It’s a tradition to celebrate Christmas Eve at my brick and mortar home and have the Bennett family come over. As usual, my sister-in-law and I get wrapped up in heavy conversation about cooking, growing veggies, sewing and so much more. I simply adore her — she is such an inspiration.
Such an inspiration in fact that I could hardly wait to try a bread recipe that she’s been baking now for quite some time in her dutch oven at home. She made it sound so easy (she doesn’t even measure!) but the basic premise is baking bread at a high heat in the dutch oven as to replicate the “steaming” process that takes place in the higher end ovens found in fancy bakeries.
This loaf of bread you see below was my first attempt – I too did not measure and it came out delicious. But tonight as I sit here typing this, my home smells so Heavenly as I made a second loaf so I could measure my ingredients this time around and share the recipe with you.
When I first made this bread, Oliver and I were in the Airstream playing house. All I wanted to do on that day was bake this bread and tidy up the Airstream as well as de-clutter it. I’ve had way to many dishes I haven’t used in the last year among other things. It was time to get that stuff out.
It was also a beautiful sunny day outside in Seattle and as I worked away in the kitchen, slowly kneading the dough with Oliver snoozing away on the lounge, I couldn’t help but reflect back on 2013. I had ten minutes to think while I kneaded this beautiful dough and think I did . . . so many wonderful things happened in 2013 and yet some sorrowful things happened too. I got a little sad for a moment and when I noticed Oliver was concerned, I picked him up and held him close to me burying my face in his scruffy fur. This little dog, he is so special to me in so many more ways than just one. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
I followed my sister in law’s instructions and placed the dough in a bowl to rise next to the heat register – or in my case, next to the heat vent in the Airstream on the floor.
I opened up the Airstream door with Ollie in my arms, took a deep breath of fresh air and decided it was time for our hike. Lucky for me, the boys were ready to go ♥
It was a pleasant day hiking and then coming back to the Airstream to find my dough all big and puffy in the bowl.
Experimenting with this new bread recipe/concept was so fun and de-cluttering the Airstream was totally therapeutic. As things went out, a few things came in.
I added a magnetic knife holder above the stove. That thing is so strong — it even holds my knives up there with the plastic blade covers on — but you know, the true test of its strength will be after our towing the Airstream down the road, lol. But I feel confident it will hold the knives up well. I will keep you posted on that.
I also sewed three new pillows for the Airstream after discovering Ikea has a fabric department (!!). Their fabrics are not only gorgeous and feel high quality but the prices are just right! If you are a regular reader of J5MM you know my obsession with pillows for the Airstream. They are truly the building blocks around the decor of the trailer. Switch ‘em up anytime and you change the look and feel immediately. I swear I can open up a pillow shop from my house — it’s a little insane. Anyone need some pillows? I’ll send them to you — just pay shipping. I am serious!
You can see also on my counter is a new mini food processor that I am pretty pleased with. I will admit, the color sucked me in. I didn’t really need another mini food processor but the color and the fact that it holds three cups vs. the two-cup processor I currently have aboard convinced me. Yes, this is how I justify things when I can’t stop thinking about something for more than a week (I did forego the turquoise immersion blender — but it wasn’t easy, lol). You can have my 2 cup mini food processor too if you want. Just let me know!
. . . and so this is how our day went.
Baking, cleaning, organizing and de-cluttering.
I felt like I was a little girl again, playing house and being happy.
HAPPINESS is the best xoxo
And speaking of happiness, I hope my bread makes you happy. Make it on a day when you have time to enjoy the process — when things are calm and the sun is shining. Or make it on a rainy day, it will cheer you up for sure and the smell that will fill your trailer will make not only everyone hungry but your neighbors too as well :)
Here’s to an awesome 2014 xoxo
~ Monica & Oliver