Bake it Yourself
I was raised on scratch-made breads and pasta, courtesy of my mother's culinary expertise. She took scratch baking to the next level by grinding her own whole grains using a grist mill designed for home use. Consequently, I developed a passion for scratch baking, albeit without the benefit of a grist mill.
Like many of us, I have a deep appreciation for artisanal breads and pastas, but have you recently checked the prices of artisanal breads at your local grocery store or bakery? The prices at my local store are steep, with loaves ranging from $8 to $9 each and a package of 10 tortillas costing $5.00. This begs the question: why not bake it yourself?
You don't need specialized equipment; I successfully baked ciabatta loaves on parchment paper placed on an inverted rimmed baking sheet.
While free recipes on Pinterest can be unreliable, my go-to sources for excellent, foolproof recipes are King Arthur Baking and America's Test Kitchen. Some reputable food bloggers also share trustworthy recipes, although even these can be hit-or-miss.
The freshness of your ingredients is crucial. Buying yeast in bulk may seem like a good idea, but using a one-pound quantity, let alone a two-pound quantity, can be a challenge. The same applies to flour; storing that bulk purchase 25 pounds of all-purpose flour requires suitable, airtight containers. I personally keep my flour purchases to no more than 10 pounds at a time to maintain freshness.
Finding quality containers that are environmentally friendly and free from harmful chemicals can be difficult. I opted to purchase mine from King Arthur Baking, which offers Sistema brand containers made in New Zealand (or they did when I bought mine).
Homemade scratch-made breads, cakes, and pastas are healthier as they don’t contain ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or wood pulp fiber – it’s listed as cellulose – and there aren’t any preservative products that also alter the flavor.
You can freeze your scratch-made bread in tightly sealed bags. I often make bread a few days to a couple of weeks in advance of when I know we’ll be having guests for lunch or dinner.
