I'm not feeling like myself lately, the anticipation of my big move, the rather sudden (and flood induced) end of my previous job, and my tight finances are causing a shortness of temper and bouts of negativity that I am rather uncomfortable with. I see it happening and so I am looking for ways to control it, deep breathing, long walks, lots of "me" time. These things help; they're great actually, but inevitably something will trigger a new frustration: my dogs barking over and over again because of the roadwork happening outside (the same beeps and thumps and scrapes happen again and again and every time they go off as though there is an army at the gates); feeling the financial pinch and trying to decide if i can pay my student loans, car insurance, fill my gas tank, attend any of the weddings that are happening this summer, and still be able to eat; making important medical decisions (rushing around to get cavities filled, new contacts, and fill my prescriptions before my departure date); learning my phone won't work at my new home but also that I can only suspend my service for 3 months at a time, meaning sometime in the middle of my stay I will have to re-suspend it, somehow, since I won't have a phone. These things make my heart pitter-patter, make my brow furrow, and my mood darken in a way that only bread making can cure.
As you may or may not know, I have been dabbling in the art of yeast bread baking as of late. I am enjoying it immensely, although the results started out inconsistent at best, practice has helped. I have found a whole wheat bread recipe that I adore and have edited it until I started getting more consistently pleasing results, and have begun baking two to four small loaves a week for my family and to give as gifts. Yesterday I felt the need to expand my horizons and, adapting a recipe from the January 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times for Whole Wheat Honey-Walnut bread, I created my favorite bread that I have baked to date. I call it Maple Walnut Swirl Bread and it is of course whole wheat (because thats the only kind of flour I buy). This recipe results in cute little loaves that make terrific gifts and yummy breakfast toast. Here it is:
For the bread:
1 c Maple Syrup
1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
2 c warm water (~90 degrees F)
1 stick melted butter
2 tbsp salt
5-6 c whole wheat flour
1 c walnuts, chopped
For the swirl:
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
1. Dissolve the yeast into the warm water and add the maple syrup. Let sit for 10 minutes, until yeast foams at the surface. Stir in melted butter and salt.
2. Begin adding flour one cup at a time until dough forms a ball. Turn out dough onto well floured surface and knead, adding additional flour until dough no longer sticks to hands. Knead for a total of about 15 minutes.
3. Knead in walnuts until evenly distributed. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
4. When dough has doubled in size punch it down and let it rise again. When dough has doubled in size again (about another hour) remove from bowl to a clean lightly floured surface and break up into three chunks.
5. Flatten the chunks into tapered triangular shapes so that one end is about as wide as your loaf pan and the other is about half that width. In another bowl mix together the swirl ingredients until they for a lump paste and brush it onto the tops of the triangles.
6. Roll the triangles up around the sugar mixture, starting with the narrow portion and ending on the thicker side. Pinch the ends together and place resulting roll into lightly oiled small loaf pan.
7. Cover and let rise for about another 45 minutes, until slightly less than doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 35 - 40 minutes for three small loaves, or 45 - 50 minutes for 2 medium loaves.
8. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Yummmmmmy.
So this is the bread that saved me from my foul mood yesterday, and today this bread is helping me ignore the rain and the barking dogs and the road construction and all of my money woes and all of my doctors appointments and everything. This bread is reminding me that someday I'll have my own bakery and will have my hands in bread dough all the time. So thanks to this bread, I'm going to go do some yoga and take a nap, maybe cuddle with my barking dogs, read a book, and drink some tea; this bread just looks like everything is going to be alright.
