Gettin' Saucy

Alright, alright, calm down. Gettin' Saucy doesn't mean anything except for some downright delicious sauces! I chose to make a basil pesto (no cooking involved), a sun-dried tomato cream sauce (I love sun-dried tomatoes), and a traditional Italian sausage meat sauce. I tested each with fresh, homemade pasta, and did a sensory evaluation of each sauce individually to determine the main differences. 

BASIL PESTO

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

1. Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
2. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth.
5. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese. 

[RESULTS]

• ODOR
• basil is fresh, reminds me of summer
• heavy on the oil
• strong, pungent parmesan
• strong garlic, paired with the cheese is mind-blowing
• TEXTURE
• grainy
• soft and easy
• partially slippery and partially chewable
• TOUCH
• light
• oily residue (not too oily though)
• grainy and breakable
• TASTE
• salty
• slightly savory
• layers of each flavor are distinct
• neutral tones at first, then a wave of strong flavor from the basil, garlic, and cheese hits you all at once. The aftertaste is smooth and slightly sweet
• refreshing in light doses, heavy and too much in large doses
• SUPER RICH

SUN-DRIED TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

1 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling, but do not boil. 
2. Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
3. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove from heat and serve over pasta with a sprinkling of pine nuts

[RESULTS]

• ODOR
• sweet and rich
• very buttery
• TEXTURE
• slightly grainy
• smooth with heat 
• chewy sun-dried tomatoes, feels like chewing on a very flavorful deflated balloon
• TOUCH
• very light
• moist
• buttery feel
• TASTE
• smooth
• sweet 
• heavy
• filling
• pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes pair beautifully, the tang of the tomato and the earthy smokiness of the pine nuts suit each other
• sweetness in the cream
• rich mixture of cheese
• too rich to eat a large amount

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEAT SAUCE

1 lb italian sausage, casings removed (mild or hot) 

*broken into pieces

1/2 a small onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

14 ounces diced tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 cup water (for a long period of simmering for flavors to meld. If you don't want to simmer it as long, add less)

1.5 tsp basil

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/2 + 1/4 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

a pinch of ground black pepper

1/8 cup red wine (cabernet sauvignon)

parmigiano reggiano cheese on top!

1. In a large, heavy stockpot, brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir. 
2. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. 
4. Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
5. Stir well and barely bring to a boil. 
6. Stir in the red wine.
7. Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce. Just be careful not to let it burn!
8. Spoon sauce over drained spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

[RESULTS]

• ODOR
• salty and flavorful aroma
• strong garlic and tomato mixture
• sweet and savory scent
• TEXTURE
• juicy
• breakable
• chunky
• comforting 
• filling
• TOUCH
• thick total consistency
• thin sauce between fingers
• light
• TASTE
• sweetness of the tomatoes mixed outstandingly with the savory spiciness of the meat
• extra flavorful because it cooked for 2 HOURS!

HOMEMADE EGG PASTA

Thick and heavy pasta because of the egg flour

Slightly weighted, but in a good way

Al dante! The only way to cook good pasta :) 

Lots of salt in the water

final results...

Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Italian Sausage Meat Sauce

Basil Pesto

Do you know how you can tell that this was cooked with love? 

The food speaks for itself. Check out the heart in the center!

Awwww so much love

Death by Chocolate: espresso themed

After the failing cheese experiment, I was really excited to start this one and I was crossing my fingers for a great result. For this experiment, I chose to make triple chocolate espresso brownies topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and a chocolate espresso cake with a buttercream frosting. 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BROWNIES

5 ounces semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

8 tbs unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into quarters

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8-inch square baking pan.
3. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. 
4. Place another piece of parchment paper in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.)
5. Butter the parchment.
6. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. 
7. Whisk in cocoa and espresso until smooth. 
8. Set aside to cool slightly.
9. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined, about 15 seconds. 
10. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with wooden spoon until just combined. 
11. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula
12. Bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it(35-40 minutes). 
13. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. 
14. Using parchment overhang, lift brownies from pan. 
15. Cut into 1-inch squares, serve, and enjoy!

[RESULTS]

• ODOR
• Roasted, toasted coffee scent
• Bittersweet scent from the dark chocolate
• TEXTURE
• Compact 
• Slightly airy
• Light
• Crumbly
• Soft to bite into
• Top is well-done
• Slightly chewy
• Melts in your mouth after 3 bites
• TOUCH
• Pliable
• Crumbly
• Crispy on the top
• Soft
• Moist
• TASTE
• You can taste all 3 layers of chocolate-- the semisweet, unsweetened, and cocoa
• Super rich
• Roasted or charred chocolate
• Sweet dust of powdered sugar
• Strong espresso tones the different layers of chocolate 

CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup hot espresso

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans-- line with parchment, then butter and flour the pans.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
4. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. 
5. Gently whisk.
6. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. 
7. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine-- scrape up from the bottom to catch any pesky flour mixture hiding below.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. 
9. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to complete cooling. 

