I’ve been baking with Fresh Milled Flour for the last month or so. I’ve tried different recipes and different grain combinations and have never had a flat-out failure till yesterday. It was really humid and rained all day. The kitchen was cool. The flour was milled four weeks ago, and I hated to waste it, but it was past its prime, and I tempted fate. I followed the recipe to a T. I could never seem to get enough flour in it to pull into a ball, and I didn’t want to overdo it. Consequently, the dough was loose and sticky. I let the dough rise in the pans for the suggested time, but when I went back to look at it, I knew it was way over proofed. It was literally flat and oozing over the rims.

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I nearly threw it away, but I figured baking it wasn’t going to cost me anything but time and a little bit of gas. So, in it went. When the internal temperature hit 195̊, I pulled the sad-looking bread out of the oven and was so disappointed. My first thought was to throw the whole mess out. Then I thought, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I broke the cardinal rule and cut into a warm loaf, slathered it with butter and homemade plum jam, and it was surprisingly delectable! Of course, in the next day or so, it may end up hard and dry. Perhaps I will make a bread pudding or a French Toast Casserole.

My fresh milled flour is gone now. I decided last week to buy a grain mill of my own. Wouldn’t you know it…I’m always late to the party, so mills are scarce as hen’s teeth to find. I finally decided to buy a manual mill online. Being the fickle woman that I am, I decided over the weekend that the manual mill was probably not going to work for me. My 72-year-old shoulders and wrists weren’t going to like all that extra work. I hadn’t even received it yet when I called and asked how to return it. They were wonderful, and even though I’m going to have to absorb the shipping, I knew I’d made the right decision. Especially after it arrived yesterday morning, weighing 36.5 pounds! I don’t have a sturdy table to bolt it too, so I would have to mount it to a board and add another 3-5 pounds to the total weight. Then I would have to haul it back and forth from storage every time I want to use it.

There was a time when I would chastise myself over all of this. Thankfully, 72 years have given me the wisdom to know these mistakes aren’t failures…they are lessons. I’ll have fresh flour the next time I bake. I’ll try a different recipe. I won’t put a pan of hot water in the oven (that’s turned off) to boost the rise since we’re heading into summer. I won’t wait 20 minutes to check the proof. Self-recrimination doesn’t get me anywhere, but I can learn from lessons every single day with my dignity intact and a continuing desire to become a better baker.

ᓚᘏᗢ

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 ESV

***Gratitude Journal*** Today, I am grateful for the patience it takes to truly learn a craft that supports my family in eating the way God intended us to.