The sweet smell of success...

When I was growing up my dad and his sister owned a bakery. I spent many a weekend and holiday there breathing in the smell of yeast and flour. To this day I still am comforted by those scents.

Because of this I make almost all of our bread. Molasses Oat Bread for sandwiches and 'Nests' for breakfast. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl for toast in the morning. Ranch French for all Italian meals. Whole Wheat Rolls for all holidays. And for emergencies...like today...Sesame Wheat Braids.

We are on the class council for our Sunday School class and we meet several times a year to discuss and plan things. Of course because we're good Nazarenes, we eat while we're there. Today's menu was soup and salad and I was asked to bring bread. In talking to the hostess I thought 4 loaves were necessary for our group of 20. She told me not to do that, she'd ask another couple to bring bread. In the background I heard her husband yelling,

"No, let Stephanie bring all the bread."

I was flattered.

I had great plans of making them last night following a family shindig but after eating one slice of French bread my cousin had made I had an MSG reaction and came home with a splitting headache. A few hours later I was baking ready but suddenly an old friend I hadn't talked to in 16 years found me on Facebook and we chatted until 2am!

So this morning at 7:30 I was in the kitchen mixing and measuring. Shawn took the girls to church while I covered myself in flour.

What's a mom home alone to do while baking bread?? Take pictures of course!

Here are two of the four ready for the first rise. My house is drafty so I do all the rising in a cold oven but place a cup of extremely hot water in with the dough. They get all happy and puffy in their little private place:)

Try not to peek. They need to be alone.

After 20 minutes they get coated with an egg/water mixture and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

With fresh hot water they go back into the oven.

I just had to go a little macro on them.
After another 20 minutes they're almost doubled and ready to be baked. Try your hardest not to poke them like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Control yourself!
After just another 20-25 minutes they are baked and golden brown.

It smells heavenly in my house at this point.

Just like my childhood.

Oh come to momma.
I made the basket, too:)
And I wonder why I can't seem to lose weight...