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

6 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 confectioners sugar, to taste

1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a double boiler (or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water). 
2. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. 
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium high speed until pale and fluffy. 
4. Add the egg yolk (if using) and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. 
5. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at a medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.
6. Add chocolate and continue on low until blended. Don't whip!
7. Spread immediately on cooled cake.

[RESULTS]

• ODOR
• deep and extreme sweetness
• rich and creamy chocolatey scent
• TEXTURE
• breaks apart easily
• soft to bite into 
• creamy
• TOUCH
• heavy
• dense
• hard icing
• not as malleable as the brownies
• moist
• lighter than the brownies
• TASTE
• only a hint of espresso in the cake
• chocolatey
• velvety-sweet
• FROSTING
• like straight chocolate flavored butter
• ICING (the lighter colored frosting)
• lighter
• grainy
• very rich
• sweet, but not too sweet
• complimentary

CHEESE...wait...no...

And here begins our adventure to create mozzarella cheese. Max and I tried really hard, I swear we did! We even went out to get more supplies so we could do a second batch. We followed every procedure on the description. We triple-quadruple checked the recipe. We looked up everything online on like 20+ different websites, did the readings in the book, and I still can't figure out what went wrong! It could possibly be because I don't have reference for what would have been right because this is the first time Max or I had ever attempted to make cheese. 


So, I had a separate recipe I was planning on using, but I did some research and found that there is a famous cheese-maker named Ricki Carroll that runs the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company in Ashfield, MA. She supplies stores around the area with Mozzarella and Ricotta Kits. I picked one up at Amherst Farmers Supply, Inc and got straight to work. 


"INGREDIENTS
1 gallon milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 1/4 cup cool water (chlorine-free)
1 1/2 tsp citric acid 
1/4 rennet tablet
1 tsp cheese salt


EQUIPMENT
1 gallon stainless steel pot or any non-aluminum or non-cast iron pot
dairy thermometer
colander
slotted spoon
long knife


DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet into 1/4 cup of cool, chlorine-free water. Stir and set aside. Wrap the remaining pieces of tablet in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. 
2. Mix 1 1/2 tsp citric acid into 1 cup cool, chlorine-free water until dissolved. 
3. Pour 1 gallon of milk into your pot and stir vigorously while adding the citric acid solution.
4. Heat the milk to 90 degrees F while stirring. 
5. Remove the pot from the burner and slowly stir in the rennet solution with an up and down motion for approximately 30 seconds.
6. Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes.
7. Check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curd and the whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let set for a few more minutes. If your milk did not form a curd at all, check to make sure your milk is pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized.
8. Cut the curd with a knife that reaches the bottom of your pot.
9. Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105 degrees F while slowly moving the curds around with your spoon.
10. Heat the curds to 110 degrees F during this step.
11. Take off the burner and continue slowly stirring for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese.)
12. Pour off the floating whey and proceed to the next step. 
13. Heat a pot of water to 185 degrees F.
14. Ladle your curds into a colander, folding the curds gently as you drain off the whey.
15. Dip the curds in the colander into the hot water. After several times take a spoon and fold the curds until they start to become elastic and stretchable. This happens when the curd temperature reaches 135 degrees F (You may want to do half the curds at a time in this step to ensure even heating).
16. When it is stretchable remove the curd from the liquid and pul like taffy. This stretching elongates the proteins. If it does not stretch easily, return it to the hot water for more heat. 
17. At this point you can add 1 tsp more or less salt and/or herbs and work it in into the cheese. Stretch the cheese until smooth and shiny. Now we usually slice off a few pieces and eat it hot. Yum!
18. You can now form your cheese into a log, ball, braid, bite size morsels, or even make it into string cheese. 
19. When you're finished, submerge the cheese in ice water immediately and leave for 10 minutes. This cools it down and allows your cheese to hod its shape, protecting the silky texture keeping it from becoming grainy. Refrigerate or eat. Yum!"

So far so good...

Still working fine...

We started out with this much to work with!!...

Slowly starting to work...

Failing...Why? I still can't figure it out!!

Total fail. It just didn't get to the stretchy, taffy stage...

We even tried it again and the exact same thing happened. I will continue researching and try this again in the future. I will successfully make homemade mozzarella cheese. It's on my bucket list now.

Berkshire Beer Brewery!

