In the arms of Autumn

"One last kiss, for my darling Summer. Soon now, I fall into the arms of my true love, Autumn. My heart gathers in the Fall and dreams begin."  -A.N King

 Those were the words I posted to Facebook on the Autumnal Equinox, which just so happen to also be my husband's 30th birthday. We are nearing October at a break neck pace, a time of the year Jenna Woginrich calls her Holy Days. My mind turns to the transplanting of the spear and chocolate mint, thyme, savory, rosemary, lemon balm, oregano and basil growing in our raised bed garden. The Brown Turk fig trees in their pots behind the workshop. To the raspberry preserves, raspberry vinegar, tomato basil jam and garlic pickles in the kitchen, knowing that I have to make more of that Amish Friendship Bread because everyone adored the sourdough starter I tended for twelve days. I started half of the starter, so it will be easy to make more tonight if I have the energy after our travels.

Baking is a cornerstone of my life and in the kitchen, I feel I am my most powerful. Some of my urban friends laugh and ask me if I need be barefoot and with child as well. I smile ruefully and glance down at my bare feet. My eyes flick to my daughter and I laugh. I never did have the energy to bake while pregnant much so I smirk at them.

"Only if you need be hungry." I reply and we laugh. I adore their cheek, they adore me for my rustic eccentricities. What I am search for is not a life they would want to live but to look, to walk the path awhile beside me as the guide, suits them.

Hearth Bread is something I make in the fall time, a delicious yeast white bread that I flavor with

only a drop of orange blossom honey in the starter. I saved a picture of my very first Hearth Bread Loaves from about two years ago to share with you. I slashed one pretty deeply in my excitement but they came out tasting delicious.

It's hard to see the slashes in the still raw, risen loaves. I find that King Arthur Bread Flour is the best for this kind of bread work and tends to be the flour I lean to. The exception to that is using Swans Down Cake flour for cakes. Later this week I will include pictures and a recipe for my Chocolate Raspberry Cake, in which I use Swans Down Cake Flour.

And now, a recipe.

Hearth Bread



1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon of honey (any flavor)
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
cornmeal
boiling waterTo mix: Mix together the first four ingredients. Let this stand until the yeast, sugar and salt are dissolved. Gradually add the flour to the liquid and mix thoroughly until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface to knead. (This may be a little messy, but don't give up!)

Knead It: Fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself towards you. Press into the dough with the heels of your hands and push away. After each push, rotate the dough 90°. Repeat this process in a rhythmic, rocking motion for 5 minutes, sprinkling only enough flour on your kneading surface to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest while you scrape out and grease the mixing bowl. Knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes.

Let It Rise: Return the dough to the bowl and turn it over once to grease the top. Cover with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough doubles in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.

Shape it: Punch down the dough with your fist and briefly knead out any air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and shape into two Italian- or French-style loaves. Place the loaves on a cookie sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the loaves rest for 5 minutes.

Bake it: Lightly slash the tops of the loaves 3 or more times diagonally and brush them with cold water. Place on rack in a cold oven with a roasting pan full of boiling water on the oven bottom. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch.

For a lighter, crustier bread, let your shaped loaves rise for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven and roasting pan with water to 500°F for 15 minutes. Brush the loaves with cold water, place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400°F and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and devour!

For a heartier, more nutritious bread, substitute 2 cups of King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour for 2 cups of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.


This is based on a King Arthur Flour Recipe. The original recipe does not include honey. Enjoy!