Baking bread is a simple, satisfying way to connect with family members, share love and nourish others. Both my mom and my wife’s mom baked bread regularly. My wife carried on that tradition, and passed it to our now grown daughter, Lindsay.
Lindsay told me that baking bread with her grandma Lehman (my mom) is one of the clearest memories she has. Mom taught her to knead dough by teasing Lindsay that she should “punch the dough like it’s your brother.” Lindsay loves her brother, but remembers thinking right at that moment that her grandma was an amazing and wise woman who understood her world. She knew she wasn’t allowed to hit her brother, but it sure felt great to punch that dough! My mom died suddenly in 1999. But, the encouragement, empathy and understanding she gave Lindsay that day helped make my daughter the special person she is now, as surely as it formed me.
Yes, homemade bread, loaded with healthy ingredients like fresh flour, eggs and butter, nourishes the stomach. Bread is food you can live on! It’s uncomplicated nourishment. But it’s much more than that.
My wife and daughter both talk about how sharing bread is like sharing love. “We break bread together,” is a classic way of describing friendships and kinships for a reason. Whether it’s serving slices of it at your kitchen table or giving loaves to friends, you are giving part of yourself. Nothing says “I love you” better than a gift you made.
There are lots of great bread recipes on this blog from over the years – just click on “Archives” and then search “bread” in the search box. You’re sure to find a good one! Happy bread baking.
For A Simpler Life,
Galen Lehman, son of Founder Jay Lehman
Tip from Galen: Truly amazing bread starts with fresh ground flour. That’s because flour begins to degrade the moment it is ground. Grinding your own flour drastically shortens the time between grain and bread, adding texture and flavor! Plus, grinding your own flour just adds to the “I made it myself” specialness that comes with every loaf of homemade bread.
Someday I’ll own one of those beauties.
I’m a European import, myself, but don’t see how I could ever afford that Diamant mill… Still, – a girl can dream.
[…] you’ve ever made bread, you know that at best, you are a co-creator. There’s no part of making bread that you are […]