing trade that if you wipe your finger across the texture of the bread and it comes away too easy then it needs more proving. This was only my second attempt so I was pretty happy with a 'needs to improve' mark on my report card. My early attempts swung between crusty but not risen or worse, cake like in bad need of beating - with a wooden plank. Flour power will bring good fortune because as we know if you start out with good ingredients the need for luck reduces. It's worth the pursuit to have the opportunity to have the home baked stuff. The smell of just out of the oven loaves with a firm but not denture cracking crust and the taste of local wholewheat flour is all about living the country dream. But the secret lies in ancient artisan skills that have proven (er, yes) that the modern commercial world just can't produce the magic quickly and cheaply. So back to the bench and time for another attempt at easy but not really, simple but most complex bread making. If I could just find what I did with the tin.
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