Pain Free Bread

Today was a red letter day, the barrier going across the garden came down

Now Kara is free to roam the front and back garden, it also means I no longer have to do high kicks getting over the barrier, which isn't that easy when you have your hands full. 

I got some bread done today as well, I no longer have a bread maker over the years i have gone through several, when the last one gave up the ghost I decided not to replace it, I practised making the dough by hand which was all well and good but some days my hands and fingers give me problems they are stiff and painfull and kneading dough is very difficult, so I resorted to using my mixer with the dough hook, after all that is what it was designed for.

Over the past couple of years I have perfected my technique for making dough in the mixer, I slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients and once the liquid is added I leave it for a few mins to soak through the flour, I then switch it back on and knead it for 7 mins, it is too easy to over knead, and often or not its too easy to under knead, 7 mins works well for me, once kneaded I shape the dough and leave to prove 

Today I did one brown loaf, 1 white loaf and some bread rolls.

I only do one kneading for basic bread,

There all done, i seeded the rolls with sesame seeds, The rolls and one loaf have gone into the freezer, one loaf will do us a week.

As my finger joints seem to be stiffing up more just lately I am knitting myself some fingerless gloves.

I will put a link for the pattern on my craft blog, I am doing them in Aran and hopefully they will help keep my joints warm when I am outside. I need to get some more socks knitted up too.