Your Daily Bread

Bread (or the lack of it) was one of the causes of the French Revolution, with the infamous quote attributed to Marie Antoinette going down in history – “let them eat cake”. But it is bread that’s undergoing a revolution of sorts in Mumbai, with the ubiquitous sliced bread being replaced by a variety of artisanal breads. I had written earlier (here on the blog) about the new boulangerie in town. And recently, I have done a more detailed piece for TimeOut Mumbai. Check out the latest issue of the magazine (Apr 12-24, 2013) for a lowdown on finding artisanal bread in the city (also online here). And while you’re at it, drop by my Portfolio page to read some of my other published works!

Since I was writing about bread, I thought I should try my hand at baking one. I have been baking cakes for years, but somehow the thought of baking bread had always scared me – now having baked one, I can’t imagine why! I followed a fellow blogger (and bread maker) Saee’s recipe for a focaccia. This is up on her blog My Jhola, along with many other baked goodies and other interesting recipes. So do swing by.

Here are couple of pictures from my kitchen of the focaccia that turned out so well. 
Kneading the dough
Proving i.e. letting it rise

The dough has risen!
I ate the bread warm out of the oven on its own. I also spread some homemade fig & olive tapenade on one slice for a delicious bite of Provence. In fact, the husband was so enamoured with the bread that he has suggested that I stop buying bread & just bake some! What have I gotten myself into?!

While on the subject of bread, the very first recipe that I had posted on the blog was of a Bread Pudding. This is such an easy to make recipe that you can whip it up in no time at all. Give it a shot.

Another bread-y recipe is that of the Italian salad Panzanella. Mix up some stale bread with chopped onions, tomatoes and basil (plus a few sundry seasonings) and give it a new lease of life with this gorgeous summery salad.

And of course, take a look at the Pain Perdu or French toast recipe that I had posted recently.
 
And, if you haven't had enough of bread, take a look at this delicious slideshow on Epicurious.com. Go on, have your bread and eat it too!

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