My friend Karri dubbed me "The Midnight Chef" after seeing my cooking exploits online. Kind of has a nice ring to it doesn't it? Certainly a lot catchier than "The Late-night Recreational Baker" It's definitely a new pastime, and I'll be sharing stuff I make every so often here on The Walkabout.
Anyway, I baked a loaf of Portuguese Sweet Bread this evening, and I'm happy to report that it turned out pretty well! Technically speaking, this was the first full loaf of bread I've ever made. I tried making rolls a while back, which didn't rise at all and came out like super dense biscuits. Having learned my lesson, I used bread flour this time around instead of all purpose. Apparently it's a different mix, with more gluten for the active dry yeast to grab onto and work with or something. Also, this is all oven baked stuff, no bread maker (just push start) action.
The loaf rose well, and the crust hardened a bit, which gives it a slight crunch on the outside. The bread is still fairly heavy and pretty filling. As I try out other new recipes I hope to nail down the lighter breads.
On the photo end of things, I busted out my Lensbaby 2.0 (which creates a kind of tilt shift lens effect) attachment for the first time in a long while to take a shot of the finished bread fresh from the oven. It's a fun gadget, but ultimately I've never really incorporated it into my work flow. It's just such a niche lens and effect that I feel I just don't have the time to use it on the clock.
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