A Lesson in Artisan Bread Baking with Flea Market Find: Pyrex Bowls

I had a spur-of-the moment notion yesterday driven by the need to get my hands on some old kitchen ware needed for a bread recipe. I asked dear husband if he'd like to accompany me to a flea market (third weekends of every month in Belleville, Illinois--in case you find yourself in the same predicament). I hadn't shared with him my motive just yet, but he was game. Out the door in fifteen and there we were were at the flea market on Sunday. My goal: Pyrex.

Before I launch into the whole Hunt for Pyrex Sunday, let me tell you why it happened.

I've tinkered with bread baking for over ten years now. There isn't a lot I haven't tried. Okay, maybe no croissants. But still. I even went the GF route for a bit. I'm lucky enough to still be able to tolerate bread and all its gluten glory. But not too much.  

I came across Bread Toast Crumbs by Alexandra Stafford this weekend and began reading through both book and blog. I discovered that all last year this was the IT bread recipe and bread book on FB and social media. (You can find the recipe for the basic bread on her blog.) I had no idea. How had I missed this? I worked around books all day! I was out of the loop on all things bread and it broke my heart a little to be honest. 

Alexandra's no-knead method of baking same day bread reminded me of my Jim Lahey no-knead obsession. Only with her mother's recipe (acquired after many years of asking--she goes into this in her book), the task of bread baking occurs same day with similar results. One quaint difference in baking these marvelous little miracles was her use of pint and a half sized Pyrex bowls my mother used to have. . . EVERYWHERE! Immediately I looked through all of the many bowls I had on hand to find that just perfect Pyrex dish. I had three. None in the size I wanted for the recipe for an artisan boule. 

I began my bread mixing at 3:30 in the afternoon. I wanted to try the flax seed and quinoa loaf, made with a bit of olive oil and the requisite instant yeast. The loaves surpassed my expectation. The addition of the flax and quinoa made for a healthier tasting dinner bread vs a plain AP flour loaf. The golden crust and wonderful light, moist crumb along with a good rise were delicious. The bread sliced up perfectly after a good twenty minute rest after baking. We ate half a loaf with dinner, then I sliced up the rest for toast this morning and froze the other loaf. 

So now for the the Hunt for Pyrex Sunday antique expedition. At the flea market scanning over the hundreds of tables of everything you can imagine (we're big fans of American Pickers), we channeled our inner Mike, Frank and Danielle. DH and I split up. Me on a Pyrex mission, him on a wood working/tool mission. I hadn't traveled more than one aisle and I spotted them: my mother's Pyrex. (Well, not exactly, but yes. . . exactly!) I had to contain my thrill or I'd be paying out the waazoo. I looked at the bottoms and rims of the nest of one set and of a single of the 1.5 pint sized bowl sold separately because apparently it is from the "Pyrex Friendship" collection. Who knew? I wanted the set AND the single bowl because I needed two of the pint-sized for my bread. I wasn't paying the tagged price of course because: I'd watched Pickers! And yes, I researched asking prices online, which I must say shocked me to my core. Honestly, where have I been? These things are like gold apparently. I must have seemed a little too eager because I was hugging the entire set against my body as other shoppers lurked around this vendor's table. I said, "You have a very good eye." Trying to butter her up. I added, "I remember this set. . . what would you take for these, plus the little one?" She went high. I went no. I said another number. She stuck to her price (which was still lower than ticket--so at least I felt somewhat satisfied on price wrangling). Then I spotted another Pyrex piece, a measuring cup--asked to "bundle"--what price might I get? I wasn't t bluffing anyone here. She flexed a bit more, but not too much. However, I added before I handed over my cash, I'd not be back if I found a better deal elsewhere. She said, Good luck, you won't. Hmm. Okay then: deal. 

DH found a rock breaking tool for a song on his journey. We toured the rest of the flea market and the vendor I bought my Pyrex from was right--the other sets were not nearly as good in price nor in appearance than the one I found. She and I talked a bit more. I explained the whole bread thing, Pyrex baking. She seemed to not have heard about this, but was definitely interested in learning more, asking me again what the name of the cookbook was. I was happy to share. In her booth was another awesome bread baking find in cast iron cookware. I had it already but made sure to tell her that she would have no problem selling it if another bread baker came along seeking the perfect no-knead bread vessel.  

I'll tell you one thing, I love my set. I love them so much. I have a hunch why. These were the food vessels of my youth. They have my mother etched all over them. Every dinner we had, there was trusty old Pyrex. They're now a part of the dinner table again and I couldn't be happier.

