Baking Bread

I love making bread from scratch. The kneading and punching are therapeutic, and the results are always gratifying.  The family favorite, Focaccia, with its dimpled surface brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, olives, and fresh herbs from the garden might get made 2 or 3 times a year .  A few months ago, a gift from Jeremy and Michala arrived:  a shiny white bread machine that takes all my time honored ingredients and literally gives them a new twist.  I will still bake bread the old fashioned way occasionally to keep my kneading knack, but this is really fun!  I have not purchased bread at the grocery store since I tried it the first time!  Part of the fun is picking which bread to make next.  I have made Banana Oatmeal Bread, Honey Wheat, Egg Bread, and am working my way down the list of rye breads.  So far, we vote Russian Black Bread and Black Forest Pumpernickle our favorites, but Dill Rye and Sauerkraut Rye were delicious, too. I made a sweet bread with mangoes and one with flaxseed.  It is amazing to pop the ingredients in, get it started and wait for the tantalizing smell of homemade bread to fill the kitchen.  Nutritious ingredients, no preservatives, and endless variety.  I have shared my kitchen with alot of appliances that have only occasional use, but this is one that keeps its place on the counter.