When I lived at home my mom and dad loved to make bread. I remember as a child my dad kneading the dough at the kitchen counter with his strong hands and mom shaping the dough and putting it into the oven. As kids we were in charge of sprinkling the flour on the counter top to prevent the dough sticking and cutting slices into the top of the risen mounds with scissors. Or we would shape the dough into little balls to have buns instead.
You can't compare the wonderful homey smells of baking bread permeating the entire house. The four of us would watch the dough rise in anticipation of warm slices fresh from the oven slathered in butter. We were like kids at Christmas.
Outside of Quebec City along the 350 year old "Old King's Highway" you can admire the beautiful old Normandy and Brittany homes on your way to Montmorency Falls. There you can stop off at Chez Marie's and have a slice of homemade bread straight from their bread ovens. If I recall it was slathered in maple butter. What a treat!
Baking bread is still very therapeutic but in these hectic and busy times bread baking takes a back burner to everything else. One bread I continue to bake is my mom and dad's Potato Bread. It makes a nice flavourful and cheesy loaf. It is not a yeast dough which makes preparation quick and simple! I love it fresh from the oven or simply toasted... once again slathered in butter. Whenever I have left over mashed potatoes this bread is a requirement. Either that or potato scones.
**Mom & Dad's Potato Bread**
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup grated red Leicester cheese (I use old Cheddar)
2 cups cooked, mashed potatoes
3/4 cup water
1 T oil
*************************
Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Sift the flour, salt, mustard powder and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Reserve 2 T of the grated cheese and stir the rest into the bowl with the mashed potatoes. Mix until well combined.
Pour in the water and the oil, and stir in all the ingredients together (the mixture will be wet at this stage). Mix them all to make a soft dough.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into an 8-inch round loaf.
Place the loaf on the cookie sheet and mark it into 4 portions with a knife, without cutting through. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
Bake the loaf in a preheated oven at 425F degrees for approximately 25 - 30 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool. This bread should be served as fresh as possible or toasted.
(Dad painted this canvas)
