While we were on Atlantic Avenue, we stumbled upon an awesome cook supply store called A Cook’s Companion. This store is dangerous.
We ended up leaving with a huge haul. Small baking loaf tins for mini loaves of bread, a replacement lemon press (these are the one that look like they belong in a tool shed – once you have one of these you cannot live without one), a pizza tray, egg cups and a salt pig.
Here is our Himalayan Pink Salt in the salt pig-
We also got a stoneware butter keeper.
About two months ago we made our own butter. It is awesome and so easy and we’ll keep doing it. We have been storing it a glass pyrex in the fridge but to spread it on bread just doesn’t happen as it is so hard. While we were at the store we saw a proper butter keeper that uses water to keep the butter fresh while it remains spreadable. Strange I know, but it really does work!
Because our butter is raw, we’ll have to still keep it in the fridge to keep it fresh but we can take it out the night before in the butter keeper to ensure it is spreadable for our morning toast.
Here is how the butter keeper looks on the table –
And here… our own butter!
Now.. about the baking. One of Bill’s ideas for Lent was to rely on home made bread only. This is the culmination of two years of on and off testing to get the kind of bread that is the equivalent of Bakers Delight bread. He found a recipe, tested it, has the routine down to perfection and the bread is amazing. I don’t think I could go back to store bought bread again. It has been one of the struggles of moving here and Bill made it his challenge to make sure that I had the kind of bread on hand that I loved. Yeah I know, I am very spoilt! I have to note – Bill makes this all by hand. We don’t have a bread maker and our kitchen is small – but he does this and does it perfectly.
Before their final rise, here is what he is baking today –
4 mini loaves using our new pans and also we’ll get another two regular loaves baked. Keeping it fresh is an issue. We have sandwiches for the first few days while we use up the fresh loaf and freeze one loaf sliced for toast and sandwiches.
This was the bread from last weekend –
Here is the photo of the inside – it does not do this spongy, soft goodness justice!
Again – no bread mix, no bread maker – just good ingredients and Bill know-how and patience. The smell of the bread cooking that fills this apartment is just an added bonus!
Edit – here was the final result of today’s batch. He also made his amazing Lemon Cake for a meeting at Queen of All Saints this afternoon!
