Ali and I have been watching a show called, ‘American Baking Competition.’ The show follows a group of bakers through the trials and tribulations of a several months long baking competition. The bakers are given a new baking specialty each week allowing them to prove themselves as the next great American baker. Since Ali and I have taken to this show, we’re sure that it will be canceled before summer is over.
This week’s episode featured breads as the creative challenge. Feeling inspired, I went ahead and made this recipe for Braided Farmer’s Cheese Bread. All in all, I’m rather proud of the outcome.
It didn’t taste bad either! The cheese bread was the perfect companion for the new olive oil and peach vinaigrette that we brought home from a recent tasting we did in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco. I admit that it took me nearly twice as long to prepare as was suggested by the recipe but then again, why rush something as wonderful as braided bread?
It's been a long time since I made bread and a much longer time since I made dough without the help of a breadmaker. I'm guessing that the last time I made dough (sans breadmaker) was back on Needle Drive. I imagine mom was artfully aligning childcare with the requirements of the household through the magic of homemade pizza. It was one of those fun things to do as a child: measure the ingredients, kneed the dough, spread the sauce, place the toppings, and wait for the oven to work it's magic. For the record, my favorite pizza these days is the simplicity of a pepperoni pizza!