Bread: Take 2

I desperately wanted to end my no-salt bread story with the words "I forgot the salt." so I did, and now I will give you the second half to the story.

I was temporarily daunted by the breadmaker. Besides tasting like styrofoam, the bread had a ridiculously thick crust that exploded all over if you put the knife to it. It also had a gently concaved top that perplexed me. Mr. Graham praised me anyway and ate it extra happily, but I just ignored it bitterly (the bread, not his praising and happy eating). But! Since I knew the lack of salt was probably 95% of the problem, I was determined to try again.

So, while we fast forwarded through the Oscars, the breadmaker (maybe I'll call it George) worked away on a new batch--complete with salt. Of course, I forgot that it takes 3 hours and 50 minutes so it didn't finish until about 10:30. It had looked good while it was cooking and it smelled pretty nice too. But then! I took it out!

It was so beautiful I promptly named it the Bread Baby and took pictures with it. It was so beautiful it glowed.
Then we ate half the Bread Baby while all my Oscar predictions came true.

The breadmaker still feels a little bit like a cheat to me. I put all the things in and it does 100% of the work. It's like my own electronic bread-making hen--and yet I still wind up with all the bread in the end. It takes away some of my satisfaction in having made bread, since I didn't have to put forth much effort. Still, they have their place and I know some days I will want bread but won't have the time or willpower to do all the work.

On a similar note, Comrade Ferskner and her sister are having a Year of Pie Cake Bread. I guess I have been having my own little bread fest, although so far it is mostly filled with, well, standard rolls and saltless bread. Maybe I can call this my year of bread. Not quite on par with the actual Year of Bread, but a year that includes bread nonetheless.