~view all of the recipes seen above (excluding the French bread) here~

Homemade food – dinner, pies and especially bread are extremely hard to outdo and over the past weekend, I had an opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade when it comes to bread making.

For quite some time now, I’ve found that the best gifts to receive are not things, but experiences.  So when my mother told me she and I had been invited to learn how to make artisan sourdough, rye and wheat bread from a close and very respected family friend, Anne Stephens, I was very excited. First of all, I admire, am inspired and intrigued by Anne and her family’s life (having lived on both the east & the west coasts, owned a bookstore, and being the most down to earth person I know who has such amazing stories to tell). And her baking, I can remember a peach pie with a touch of raspberries incorporated into the filling – the subtle touch made the most amazing difference and the crust was mouthwatering.

Needless to say, I was ready to absorb the tips and tricks she was willing to share. First of all, I must set the stage.  In a beautifully situated ranch style home which was custom built, the amount of light that floods their beautiful home makes it feel as though you are almost sitting in the middle of the field gazing up at the majestic Mount Joseph which stares down at the residents of Wallowa County with snowcapped ridges. All the while we kneaded away in her open kitchen.

We decided upon three different bread recipes, wheat bread, Swedish orange rye bread and sourdough French bread (shown above). And upon taking this photo, the bread was swiftly taken to my parents’ house and enjoyed with Spaghetti alla Carbonara, a delicious pear, pecan & arugula salad and a wonderful glass of L’Ecole No. 41 “Walla Viola” chenin blanc.  Absolutely the most decadently simple homemade meal I have had in quite some time. And of course, what made it even more special was the company I shared it with and the conversations we engaged in.

Key Things To Keep In Mind:

*Being at the right temperature for raising bread dough is paramount for successful break making (85-100 degrees Fahrenheit).

*Knead bread dough for about 5-10 minutes until it is as “soft as a baby’s bottom”. (I realized immediately, I had never kneaded long enough.)

*Patience is required – plan on making bread on a day when you will be staying home and have no errands that demand you leave the house.

*The amount of yeast I had used in the past wasn’t enough. (I had been using 1 1/2 teaspoons)

*Lukewarm water (comfortable to the touch), not hot, not cold, is required to activate the yeast.

*Feel free to freeze your bread. Simply wrap it tightly in tin foil.

*This recipe can make one large loaf (as seen above) or two small loaves.

(Anne Stephens’ recipe)

{If you don’t know someone who has sourdough starter who can help get you started, click here to learn how to create your own starter or catch your very own.}

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