Comfort is Gluten Free
The broken bagel ornament felt fitting for this post.
Gluten free is not in my baking vernacular. Gluten free and gluten free baking done well is a parallel universe. Altered recipes, strange flours, substitutions and additives is not something I gravitate to or want to experiment with. Frankly, I'm just not interested in.
I am interested in gluten. Gluten gives me comfort. It's reliable, predictable and it supports the expanding structure of bread. I'm in awe nearly every time I feed my starter and it rises exactly as it should. Without any more effort, or coercion the starter rises and I take great comfort in that seemingly magical act.
Twice I've forgotten to add salt to my dough. You'd think I'd learn after the first time because without salt the dough is worthless. It cannot be baked, or well it can but the result would be inedible. As the yeast causes the dough expands the strands of gluten are pushed to their limit and eventually break part. It's so sad to check on your dough, being nearly done with the bulk rise only to realize your the whole batch of dough will deflate as soon as you handle it. Salt makes the gluten stronger. The strengthened gluten will now hold the expanding, gaseous dough and support the second rise after you've shaped it. That support, that chemical change in the gluten that the salt gives changes it from a flour and water playdough into bread.
The smallest thing can bring me to tears or cause raucous laughter. It'd be absolutely silly to say that some days gluten is the only thing holding me up. The delight and satisfaction of a batch of bagels gleaming with a high shine after baking or well turned out loaves can turn around a gloomy day. Not to mention the feeling of accomplishing a task, and seeing the fruits of your labor always gives me great satisfaction.
Things that give me comfort and being a little salt in life right now, other than gluten, are:
The Great Pottery Throw Down (HBO) - If the Great British Bake Off is your jam, this how might just be your cup of tea. (They do throw a lot of tea cups.) Watching this show makes me miss the comradery of the art room. The silly antics of working along side others, creating something, stressing and supporting others in their craft. If you were ever an art kid, you'd like this show.
I learned how to tie a perfect bow. Not a skill I thought I needed in life but useful around the holidays none the less. I've had to retie/retry several times, but they're lovely and I'm quite pleased.
35 Lessons From BA's Quarantine Kitchens - some I deeply agree with, some I feel very meh about.
The Cranberry Caucus Is Insanely Powerful - putting this in the category of thing I've never thought about before.
