Simplicity is complicated to achieve sometimes. In the case of bread, the simpler that it is, the more that subtle variations can throw the results in a wild array of directions.
THE BREADS: 2 NEARLY IDENTICAL FRENCH BAGUETTES
After my initial foray into heavy and sweet baked goods (which are not gone by any means, just taking a back seat at the moment), and then my divergence into handmade breads, it seemed with my new sense of growing confidence in what I was doing that it was time to try and nail the classics. And what a better way than with the ultimate classic: The French Baguette.
Needless to say, Ms Domenstic was rather excited at the mention of this particular bread, as being a carb lover like me, when done right, this is the ultimate in delicious simple breads. It carries with it not only flavors, but also nostalgia for the romance of Europe. If you have ever travelled in Europe, as we love to do when we get the chance, this is the bread that will be the icing on the cake for a truly memorable European picnic, or breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, or midnight snack. It doesn't matter really - just EAT IT.
THE RESULTS: 2 VERY DIFFERENT BREADS
The recipes were the same. The methods were the same. The ingredients were virtually the same. They were both French Baguette Loaves. But they were so different.
The variations were the following: the first loaf used the recipe's recommended unbleached fresh milled bread/high gluten flour from Terrace Farms Organics in Canterbury. The second loaf used store-bought, bleached bread/high gluten flour. For all intents and purposes the same flour: Bread Flour. But NOT the same results, therefore definitely not the same flour after all. Just look at the photos below. This is an important lesson, when contemplating why a bread or a baked good might not have come out as intended - pay attention to the flour!
The unbleached loaf was substantially more firm and rose better than the bleached loaf. But despite being a refined and processed grain, it had a wholemeal look to it. Perhaps the organic fresh milled and unbleached aspects all add up to a "less pure" looking grain. Although this didn't become apparent until baked - the dough was still rather white.
The bleached loaf on the other hand was a much wetter, amorphous dough, and oddly had more volume by a large margin, despite being the exact same quantity. This made handling the loaves very difficult when transferring from the proofing surface to the hearth stone, and in the process I think all the fumbling and man-handling not only created more "organic" looking breads, but also deflated a lot of the rise that had taken place leading up to the baking. But due to the dough being more wet, the bread had a much tastier texture to it. The adage I keep reading about modern bread making is that when it comes to dough, "the wetter the better". It definitely holds true.
THE OUTCOME: TAKING A LOOK BACK
What this also has brought me to is a moment of reflection and realization on where I am at in my Domenstic journey thus far. It has evolved from when it began, and for the moment become more focused, particularly on bread (obviously). But by no means does it feel complete, nor has the focus of my journey become the sole focus of this blog. Far from it in fact.
I want the focus of this blog to be organic and evolve naturally. Right now the voice is through breads and baking, but soon there will be an expansion into other territories on Domenstic life. And not just of my own, but into other's lives.
And the truth is, regardless of the particular topic being discussed at any given moment, the story is really about the journey, and the evolution from one place to the next. We all evolve, but we don't often get to take a intricate look at one aspect or interest in our lives, and view it through a holistic filter, to see how our own personal growth is reflected in that interest. Is it the interest that can drive the evolution and growth in our lives, or is it the other way around? As best as I can tell in my non-expert assessment of my Domenstic journey, it's a little bit of both. A bit of a cop-out, I know, but it's the truth.
THE REFLECTION: KEEPING IT FLUID
Baking was a reaction to certain changes in my life (searching for a creative outlet, needing to decompress from work stress, Faturday). Then the baking drove growth and changes (created joy, brought family together, created this blog, fed us, FATURDAY!). And now once again, life's evolution is driving the interest (impending house move means less baking for the short term, blog is becoming narrowly focused, FATURDAY?). I
It's like that game where you make up a story with a group of friends, but each person takes turns stating a sentence. You might influence the story with you sentence, but by the time it gets back around to you, it has evolved into something completely different. It still may have the essence of your original sentence, but it's developed a life of it's own. The question is, do you try to redirect the story back into your original idea, often with awkward and forced results, or flow with each new twist and turn. My advice - just roll with it.
So with that, I will just keep flowing with the changes, as will Domenstic.com. I love what I'm doing and where it has taken me so far. I'm looking forward to where it will continue to take me. And we have some exciting events ahead that could really be catalysts for some interesting evolution. Let's see where the story goes from here...