Thank you all for checking in on me these last two weeks.  It may have seemed like I was missing in action here on this little blog but rest assured there has been plenty of action on my part ... precious little in the kitchen ... except  I did bake the tahini swirls again while in Portland and an

Octopus Bundt Cake while in Seattle.

My first morning back in the kitchen this morning, what do you imagine was the very first thing I made, even before coffee?  ... You know me so well.  I mixed bread, of course, I mean there wasn’t any in the house.  Then I went to the store for milk for my coffee.

The day before we left, I got on Amazon and ordered four new bread/baking books ... please I know I’m really ashamed ... but not enough to not order them and enjoy.  So, this morning I picked up the smallest of the books and mixed the first simple straight dough I found. 

Florentine Pecorino Romano & Rosemary Bread

Inspired by a recipe in

World Breads

Paul Gayler

100 g white whole wheat flour

380 g unbleached bread flour (strong)

120 g fresh grated Pecorino Romano

3 tablespoons flax meal

1  1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup egg beaters (or one large egg)

45 ml olive oil

220 ml water

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped  fine

With flours, cheese, yeast, flax, and salt: lightly fluff together in a bowl.

Mix egg, oil and water together.

Pour liquids into dry ingredients and bring together. 

Knead (perhaps 5 to 10 minutes) to form an elastic and pliable dough ball.  With all the cheese (even with fine microplane) and the flax meal, I would not describe this as a smooth dough. 

Form into a ball, place in lightly oiled container, cover and allow to rise until doubled.  Mine took about an hour and 20 minutes.

Lightly degas the dough and divide in half when it has doubled in volume.  Shape - I shaped mine into two oval bannetons. 

Preheat oven to 375°.

Loaves should about double in volume again before being placed on preheated baking stone.

Spray loaves with water and slash before baking.

Bake 10 minutes at 375° and turn oven down to 355° for remaining 25 minutes.  Mine measured 207° at the end of that time.  This is a moist bread - all that cheese - filled with the lovely aromas of rosemary and the Pecorino Romano! 

Heavenly bread ...

Tight crumb.

A sixteen month old keeps a body - actually all bodies - busy.

Making a balcony safe for a sixteen month old makes it somewhat easier to let him explore.

What started out to be an hour for coffee with Lynn (CookieBakerLynn) and Pat (FeedingMyEnthusiasms) turned into a chat with coffee, lunch and a walking visit to two chocolate shops ... well over three hours of delightful and thoughtful conversation with what seemed like old friends!

Toast and coffee this morning made editing the photos of our visit a joy. 

And I refreshed my starter ... it smelled like apple cider, hope it’s still going to be good for rising some breads soon.

This goes to Susan at WildYeast for her weekly Yeast Spotting.  I’ve come to look at the weekly Yeast Spotting as a delightful trip to a Bakery Wonderland!  If you’re not familiar with Susan and Yeast Spotting, it’s explained here.