I’ve really been into making my own bread of late. Delicious bread isn’t terribly difficult to find here in France, and I admit having a real weakness for the famed baguette, but I find that there is something so satisfying about making my own bread.
Beginning with just the most basic of ingredients : flour, salt, water and yeast, and ending with the most fragrant, golden of loaves…it’s simply magical. And how wonderful my apartment smells!
Nothing goes with fresh baked bread better than homemade jam…at least that was what I began to think about as I went on my bread baking bender. I started watching which fruits were looking in their prime at the marché and bought 2 kilos of apricots and 2 of strawberries to attempt my first jams!
My initial “practice” jam was actually an apple-cinnamon & orange marmalade (because I had nearly 2 kilos of apples at my house and they were considerably less expensive than the other fruits…good to practice on). I really had no clue what I was doing, but got it in my head that this was a project I just had to try, so off I went to purchase some jam jars. It was much easier than I expected, and it was a fun project to do with the Guppy because there were lots of steps she could help with, though I think she most enjoyed the tasting!
After doing a little math (very little) I was able to justify my little caprice because after adding in the organic fruit & sugar and the jars, it was considerably less expensive than buying my jam at the store – yeah!
Homemade bread and homemade jam — now that’s heaven!
wow, this is beautiful! it’s 2pm and i haven’t had lunch yet. may i have a bite?
Ooh, I’ll be right over! I love freshly baked bread!
I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than freshly baked homemade bread. Gorgeous!
Oh, and I’m here eating store-bought vegan cookies? mmm…
oh, I love making homemade bread. I remember growing up my mother would always make homemade bread on the weekends. I go through phases now where I’ll make homemade bread almost every weekend for months, then go on a temporary hiatus from the bread baking before returning to it. there’s just something so wonderful about kneading your own dough, the smell of it baking in the oven..ah, i can smell it now!
That loaf is just beautiful! And paired with homemade jam… You must be in foodie heaven!
Everything looks so good. . . like the perfect boulangerie, non? (Love practising that French!). Seriously. . . retail-worthy!
Gorgeous Shelly, just gorgeous. I am so intimidated by bread making, I think it’s all the steps and waiting. I’m not sure. Your loaf looks so crusty and delicious.
And the jam, what a fun thing to do with the Guppy. Homemade is always better than store bought, and it’s often cheaper too, what can be better than that?
This looks AWESOME – I only recently discovered that I love working with dough, and I’ve been dying to try making bread. I think this could become a habit quite easily – and the jams sound delightful. Apricot has got to be one of my most favouritest (yes, I made a word up) flavours ever. I hope to follow in your culinary footsteps with these two delicious ideas
Now you have that song stuck in my head… and I want to watch The Sound of Music ;o)
the last picture just stole my soul. oh my.
Total comfort food. I love simple meals like that….just homemade bread and jam….wonderful!
Bravo! Ton pain est une reussite! And your orange marmalade looks so good! Yummy!!!
homemade bread + homemade jam = too good for words!