I got back from Moab last night.
Correction: I got back from Moab at 1 A.M. this morning, but I don’t like to split hairs (That is a total lie). I slept in late (for me), got my nephew and I lunch, sent nephew off back home to his parents and his pup, and picked up my own pup. I meant to grab a lot more photos of my desert adventures but, um, I didn’t. Though I did see Kevin Costner (through a spotting scope) filming one of the Horizon Sequels while camping on the river, so you know I had a good time.
I decided that this afternoon, I’d attack a bread recipe from the book I mentioned in my first post. This isn’t actually the first recipe I attempted. The first one I tried about a week before I left on my vacation and it was a dismal failure. I think it was a kneading issue. I tried Molasses Wheat Bread and it was. . . not good. So this time I decided to do a simpler recipe and it was great!
So I present: Sally Lunn Yeast Bread!
I had no idea who Sally Lunn was, though the book said she was an Englishwoman who sold her baked goods on the streets and her recipes came to America. With this rather sparse biography, I decided to look her up. Apparently, she might not have even existed. Regardless, the bread lives on, and it’s delicious!
First, I had to dissolve yeast.
Then I had to make an iced latte.
I meant to get a photo of all the ingredients but I forgot I had planned to do this and just measured them as I added them to the mixer. But butter is important.
Add a bit of sugar and cream together.
A coupla eggs.
My sister has chickens, and we got fresh eggs every day in Moab (or could have, I only ate eggs twice while I was there because I usually only wanted coffee in the mornings).
Then I added flour and milk in alternating batches as I mixed them together, ending off with the dissolved yeast.
I beat it all until the batter/dough was smooth and sticky.
Mmm sticky and springy
So then I left it in a slightly warm oven to rise for two hours. Halfway through, I actually added boiling water to a pan underneath to transform the oven into a rudimentary proof box. I learned this trick in culinary school, actually, and it works like a charm.
Soft and still sticky!
The recipe calls for a tube pan, which I don’t actually own. I found a bundt pan and used that instead. I had to “pour” the batter into the pan, though it was too sticky to actually do that, but it worked.
Ready for the second rise!
Back into a warm oven with a bit of water in pan, this time only for an hour.
It rose like a champ. I poked it at this stage and was delighted at how airy it felt. It’s hard to describe. But I could tell it wasn’t dense (which was hardly a surprise, considering it rose to the top of the pan!).
I put it into an oven and baked away for around 40 minutes. It was right on the money. Also, it was soooooo nice smelling this bread bake. It’s one of my favorite smells in the world, and I blame that fully on the fact that I spent so much of my childhood in my family’s bakery.
Pardon my messy stove.
Beautiful brown crust.
I texted a photo to my dad and he wanted to try it. My mom is out of town, but it should still be good by the time she gets back. Dad and I tried it with butter and it was so good! What really warmed my heart was when he said it looks like his grandma’s bread. He also said it tasted like hers too. I love the idea of connecting to the past through something as simple as baking bread. It’s part of why I’m blogging this process. I love making food and sharing it!
Look at that crumb structure!
When I brought it back home I remembered that I bought some prickly pear jelly in Moab. I decided to try it on the bread and it was delicious. Prickly Pear is hard to describe. It’s sweet and a bit tart. It was the perfect counterpoint to this egg yeast bread.
So I’d say this recipe is a success! I have to go back to eating healthy tomorrow, as I indulged in junk food WAY too much on my trip. However, I will definitely be eating a slice or two of this bread until it’s gone!
The Solo Geographer 