Today’s find: Crusty

A grand experiment unfolded in stages in our kitchen yesterday.

I guess you could say we kneaded something to do, my Sweetie and I, to help make today’s planned family gathering just a bit more special. The solution: our first attempt at baking crusty hearth-style sourdough bread.

Gerri’s not exactly a novice at this: She’s been making homemade sandwich bread for a few years now, even since before the pandemic. 

But artisanal crusty loaves? That’s something different…something quite a bit more complicated than sandwich loaves in fact (at least the first time around)…AND something that at times requires an assistant, a sous-boulanger as it were (c’est moi, naturellement!)

How complicated, you ask? I was amazed to discover that my Sweetie was sorting through FIVE PAGES of instructions and tips during her prep time. (And yes, a bit distressed to later discover the mini-mountain of bowls, cups, appliances and utensils that some poor Kitchen Assistant would need to wash and put away.)

Yup, five pages: a testament to the fact that hearth-bread rookies can get it wrong, even if they already have a general idea of what they’re doing. Which is to say, don’t let a hardened mind or heart get in the way of your ability to craft a truly delightful crusty loaf. 

Don’t rush through the process. Don’t take short-cuts. Take the time to do it right. Let the dough rise. Give it a good stretch now and then. And make sure your dutch-oven is hot, really hot, before inserting the dough.

Now, I can’t swear all the extra effort actually paid off, because we haven’t sliced into our crusty loaves just yet. But I have to say they look pretty handsome. Tempting, even. So all in all, I’m glad my Sweetie got the dough-ball rolling yesterday. We really did “knead” it, this first-ever experience with crusty loaves.

And today, I’m intrigued to discover how our kitchen encounter with crustiness finds a parallel in the scripture readings. Moses and Jesus both provide a primer on building a satisfying relationship with the Holy One. “Love” plays a central role – love the Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength … and love your neighbor as yourself.

But notice how “love” isn’t the first thing in the instructions we receive from Jesus and Moses. Rather, they both say “Hear!” Listen!

In other words, give the sourdough time to rest. Sit with it a while. Let it rise. And remember to stretch your God-notions too, perhaps into unexpected dimensions. 

Listen … and then let lovely new shapes emerge.

Let us pause now…to recall that we are in the presence of the Holy & Merciful One.

IHS