Active Yeast and How it May Change My Life

I have always wanted to bake bread, but I have always had major hesitation because I was afraid it would not come out well. Silly. When I was about 20 or so, I helped a woman (Becky) get her bread business off the ground. She is an amazing baker and makes amazing bread -- my favorite was the cheddar cheese and chive bread she made. The business was called "Groovy Grains" and we worked hard to get her making a living baking bread. I spent a lot of time with her -- in the bakery, by the stoves -- the whole process looked both simple and scientific. Instead of asking her to teach me, I stupidly just hung out with her, talked with her, and watched her. Clearly I learned by osmosis, but still, before last night, I had never actually tried to make bread dough. For Becky, I was the salesperson -- I drove all around western Maine pedaling her bread -- drumming up business -- and then once we had established accounts, I drove the bread to the various health food stores and convenience stores and made the deliveries and obtained the order for next week. We did well for awhile, but then Becky was working crazy hours, not making money, her relationship was stressed and Groovy Grains was slowing down. Eventually she made the call to stop baking bread for her livelihood and the last I saw her (in Shaw's in Auburn) she was (sadly) working in the hospital cafeteria at CMMC or St. Mary's. I wish her business had made it.

So the other week I got a craving for cinnamon rolls -- the good ones. I no longer have the pleasure of Nezinscot Farm students armed with smiling red cheeks and cinnamon rolls, so I opened the ol' plaid Betty Crocker Cookbook. I found the ones I wanted to make, but I needed yeast. I did not (until last night) own yeast -- never really have, I don't think. So I filed that away and when I hit Hannaford for the box of Organic Squash Soup I am seriously in love with I thought about yeast and cinnamon rolls. Once home I began making the dough. It was a process and my wool sweater ended up covered in flour, one of the electric mixer's arms fell off in the middle of "beating the dough on high for three minutes" and I nearly broke a sweat (and for those of you who know how warm my house isn't in the winter, you know this is significant) but the dough eventually WORKED. It never did rise as much as it was supposed to, but it did work. I am so happy and proud of my doughy nuggets of cinnamon goodness – and they will make the BEST skiing snack tomorrow at Saddleback – awwwww yeah! My next move is Focaccia. From there, who knows? Cheddar Cheese and Chive is in my sights. Thanks Becky.