Baking is relaxing. That’s why, seeking a way to unwind after finals, I decided to bake bread today.

I’ve been baking things from scratch for years now, but I’ve never baked a loaf of yeast-leavened bread. I’ve made plenty of quick breads, but those were all leavened with baking soda. The closest I’ve come is yeast-leavened cinnamon rolls.  I’m not sure why.

There was an article in the New York Times about no-knead bread last year, which has prompted a mini-renaissance in home bread baking. The draw is, as the name suggests, the removal of the kneading requirement. The downside is the greatly increased rising time. I’m impatient and don’t mind kneading, so I went the traditional route when the bug to bake bit.

I ended up making bread by hand based on an Allrecipes recipe that was writen for a bread machine.  The main changes were honey instead of sugar and multigrain cereal instead of oatmeal. After a few hours, I enjoyed success:

The loaf was beautiful.

I let it cool for a while before slicing into it.  As the knife broke through the crust, I was swept up in sweet aromas.  And the taste?  Splendid.  A firm, crispy crust; a soft inside.  Tight, dense crumb.  Notes of butter and honey.

Mmm.