Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Procrastination Challenge and a bread recipe

You may remember a couple years ago, I gave myself a procrastination challenge to restart some projects that needed to be accomplished.  It worked fairly well so I've been on another such challenge lately.

This is what helped me get the deck and front porch decorated the way I like them... a little at a time.  The only thing I still need to accomplish is to wash the siding on the porch but that will be done at the last minute when I feel a burst of energy!

I've been challenging myself once again to make appointments and get some little projects done here and there.  One good thing about succeeding in the little areas is that it encourages me to attempt the bigger ones... like trying a brand new bread recipe (which involved some work before hand).

I've wanted to try a new bread recipe that I've had sitting in a drawer now for way too long.  I have plenty of wheat that can be freshly ground after two different friends gave me a bag a few years ago.  It lasts almost indefinitely when stored well but I wanted to get the nutrition back in my diet.

I started grinding wheat in the 1990s when I found out it is an excellent way to get hard to absorb B vitamins into the diet, as well as good fiber. For years I made a lot of our bread but this past year, not so much.

Illness this past winter made me more tired than usual so we have been buying our bread.  Since I hadn't been baking bread, I had ground whole wheat that was gong stale.  I still used it in quick breads but so rarely that I threw the rest away when I washed a few canisters from the garage.

I know I could have tried the new bread recipe with all unbleached bread flour but for some reason, it had to be at least partially whole wheat to my thinking.  So finally... a couple days ago... I cleaned the wheat grinder that had been neglected and last night I ground enough wheat for what I needed now and a couple other recipes.

Then this afternoon, after getting a few household chores accomplished, I got out the ingredients needed and the big yellow Pyrex bowl where everything was mixed together.  Did I mention this is a no knead recipe?  Hmm... skeptical here that it would be light as well as tasty.  I let it rise for thirty minutes in the bowl and then poured it into the loaf pan that was sprayed with olive oil and then popped it in the oven and... waited.

I'm glad I had set the timer for less than the recipe called for since my oven runs a little hot.  It looked done about ten minutes early but I used my digital thermometer just to be sure and... there was 200 degrees.  Done!  (It is 190 degrees for bread unless you add milk or an egg and I had added an egg.)  Oh, my... the aroma.  I couldn't wait to try it but it did need to rest awhile.

The photo above has a slice missing because I could not wait any longer.  It smelled so good and I used the excuse that my blood sugar was dropping and I needed to eat.  It was delicious and it will definitely be made one or two times a week, it is so easy.  It's not the prettiest loaf but the ease in preparation makes up for that and it is perfect for just one or two people (or to make to serve with soup).

My next foody type attempt will be to try some pasta salads using orzo, perhaps with black beans and corn and red pepper and... will have to ponder that more.

The recipe is from Heavenly Homemakers and she has some other recipes using the same technique... here.  I want to try them, too.  Soon.  I made it according to the recipe but without the optional cream and I used half whole wheat/half King Arthur bread flour.  Next time I'll use honey instead of raw sugar and probably add an extra tablespoon since we like the honey wheat taste.

I hope you try the recipe and... is there anything you have been putting off?  ;)