Those of you who are new to this blog may not be aware that I am bread making challenged. (See my recent miserable attempt at bread making.) My family members have been tolerant of my bread making efforts. My husband just smiles wryly, and even my son doesn’t complain, though he did tell me that he tells everyone in his school he is eating pumpkin bread because the loaves I have been making are small and dense like pumpkin bread.
But last night, I made this beauty, and I am so excited. It smells delightful and it feels so soft. I can’t wait to try it at lunch today.
Not only does making bread at home save us quite a bit, it is also necessary for me as I cannot find any processed bread without a soy additive. I started this bread making journey completely frustrated, but this loaf of bread just goes to show that sometimes it does take practice (often a lot of practice!) to get it done, but it is worth it in the end.
What frugal endeavor have you been working on that has taken awhile to master?

Looks delicious! It took me a long time to get whole wheat bread down, my mother in law had to help me quite a few times! But the sad part is I haven’t made it in months.
Making my own candy has been an epic failure. I haven’t given up…yet.
My mom used to always make homemade chocolate candies. What kind have you been trying to make?
A friend and I have tried canning this summer. We weren’t happy with the consistency of the strawberry jam but it tastes great so I’m not considering it a failure. I need to schedule a time to try canning a spicy pasta sauce we like. We’ve already done salsa but we haven’t opened any of it yet.
The jam sounds delicious!
I love the recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Mmmmmmm. Sooo easy, convenient, and delicious!
Actually, this is from the next book, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes by the same authors as the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes.
Oh neat! I dont’ have that book but will have to check it out.
Hi
It looks great. Shame we can’t smell it. I love that smell.
Keep working at it.
My mother-in-law makes wonderful bread, but she’s also been doing it for a long, long time. The more you do it, the more you get to understand how the dough feels when it’s just right, the better it will be.
Your bread looks so yummy. I just made some too. Well I make 3 loaves at a time. Saves me time and heating the house. I just tried pita the other day and it is so easy. Great Job.