Four French bread recipe boules (with some extra cheesy goodness grated in)
Mixed: 1:45 pm
Molded: 3:15 (had to retard the bread in the fridge while the oven was heating)
Baked: 4:30
Good news and bad news. Bad news. The bread was overproofed–either my yeast is going bad, or I’m just being lame. Good news. It’s raining! Fall has arrived (finally!) and we’ve not only had a bit of rain, but we enjoyed the most dramatic evening of thunderclaps and lightning. A rare occurrence here. Wonderful. And, well, other good news. My oven heated right up to 500 degrees. Looks like I got lucky, since later in the evening my husband tried to bake a frozen tart, and it never really unfroze. 😦
We’ve been wanting to share a loaf of bread with Carissa and her husband Sean for a long while. Carissa used to babysit John Ronan when he was a babe, and ever since she moved into the neighborhood we’ve hoped to pay her a visit. A cheesy loaf of French bread seemed just perfect for her, so we stopped at her home and yelled out her name from the curb. “Carissa!” We just about left (we usually don’t show up at peoples’ homes and just shout for them, but the front door had a padlock on the handle, which made us think that it wasn’t used, and we didn’t know what else to do..) “Carissa!” Little John Ronan yelled the loudest. Just as we were leaving she burst onto the porch, and we all hugged. Hugs are so very good.
One more loaf to give away. The Heath family often hosts teenagers to play games and watch movies in their very cool, boat-like home up on the hill behind us. I needed to pick my teenage Andrew up, so packed them a loaf of bread as well. Mrs. Heath bakes–so I felt a bit silly bringing her something I’d made, and yet, she announced when I handed over the small boule, “Yay! We’re having stew and didn’t have any bread to go with it!”
Giving is good. Though sometimes I feel uneasy about figuring out where the bread should go, this uneasiness helps me step outside of my selfish skin and keep sharing at the top of my to-do list.
And with more thunderclaps predicted
for thunder and lightning are perfect music to accompany kneading and baking–it looks like I’ll be busy for several more days, dancing in puddles, and handing out loaves of cheesy (and hopefully not overproofed) bread…
The Woman and the Wheat 
I have to laugh – the land of much weather is surprisingly simple these days: sunny, warm (after the night chills burn off) and little wind – kind of like Santa Barbara. Meanwhile you in the the land of little weather are having quite a lot of action I understand. Everyone in Bozeman is amazed at the balmy fall we are having. I checked weather.com this evening – rain this weekend and possible snow showers next Wednesday. It is Montana after all. I always enjoy reading your posts. By the way I have hiked about 145 miles this summer. Maybe on Friday I can break the 150 mark before the snow flies. I am hoping to try snow shoeing this winter to keep on the trails. My love to you and your family. Carol
Dear Carol:
Pray for me–I have the travel bug. I can’t tell you how I would love to speed to an airport, jump on a plane and come visit you in Montana… It sounds heavenly there.
We used to snowshoe in Colorado. I hope you decide to try it. I hope you post some pictures!!!
We miss you. I miss you… Oh, and Mad and I are doing Algebra 1 with Ciara and Mrs. G. I got a 15/15 on the chapter 4 test, just like Mad. 🙂
jane
The photos are absolutely stunning, and sooo evocative !