TWD(BWJ): White Loaves

Has it really been a long, long month (or more) since the original Tuesdays with Dorie wrapped up? I've enjoyed the blogging break, but today we begin again with Baking with Julia, another gem from the Dorie Greenspan collection. We have the inimitable Laurie and Jules to thank for keeping this train moving down the track, and also for selecting our inaugural recipe, White Loaves. (You can find the recipe on either of their blogs, but we strongly encourage you to find yourself a copy of the cookbook.)

This time around will be a little different. Our new cookbook highlights some incredibly delicious-looking, but also seriously challenging, recipes profiled in Julia Child's PBS series of the same name. I confess that I've owned the book for almost 12 years now, since I received it as a wedding gift from a fellow Smithie (thank you, Elizabeth Winch, wherever you may be!), but I've made, oh, maybe one thing out of it. It's time to amend that situation.

Eek!

Speaking of the Smith College connection, that's one thing out of two I have in common with the late, great Julia Child, the other being the fact that we both grew up in Southern California. She was always one of my favorite famous alumnae, and I was thrilled to find out that students have since established Julia Child Day to celebrate her awesomeness. When I was a junior, I sat directly in front of her at the installation of our newest college president (I was an usher or some such thing), and I'm telling you, for someone deeply celebrity-phobic, I was all aflutter. I did not dare to speak to her. It was enough to know she was there.

Let's get on to the bread, shall we? I've been slowly getting into bread-baking over the past few years, and while I don't do it as often as I'd like, I still love trying a new basic white bread recipe when I can find one. This is a tiny bit hypocritical, because when I buy "store bread" (which my children seem to prefer, no matter what I do), I always buy whole wheat. As for homemade bread, though, nothing beats a freshly baked slice of good white bread, toasted and slathered with jam or curd or Nutella or what-have-you.

peekaboo!

The recipe for these White Loaves comes from baker Craig Kominiak. While I found the mixing and kneading process to be a little more complicated than I was used to, the finished product was well worth the effort. My loaves rose super-duper high, which is probably due to the yeast I used (SAF Instant). They baked beautifully and evenly, and soon we were enjoying some superlative PB&Js, grilled cheese sandwiches, and toast. Even the "store bread" lovers admitted that it was great bread.

I can't wait to read some of our newer bloggers' posts on this bread. If you're new to the group, welcome! I hope you'll add my blog to your reader, and you can also find me on Twitter (sporadically) and Pinterest (constantly).

Next time (February 21), we'll be tackling Chocolate Truffle Tartlets, on pages 382-383 of Baking with Julia, hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon, Spike of Spike Bakes, Jaime of Goods Eats 'n Sweet Treats, and little ol' me.