Fruit of Her Hands

Elois Spinks

To each of you dear girls:

It has been on my heart for some time that a column be given to teach about home making skills. I feel very dependent upon the Lord in undertaking this task, as writing doesn’t come naturally. It would be much easier to teach in person, but we want to be a blessing and share some of our experiences.

I am sure most of you are acquainted with Titus 2 in which it teaches the older women to teach the younger to love their husband and their children. The best time for this is while you girls are still at home. It’s a little late after you are out of the home! Oh, girls, make good use of your time now. You have more time now than you will ever have to avail yourself of the many skills it takes to order a well-run home. Once it was heard of a girl who was just planning on going to college for a time-killer before she got married. How sad! Girls such as this will surely come to a sad end. There are so many interesting skills to learn—more even than time will permit. Seek the Lord in your endeavors. He knows the future and what will be the most important for you and your future family.

Before marriage I had learned to bake bread and was eager to bake for my new husband, but to my surprise he was accustomed to a certain store brand and really didn’t care for mine. But in later years, I researched bread-making and found certain ingredients made a lighter loaf and developed a recipe that he just loves. I could not have done this if I hadn’t already known how to bake bread. Learning to bake bread as a girl at home was an important step even though at first it didn’t look like the skill was needed in my own home. Now, would you believe, he calls that store-bought bread “sawdust bread,” and will hardly eat any other than mine!

Are you ready for a bread-making lesson?

If so, we have pulled one of our favorites from our recipe files to share with you.

Buttermilk-Oat Bread

In a large bowl, if doing by hand (or Magic Mill, Bosch, or K-Tech Mixer bowls) combine:

• 2 1/2 c. very hot water (almost boiling)
• 1/2 c. buttermilk, whey, yogurt or 1 T. lemon juice in 1/2 c. sweet milk
• 1/2 c. quick oats
• 1/2 c. wheat bran or toasted wheat germ
• 1/2 c. dry milk
  1/3 c. honey or sugar
  1 egg
  1 T. oil

Add:

• 2 c. White Better-for-Bread Flour

Beat Well. Mixture should now be warm—not hot—approximately 105-115 degrees.

In another smaller bowl combine:

• 2 c. hard white wheat flour
• 4 t. yeast
• 1 T. salt (canning or sea)
• 1 1/2 T. gluten flour
• 1 1/2 T. Soy Lecithin granules
  1/4 t. vitamin C crystals

Mix these ingredients together very well and add to the big bowl of warm, wet ingredients. Beat on high for 5 min.

Let this sponge rise 20 min. For added nutrition, at this point I put:

• 1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds
• 2 T. sesame seeds

into the food processor or blender and chop them so finely nobody will ever know they are eating it! When the timer rings for the sponge mixture, add the chopped seeds and:

• approx. 4 c. more of Better-for-Bread Flour—don’t just dump it in! Add 1 cup at a time!

Knead 5-10 min. until it is no longer sticky when touched with floured hands. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic or a damp towel to keep the top from drying out.

Let it rise in a warm place of even heat (80 degrees or so) for 1 hour. When the hour is up—the dough should be double in size. Let’s do the “finger poke test”—put moistened finger 1/2” into center of dough. If it still feels very firm, let it rise more. If it feels spongy, the hole stays and the bread “sighs” slightly, it’s ready!

Now, instead of “punching it down,” deflate gently. More care here means higher bread. Moisten hands with water and press gently in center, then flatten around sides. With a rubber spatula, carefully dislodge the underside of dough from bowl pouring out on a lightly greased table. Round the dough with your hands. Divide in 3rds. Round into 3 mounds and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out in approximately 8x15-inch rectangle. This presses out large gas bubbles. Now roll up as pictured. Place in greased pan and let rise 30-40 minutes.

The baker’s term for this last rising is called “proofing.” This rising will benefit from a little warmer temperature. Also a humid atmosphere will keep the top from drying out or cover with a big bread bag (cut open), or damp towel.

At the end of the proofing time, you should see small gas bubbles just under the surface. Experience only can teach you when it has risen just to the right point. If it falls during baking, it rose too much. It should look puffy and when touched gently, puffs out again.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack. An electric knife greatly aids in slicing or use a long bladed serrated knife.

Happily serve your family, and “eat thy bread with joy.”* (Ecclesiastes 9:7)

Helpful Tips for the Breadmaker

• Oats make a moist bread and add good flaver.
• Don’t ever use walnuts—they turn the bread dark, and it tastes funny, too!
• Hard red wheat flour may be used, but you will get a darker product. If you are using fleshly-ground flour, heap each cup.
• The gluten, soy lecithin and vitamin C are dough conditioners. They help in having a high, light loaf.
• Saf-Instant is the best and most economical yeast when bourght by the pound package.
• Be careful not to use raw wheat germ or iodized salt—they can retard yeast action.
• Do you know why just this temperature? If yeast gets too hot at this point, the yeast will kill it and the bread will not rise properly.
• In front of a wood stove is a great place to let dough rise. I’ve even heard of ladies using a heating pad on medium setting! I would cover the heating pad with a towel to diffuse the heat. Remmeber, we don’t want to kill the yeast.
• For more information, look up The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book from your local library.