![whats that thing youve always wanted to bake - main (c)thejoyofeatingwell](https://simplejoyfulfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-main-cthejoyofeatingwell.jpg)
Baking completely intimidates me. Cooking? Well now, I can literally do that allll day. Meal prep, ditto. But baking? It freaks me out. Something about how precise measurements are and well, I love to experiment. Which is soooo funny because I like rules! In a nutshell, baking is unforgiving. At least, that is how I’ve always approached it.
I’ve always thought that if I mastered baking bread then that would mean that I’ve “made it.” So, I put on my big girl pants and typed in “Dutch Oven Bread” in the Pinterest search bar. Bingo! I found one that proofed the bread in my Instant Pot, so out came the measuring cups, the flour, and on went the-most-determined-game-face.
Here’s what I learned.
Measure correctly.
Yep, I had literally had three things to measure and I used a one-third measuring cup instead of a one-half measuring cup for the liquid. Ya’ll, I.had.three.things.
Beauty on the inside matters.
Yep, the outside was gorgeous and the inside? Not so much. Dennis and I only ate a slice or two because it was the right thing to do after all that work. The inside was too dense to enjoy, however, we enjoyed the aroma and the crust!
![whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-bread-cthejoyofeatingwell](https://simplejoyfulfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-bread-cthejoyofeatingwell.jpg)
The joy is in BAKING, not necessarily the results.
A meal is more than a recipe. A recipe is more than the end results. You see, the fact that I attempted to bake bread was awesome. I was proud of myself! Who cares if this first time was less than stellar. I gained experience! It was fun having playful music in the background and I got to try Einkorn wheat flour!
![whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-einkorn-flour-cthejoyofeatingwell](https://simplejoyfulfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-einkorn-flour-cthejoyofeatingwell.jpg)
Just knowing that I.WAS.PROOFING.BREAD was a monumental task! Friends, I was proofing bread! You can’t master baking bread without taking that first step. And now I have learned I know what a
![whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-proofing-cthejoyofeatingwell](https://simplejoyfulfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-proofing-cthejoyofeatingwell.jpg)
At the end of the day I proved to myself what I had already proved to myself… remember to embrace the little joys when it comes to
What is that “thing” you’ve always wanted to bake?
Eat well, my friends.
Lyndi
![whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-beautiful-bread-cthejoyofeatingwell](https://simplejoyfulfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/whats-that-thing-youve-always-wanted-to-bake-beautiful-bread-cthejoyofeatingwell-657x1024.jpg)
Here’s the one that’s been my go-to during the pandemic: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread
Oooo, I will check it out! Thanks, Debbie!