Vegan Icelandic Coffee Wreath (because it's time for a little less talking and a little more baking)

I have a great need to be in the kitchen. Baking calms me. It makes getting through the news, the oncoming winter and the holidays bearable. I have to keep busy. Following recipes and pinching and folding dough as in this recipe--it's like meditation. Yesterday I baked cookies. Last week, it was this coffee cake. People can be cruel, life can be dreadfully challenging, heartbreaking and sad, but coping by baking--I don't know why, it seems like the right thing to do now. It won't cure the ills of society, but it fills my soul and gives me perspective on life and simply getting through one day at a time, sharing food to show love--this works for me. You can mix the dough for this pastry in about five minutes before you go to bed. The next morning, you'll need about ten minutes to pull the dough from the fridge, combine the filling and roll the wreath. Let it proof for about 45 minutes while the oven preheats and viola: coffee cake. There is literally nothing in the world I love more with my espresso in the morning than this. I have to keep my paws off it all day long while it sits under the cake keeper on the kitchen counter mocking me. This confection always impresses the husband. 

(Let's be honest, it'll impress anyone.)

The aroma of almond, citrus with cinnamon and nutmeg lingers in the house for about two days after it's been baked. 

Our home smells like early winter mornings when we have this on hand, and I love it.  

One Hour Bread (if it looks like bread, tastes like bread, then. . . )

This bread recipe works. That's all I have to say on the matter of this loaf. Whether or not you believe truly worthy bread can only be had through a "looong fermentation/resting" period, or from hundred year old sourdough starter, sometimes a girl's gotta have bread. And now, not tomorrow. (I'll be a cast out by the "bread heads" for saying this, but I've yet to have a sourdough starter loaf of bread knock my socks off.) Anyhow, if you feel daring--oh, and pressed for time (and who isn't?)--you will not be sorry you waited til four in the afternoon to decide dinner would be enhanced "if only" you had a fresh loaf of bread you could serve. And here it is. One. Hour. Bread.

Most of the time, I'd classify myself as a "skeptic". This is a family trait. Non trusting. Or better yet, to borrow a phrase, "trust but verify". As skeptics, we get the daily local newspaper in this house--The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for anyone interested. The for real paper--the one we'd be able to read were the world to suddenly not have internet. (Shudder the thought.)

Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Bread with Ground Pepper Topping (Super Moist, Super Easy . . . and Puppy "Frankenstein" Update)

I baked pumpkin bread with one hand tied behind my back and a teething, nipping, "crazy-town" puppy rolling around at my feet. I wouldn't recommend this, but it was how my bread came together. Simple is what I'm about in the kitchen these days. Pumpkin is like my favorite veggie of all time. The ginormous display of pumpkins I nearly ran smack into at the grocery store the other day (as I navigated the aisles in a sleepy haze of hunger and loyal duty to keep the home stocked with food stuffs not related to canines) gave me the inspiration to run home and FOR ONCE bake. This bread turned out to be one of my best yet. (Of course I say that every year I bake pumpkin bread.) Lo the pumpkin bread gods were shining down on me. I love a spicy pumpkin bread--nothing too wimpy or too cake-y. I want to taste fall: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger and new this year: fresh ground pepper on top. We shared a slice this morning over coffee as I was screaming at "Frankenstein" to stop it making breakfast. 

Vegan Banana Flaxseed Quick Bread (finished reading "Wild", now I want to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, too. . . except for this one little thing)

The bananas were a buck sixty-nine. For a whole bag! I love a deal. I love what my house smells like when I bake banana bread, too. There's no substitute for baked banana bread smell wafting through the home: no candle company, no spray, no plug-in fake smell thingy that does banana bread justice. I would have been content to eat this entire loaf for dinner last night. The bread literally takes only five minutes to prep, then bakes for about forty-five minutes and viola, you've got breakfast, snack time and late night all zipped up. There will be much banana bread, banana smoothie and banana cupcake happenings around here in the coming week. What I don't bake up, I'll peel and store in a plastic bag in the freezer for later.

Vegan Banana Bread: Breakfast Ready with Chocolate and Espresso in the Mix! (And Knitting the "Vogue Eyelet Raglan Cardigan" in Pretty Pale Blue for My New Gray Hair!)

