Favourite Day

Day 338: Today is my favourite day of the week. It could be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday and not make a speck of difference. What signifies is that it's Bread Day! Sourdough most frequently is the guest of honour, and today is no exception. It's my go-to bread. I fed the starter yesterday, set the poolish to proof overnight, and this morning started the loaf. The oven is heating up even as I type, and soon the house will be filled with the scent of baking bread. Is there any better smell in the whole wide world? Not in my book! And does anything taste better than homemade bread, freshly and lavishly buttered? I think not. Keep your fancy-schmancy gourmet meals, and just give me the rustic goodness of homemade bread.

Bread Day

Day 16: My grandmother was the needleworker in my family, but my mother occasionally did embroidery or knitting, and during the Fabulous Fifties, "days of the week" kitchen towels were very popular. She stitched a set with vegetable characters involved in various household chores: dusting, laundry, and even making bread. Although the towels were labelled "Monday," "Tuesday," etc., and one scene in which the vegetables were engaged in making bread. I always thought of it as "Bread Day." When I set up housekeeping on my own at age 18, my mother outfitted me with some essentials like sauce pans, cooking utensils, flatware and dishes, and the "Bread Day" towel was among the hand-me-downs. I used it as a dish towel for several years, but when I started baking my own bread, it seemed the logical candidate to toss over the rising loaves. Put to such a use, it became known as my "bread rag," and not being subjected to the harsher wear of drying dishes, it survived (albeit somewhat holey) until just a few years ago when I finally tossed it out. Today, I still use cotton dish towels to protect my loaves from drafts, and when I give bread as a gift, I wrap it with one. Memory being what it is, I do not recall which day of the week had been appointed "Bread Day," but it's a moot point. "Bread Day" happens roughly every 10 days around here.