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Buns in the Oven
Jun. 3rd, 2021 09:49 pmAah, the weekend.
I got up earlier than I wanted to, but that's what happens when you have bread to bake.
Honestly, as tired as I am, and as much as I always need the sleep, having a few hours of quiet in the early morning is almost just as good to have. The house is still cool, the hot Florida sun hasn't yet broken through the haze of humidity, and I can see what I need to see with just ambient outdoor light. I prepare my mise en place, taking my time, each ingredient on the scale and into a small dish or measuring cup while the kettle heats on the stove. I add the yeast to a bowl of warm water or milk and honey so it can wake and bloom, and I pour myself fresh hot coffee so I can wake and bloom, too. I add the dry ingredients and mix the dough by hand, feeling when the lumps are gone and the dough is smooth and sticky.
And after that is usually when I start f*cking things up. Lol.
But seriously, it's really nice, to take my time and just enjoy the process.
To have just a few hours where I'm not supposed to be at work, or rushing to finish chores so I can practice steno.
To drink my coffee slowly from a mug, instead of gulping it between potholes on the way to work.
So if I'm such a terrible person for wanting that time to myself--for demanding it each week--then I guess I'm a terrible person.
I guess the Peanut Gallery can tisk away about how I choose to spend my time for a few hours each week. I'll probably never understand why it should matter to anyone else, or how me baking bread once a week warrants commentary at all. And I'll probably still get upset and defensive from time to time. But I'm still going to have time to myself like this. Because to some extent, I'm a Person, and I'm allowed.
Anyway, I had intended to make another brioche using an online recipe, but I overworked the dough and ended up having to throw it out. So instead I simply moved to the next recipe in my book, which is "Orange Blossom Brioche". It's the same brioche recipe as last week but with orange zest, orange blossom water, and wildflower honey instead of sugar. I hadn't wanted to make this loaf because I didn't think it would be a flavor I'd like. But we live in Florida, so really, how could I skip the ORANGE bread?
I made it exactly as instructed, with one very small deviation: I added just a little vanilla in place of a little of the orange water (which was optional anyway).
About the orange water, it wasn't available in any stores near me, so I had ordered it on Amazon around 5am, and it arrived that same evening around 5pm. Isn't technology amazing? Also, is Amazon hoarding orange water? Lol.
I first mixed the milk, honey, yeast, and eggs to let the yeast activate for a few minutes. Then I added the vanilla, orange water, and softened butter, whisking it until the butter was broken into smaller chunks. I poured the flour on top, and the salt and orange zest on top of that, then mixed it all together by hand. It rested for 30 minutes while I ate breakfast, then I kneaded it on the floured countertop for about 10 minutes at which point it was still sticky, but more firm and stretchy. Brioche dough is always stickier than regular dough due to all the sugar and butter.
( Read more... )
I got up earlier than I wanted to, but that's what happens when you have bread to bake.
Honestly, as tired as I am, and as much as I always need the sleep, having a few hours of quiet in the early morning is almost just as good to have. The house is still cool, the hot Florida sun hasn't yet broken through the haze of humidity, and I can see what I need to see with just ambient outdoor light. I prepare my mise en place, taking my time, each ingredient on the scale and into a small dish or measuring cup while the kettle heats on the stove. I add the yeast to a bowl of warm water or milk and honey so it can wake and bloom, and I pour myself fresh hot coffee so I can wake and bloom, too. I add the dry ingredients and mix the dough by hand, feeling when the lumps are gone and the dough is smooth and sticky.
And after that is usually when I start f*cking things up. Lol.
But seriously, it's really nice, to take my time and just enjoy the process.
To have just a few hours where I'm not supposed to be at work, or rushing to finish chores so I can practice steno.
To drink my coffee slowly from a mug, instead of gulping it between potholes on the way to work.
So if I'm such a terrible person for wanting that time to myself--for demanding it each week--then I guess I'm a terrible person.
I guess the Peanut Gallery can tisk away about how I choose to spend my time for a few hours each week. I'll probably never understand why it should matter to anyone else, or how me baking bread once a week warrants commentary at all. And I'll probably still get upset and defensive from time to time. But I'm still going to have time to myself like this. Because to some extent, I'm a Person, and I'm allowed.
Anyway, I had intended to make another brioche using an online recipe, but I overworked the dough and ended up having to throw it out. So instead I simply moved to the next recipe in my book, which is "Orange Blossom Brioche". It's the same brioche recipe as last week but with orange zest, orange blossom water, and wildflower honey instead of sugar. I hadn't wanted to make this loaf because I didn't think it would be a flavor I'd like. But we live in Florida, so really, how could I skip the ORANGE bread?
I made it exactly as instructed, with one very small deviation: I added just a little vanilla in place of a little of the orange water (which was optional anyway).
About the orange water, it wasn't available in any stores near me, so I had ordered it on Amazon around 5am, and it arrived that same evening around 5pm. Isn't technology amazing? Also, is Amazon hoarding orange water? Lol.
I first mixed the milk, honey, yeast, and eggs to let the yeast activate for a few minutes. Then I added the vanilla, orange water, and softened butter, whisking it until the butter was broken into smaller chunks. I poured the flour on top, and the salt and orange zest on top of that, then mixed it all together by hand. It rested for 30 minutes while I ate breakfast, then I kneaded it on the floured countertop for about 10 minutes at which point it was still sticky, but more firm and stretchy. Brioche dough is always stickier than regular dough due to all the sugar and butter.
( Read more... )
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