I came home with a ginormous bag of bananas from Costco last week and this is what I ended up with: banana bread. Sometimes buying in bulk is necessary. I usually scoff at the purchase of a trunk load of bananas--a buck forty or not, and think, When will we ever eat all of those? Instead, I'll usually bring home a maximum of four bananas a week from the "regular" store because I like to have a half banana before bed (sometimes DH does, too)--and that about does it for us for a week's supply. Well, I had six bananas left in my bag still--and the "spotting" had started. I really wasn't in the mood to bake at all. (Yes, I have non-baking moments.) And yet. The bananas. They mocked me. I hate waste. I could have frozen them for smoothies, I realize. But I've not been in the smoothie mood. So this. So. Glad. I. Baked. Jump to the recipe here.

Sourdough: The Unveiling of My Daniel Leader Whole Wheat Sourdough Miche Inspired by Pain Poilane (Plus: "Dog Patch" Moments)

Looking back, this whole sourdough making experience was a lot easier than I had anticipated. Most of the work took place with me having to do nothing. Well, there were observations as there are with all experiments. But aside from that, it's a fairly hands-off sort of deal. 

However. The week it took to get my formula right had its moments. I have a little "reading" problem, as in, my eyes skip lines, skip pages and skip in general. I've had trouble with this for as long as I can remember. I just wrote it off as being someone with bad eyes and being blonde. After having been "in glasses" since I was six years old, I've always had to work a bit harder to "read". I am generally aware enough of this issue and just deal. 

Olive Oil Teff Banana Bread (Superstition: A Bird in The House)

This morning a bird flew into the house, landed on my slipper and left. Nothing good can come of this. I'd JUST started my day--it was the crack of dawn for crying out loud. And yet. This bird. There was a loud screeching and what seemed to be a little ruckus going on between this irate cardinal and two smaller sparrows (were they? I have no idea). Since February--this cardinal has found several windows around our home offensive--slamming himself into his reflection with such regularity that I have actually begun to ignore him or simply get through the day oblivious to his C-R-A-Z-Y. 

Jim Lahey's Irish Brown Bread (The "Green Acre" Grows and Blossoms. . . in Winter!)

Yesterday morning was gorgeous. Hubby and I set out for a hike first thing. (By eleven--that's what "first thing" means on the weekend.) We had no sooner returned from our St. Paddy's Day outing and were sitting down to have lunch when the sky turned really darkish, thunder sounded in the distance, and it began raining. Buckets. Then mother nature threw in some hail for good measure. We were sitting on the porch watching all of this happen. Trakcing it on our "devices" (I heart my Kindle Fire! Dr. Thyme hearts his Archos thingy)--looking for any warnings (of the tornado kind). After all, it is March inching ever-more-closely toward April, and April in Missouri means: the height of tornado season. Anyway, it was rain and storms (thankfully no tonadoes) non-stop until seven or so last night. I wish I'd put my rain gauge in the garden to measure the rainfall amount. I bet it was over three inches. I'll be putting it out today.

Vegan Dilly Casserole Bread (Uninvited House Guests And Camera Grief)

I don't know where to begin. Let me start with the camera first. I am now in the acceptance stage of grief, but I barely made it out of the denial stage. I denied my camera was broken an entire day until husband came home and I said, I think there's been a loss in the family. He said, You think. . . what's that supposed to mean? And I pointed to the keeper of my blogging "sanity"--my dead camera. He began immediate investigation--doing all the things I had done for an entire afternoon--turning on and off, peering into the card reader cavity, etc. Seemed hopeful at one point. Then he sighed, looked at me and said, Yep, it's dead. I had to leave the room at that point. 

White Loaves: Tuesdays with Dorie is "Baking with Julia" and So Am I (. . . albeit a little late)

Yesterday was a bad day. My horoscope even said so. Always trust the horoscope. As I was checking in on the blog rolls, I read a new post on White Loaves for the Tuesdays with Dorie group and my oop-sie! bell went off. I immediately headed over to my trusty wall calendar where all things Vegan Thyme are posted and yep, there it was, right above "guitar lesson" and below another appointment (that was probably contributing to this 'mood' I was having) was "TWD/BWJ white loaves". Well, it was still early. I had time to whip up a loaf of bread together for crying out loud. Never mind that I had a migraine. Woman UP! So the flour began flying, the Kitchen Aid cranking and soon the yeast smell filled my kitchen, my happy hormones crept back in. Nonetheless, I kept the bottle of ibuprofen and sinus pills at the ready. Like I said, it was a bad one yesterday.

Vegan Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread (The Hitchhiker Finished! And . . . Kindle Book of The Month)

It is hard for me to believe that in less than forty-eight hours, we will be entering February. Is this time-passing-at-warp-speed the end product of my own clock running down? It's all happening so fast lately. (Less than two years away and I hit my half century mark. But who's counting.)