April 29, 2012 Some things are easier in a house

Some things are easier to do while at the house.

For example, we monitor Larry’s sodium intake very closely so I try to bake most of the bread we eat using a Panasonic bread machine.  I modified the recipe using 1/2 tsp. of salt instead of one teaspoon.  Some salt is necessary to control the yeast, but cutting it 50% works.

When we are in the camper, the bread machine “lives” in the towed car while the flour, sugar, dry milk, and salt are stored in the cabinet under the table floor.  I gather everything together, assemble the bread contents, start the machine and return the ingredients under the table floor—and find I need just a smidgeon more flour if the dough is too loose—and have to get the flour canister back out.

There just isn’t room inside the camper to store everything on the counter.  At home, I have a section of the kitchen dedicated to bread making:

The one-cup measuring cup marked for 7/8 of a cup and combination teaspoon/tablespoon are kept in the drawer to the right—at my finger tips.  I keep the yeast and un-salted butter on the same shelf in the refrigerator door for convenience.

I buy 2 pounds of yeast at Sam’s Club for around $4. Sam’s Club sells the yeast in two separate one-pound packages so I only have to open one pound at a time, whereas Costco sells it in a two-pound package.  The yeast is sealed in a plastic container and lasts for a long time if refrigerated.

Four hours after I push the button, we open the bread maker:

Ah, the smell is heavenly.  And the taste….heavenly too.

Yum Yum.  In an hour, I will slice the bread in the slicer sitting behind the bread.  I often have to fight Larry away—he would love to eat the whole loaf warm with lots of butter—unsalted butter, of course, smile.

We freeze the loaf and only remove slices at when we are ready to eat bread.

When we are in the camper, I usually arrange for the bread to start cooking about 4 a.m. so it is done at 8 a.m. before we start our day.  In the house where we have more room, I arrange to bake two loaves in one day.

Baking fresh bread is just one area where we actually enjoy cutting back on the sodium.  Some dietary restrictions can result in good times.