If at first you don't succeed....fallen leaves, oops.....loaves that is.

                                                                             

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months, where nothing seemed to go right, or was just a little off ? Well this is one of them for me. I have been faithfully searching the web for a place for my sister to rent to no avail. It seems that even if you are aloud to have pets, they must be small or weigh less than 20 pounds....Since she has a large German Shepard it is virtually impossible to find anything at all for her. She has till the end of this month to be moved and I have no idea how this job fell onto my shoulders to find her a place, but it has.

Since loosing my mom in July I have had this overwhelming pressure of responsibility that sometimes takes my breath away. Since we have no parents, or grandparents left, I now have the role of "Top Dog" as my husband puts it, in the role of this family. Its funny how being only 3 years older than my sister that I feel such pressure to make sure she is safe. She's not a child anymore by any means, she's a grown woman, yet I feel responsible now.

I have an allergy to dogs, and since we live in a restricted pet community, a dog of that stature is not aloud. Also I have a 19 year old cat that would not withstand the pressure of such a massive creature being in the home.

I understand her dilemma, and being a pet owner myself would hate to see her have to give up her two year old pet, but life is sometimes about survival, is it not? Its kind of like baking bread, if at first you don't succeed, then try and try again.

Well thank God I am not under pressure about baking that perfect loaf of bread...Or am I? I set the bar pretty high for myself. Seems the older I get the more I expect from myself. I have a tendency to attempt the best from myself and when I don't reach that goal I can get pretty down on myself. Therefore I am still seeking that perfect loaf of bread that may never happen, but I strive on. I guess anything is better than most of those store bought frozen loaves, right?

I made a loaf yesterday that fit every criteria. Soft and spongy, excellent taste and mouth feel, perfectly browned, flexible.. Wow I thought I was on the right track, that is until the top sank after cooling. So I cut out some water from the recipe for the second loaf I made, and although the top did not rise very high, it at least didn't sink.

I have to say that the recipe is getting pretty darn close to being posted for you also to also enjoy. Be patient and give me just a little bit more time, and I promise to post the recipe soon!

Until then, enjoy your gluten free week.
Sharon

GF Bread baking..If at first you don't succeed....try and try again....

Another day has come and I am excited to head to the kitchen for some more "trial and error'. To be perfectly honest, I'm becoming a creature of nature in this area. I have plopped more baking efforts into the trash than I care to mention. Like the old saying goes...If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

You are probably wondering why I don't just give up trying to find that "PERFECT" flour blend and use what's out there on the store shelves. Well to be honest, sometimes so do I. My own family thinks I have a bad case of PROFESSIONALISM, but my thoughts on the subject are that I just want my baked goods to taste like my mom use to make, plain and simple!

In case I have peaked your curiosity I will straight out mention that yes I have tried almost every "Cup for Cup" flour out there on the market, and although there are some pretty good ones, to me everything tastes the same. Same texture, same mouth feel, same....same....same!

I have even tried almost every flour mixture recipe I could get my hands on. I have followed the mixtures, and the  recipes to the tee, and still had major flops! What is a girl to do? I lost my mom this July and her recipes have now become mine as my sister is not a baker by heart. Some of the recipes are hand written and are now my treasures and keepsakes. Oh what I would give to make her famous Texas sheet cake and remember the exact taste from my childhood! Getting close, but no cigar yet!

Recently I have been working on that perfect loaf of gluten free bread. To be honest I have several loaves of store bought in my freezer for emergencies, but they just lack that taste and texture I am looking for. I am getting close though! At least close enough that I can say the past few loaves have gone into the freezer, not the trash. OK, so my bread may never completely look like a loaf of  wheat bread, but it will be spongy, has a nice bend, hold up to sandwiches, and have a great taste. When I have it to where I think its as close to the perfect "wheat" laden loaf I remember from my moms kitchen, then I promise to share.

Well I have things to do, and bread to bake, so I'm off. Have a great day, and stay gluten free!
Sharon