freshly baked....

 ....oh, that heavenly aroma, bread.   Margaret showed me a simple recipe last week, and it's a keeper.  It's from JuicingPeaches, and it's so simple:

Okay, I admit:  it's not very beautiful...but it's good.

3 cups (400 g) flour

2 tsp salt (11g)

1 tsp active dry yeast (4g)

1 1/2 c lukewarm water (350 ml), 95-100F or 36c)

I use and eight cup measure, mix the warm water and yeast, let it bloom, 15 minutes.

in a 4 cup measure, I sift the flour and salt together.

Add flour mixture to yeast and water, stir with a rubber scraper, then cover with a damp towel for two hours.

Dump onto floured piece of parchment paper, shape if wanted, cover with damp towel for half hour...then preheat oven to 425 with Dutch oven in oven, so you're preheating your Dutch oven. After that half hour of the second rise, carefully place dough, parchment and all, into Dutch oven, trim paper if necessary, put lid on, and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and bake for 15 more minutes to brown.  Lift parchment, bread and all, and let rest before slicing, if you can!  Next time I'll sprinkle with salt, rosemary, after removing lid.   It's SO easy, and so good.  

Dinner is bubbling away in the crockpot, and I'm almost drooling here:  a nice piece of  chuck steak, two packets of brown gravy mix, minced onions, rosemary, chopped carrots, quartered red skinned potatoes, coarse ground pepper....with the smell of the bread mixed in, it's absolutely amazing in here.  The anticipation is almost the best part.

It's been a quiet day here.  Sonja is at the hospital, Paul is working on the house, Charlotte Claire is in Washington D.C., and I'm here with Miss Camille, making sure she gets her meds, bringing her food and drinks, and keeping her company.  It's quite pleasant.  The wind is blowing and it's a cold gray day, but we've got the flames of the fake fireplace, and the white twinkle lights on.  

We face timed with Jonny, in Germany, today.  He's got a fever, and doesn't feel well.  He's doing all right, it's nice to talk with him. I miss him!  He misses American food.  :)

The dogs have been fed, the kitties are all fed and comfy, the house has been vacuumed, windows cleaned, clean covers on the couches, counters and tables washed, dishes done...I'm not bored, I'm totally enjoying this quiet uneventful day.  

Soon Paul will be home, and we'll have our yummy dinner....