Bread

I've been trying to stream-line the baking around here. Gluten free baking is much more involved than the standard wheat-flour baking, so with so many of us having to eat gluten free now, instead of just Josiah, (who has been the lone Celiac member of our family for six years now), I've had to do a bit of adjusting.

And pouting.

And crying.

Not because I can no longer eat gluten, but because, as the mama and everything else around here, I do most of the work. (Of course, all of this is possible because of my incredibly hard-working hunny, who also pitches in around the house a lot.) And my work load has increased exponentially of late. And I spent a bit of time reminding God of all I already do, and questioning Him as to why that is not enough. Okay, I'll spare you the other gory details...

Jeremy has been encouraging me to spend money, if necessary, to make this lot in life a bit easier. So I did. First I bought the Pampered Chef Stoneware Loaf Pans that I've been wanting for forever. The loaves turned out like this:

This may not look like a big deal to anyone who's never baked gluten free, but my dear little Josiah was thrilled with the sheer size of this relatively massive loaf of goodness. My biggest challenge in gf baking has been in getting the loaf to rise properly, then to not sink while in the oven. But, still, with all the bread being consumed around here, and with all the work that makes gf baking so much more involved than standard baking, I have been spending way too much time in the kitchen.

Enter: the new bread maker.

After much research and reading of reviews, I am now the proud owner of the Breadman Pro TR875. Finally acquiring it is a long and drawn-out story, so I'll not share, but suffice it to say that the whole process invoked yet again, more tears. ANYWAY...here it is, and today I make the Maiden Baking. Or is it a Virgin Baking? Either way, I'll post some pictures if it actually turns out and I'm not in my safe crying place on the floor beside my bed...

Update: Well, I don't want to be less than optimistic, but I am, after all, a realist. Not a pessimist, a realist. So that just means I call 'em as I see 'em. And to be perfectly honest, while I'm not beside my bed crying, I am disappointed. This bread did not turn out well. I had to dig the paddle out from the bottom of the loaf, and when I picked it back up to stand and cool, the sides had sunken in. I guess I have a bit of tweaking to do to the recipe. Gee, I wouldn't want ANYTHING to be too easy.