I think it crawled in when I wasn't looking. Or maybe it happened when it was rising on the stove and it was doing it's best impression of "pretty bread" ready for the oven. It didn't even move as I brushed on the egg wash. But either way it was there when I went to go check on it. It was this creature. It must have been living under the stove - maybe before I even moved in just under a year ago. I kinda looked like a loaf of bread - that is if you squinted your eyes real small and maybe even closed one. If your eyes were wide open it was the creature from underneath the stove!
It's recipe #11 of the Bread Bakers Apprentice Challenge - Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread. The bread is straightforward and comes together pretty quickly. I added apricots along with the cranberries and walnuts. I made a double braid as suggested. I wanted to make a pretty loaf as I was giving it as a gift to friends that missed out on sticky buns do to a power nap that lasted way beyond power nap times. But I followed the directions to the tee - what happened?
Note: Maybe I am being critical but it was ugly!
This creature came out of the oven. It was U-G-L-Y. But T-A-S-T-Y. I had made a little boule for myself. I wanted to taste the bread. I loved the raisin bread and was looking forward to this one as well. I love apricots too. My little boule was very good. It was the perfect snack for the drive down to deliver my creature bread to friends. Thank goodness it tasted good...hopefully that made up for the odd funny shape loaf. Maybe I should have attached instructions that said only look at by candle light. Everything looks better by candlelight.
I still dont know what went wrong. But the taste made up for this odd looking loaf. The friends have reported back and they loved it. So I am happy.
Hopefully my English Muffins will be a little prettier but then do our stomachs really care...?
Be sure to check out The
Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread by Peter Reinhart.
Happy Baking!
I may be drunk you loaf of Celebration Bread, but in the morning, I will be sober and you will still be ugly! Tasty but ugly!
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5 comments:
Ha! Your beauty looks pretty much like mine. Now I feel better. You're right that it's tasty, though.
They can't all be beauties, right?
LOLOLOL! Loved your write up. Loved it! And always remember, just as beauty is only skin deep, so is ugly. Nice job Jennifer.
Gorgeous bread and great write up!
You had better luck than me. I never even got a chance to do the double braid because apparently I was missing the 3 4 ounces pieces. Followed everything to a T but ehh..
Plus I was not really excited about this bread so I just grudgingly threw it in the oven and called up friends to come take it from me.
Your bread was still awesome. I had my braid topple over and it looked totally deformed. But man, was it tasty!
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