The next adventure of my studies was the section so hilariously titled by Jason "Proof that the Creator (of this class) wants you to be happy...Wine, Beer, and Distilled Spirits". 
Too good. Haha


Anyways, since I am currently underage and unfortunately I couldn't do any sort of sampling or anything like that, instead of brewing my own beer I chose to go to a local beer brewery about 20 minutes away to see how beer is made in bulk! I went with Danny and my friend/housemate Alex. Here is the company's website:


http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com/navigation.html


First of all, our tour guide was hilaarriouus. It made the experience a whole lot more fun. He was cracking jokes the whole way, appropriate for a business that was making and providing alcohol. For those that were old enough, several cups of complimentary freshly brewed beer were provided to sip along the way. By the end of the tour, peoples spirits were high and a they were a little more outspoken haha


The tour began with the guide explaining how the beer is distributed. Berkshire Brewing Company has a mainly self-distributed policy to assure that the beer is fresh. They do this mainly because it's faster and they have found that their beer doesn't travel well. 


Berkshire brewery exports 20,585 barrels every year. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, it is, but to show that this is a smaller independent company, in comparison, Budweiser sells 110,000,000 barrels of beer per year. According to our guide, there are 1700+ breweries in the United States.

This was the first part of our tour. We were given a sample of the barley that they use to brew many of their beers. It was sweet, dry, smokey and airy. The tour guide explained that when you eat a piece of barley, the heat from your mouth and the wetness of your saliva causes an enzyme reaction in the grain that results in the sweet flavor. He said that the best grain they use (the kind that produces the best beer) is the Canadian barley.

In this picture, you can see the first step of the beer-making process. The grain is poured into the container that you see in the bottom right corner. The grain then travels downwards and is ground to crumbs between wheel machinery. Hot liquid is then applied. This liquid creates a similar enzyme reaction to evoke the sweetness that we tasted when we chewed the barley in our mouths. The mixture is then pumped up through the pipe that you see in the left-center of the picture. This pipe leads to the large holding container that you see on the left to keep the mashed grain the right consistency until it is ready to go on to the next step. 

After the barley has been crushed and mixed with hot water to bring out that sugary sweetness, the barley sits in the large container for one hour. The mixture is then sifted through a machine to weed out the barley dust because it takes away from the flavor of the beer. The next step is to add very hot water (170 degrees F) to the grain, which ends up absorbing 25% of the water. Adding water reduces the alcohol content to a level that is manageable for the human body to drink a decent amount of beer without getting incredibly drunk or sick too fast. Up until now in the process, they have only been collecting sugar. The process hasn't made the mixture alcoholic yet. 

FUN FACT: Cows cannot get drunk because the alcohol is filtered through their 4 stomachs to the point where it doesn't affect them

To heat up this new mixture they use a 500,000 BTU burner that heats up a kettle to boil the liquid. At this point in the process they can add hops. Hops balance the sweetness of the barley,. Hops not only add a defined flavor, but they also help the beer stay good even if the beer isn't cold. Berkshire Brewery uses whole leaf hops (domestically grown in Oregon, WA) to introduce a genuine and new flavor to the beer. Hops act like a tea. They smell musky and, like tea, their bitterness is correlated with the amount of time they steep in the brew. After about 1 hour, Berkshire Brewery chooses to shut off burner and leak the brew into a smaller vat to add hops.

After the hops are added, the 215 degree F beer is cooled in a matter of 2 seconds by feeding through cold city water pipes and plates that lead to the MAGIC room! The beer is fed into giant tanks where 1/2 a pound of yeast is added per barrel. This means 30 pounds of yeast is added per tank. By the end of the process, the yeast will have grown to a matter of 250 pounds per tank! The yeast grows because the yeast eats the sugar of the mixture and turns to CO2. The yeast then sinks to the bottom of the tank. The timing and temperature of this step depends on what brew they are creating. If they were brewing an ale, the would let the liquid reach 70 degrees F. The longer the beer sits, the colder the temperature needs to be. For ale, the yeast will float to the top by the end of the process. For a lager, the yeast should stay at the bottom. 

The beer is then transferred to a 30 degree room called the "conditioning room". In this room the beer is fully flavored. If there is a seasonal flavor, they will do this at this step in the game. Non-pastuerized beer brewing is too expensive for this small company, and they don't do non-filtered because this removes something good from the fermented flavor of the beer. Have you ever wondered what a malt beverage actually is? Well, I can tell you! I learned that a malt beverage is actually just a very filtered beer.

In this room, all-natural vegan-friendly gelatin is added. The remaining yeast then clings to the gelatin and sinks to the bottom. Brewer sheets of B12 vitamins are added, as well. At this point someone uses a porous piece of metal that acts like a bubbler in a fish tank (and can be even more expensive than a car!) to add CO2 to the beer. 

It takes 3 hours or so to go through about 2100 gallons of beer in this step. The guide explained to us that adding bubbles is an art. You don't want to add too much so that it's the texture of champagne, but you don't want to not add enough because then your beer will be flat.

Next thing we know, we round the corner out of the cold room and we're back where we started. There was a big wall of stickers with funny sayings/bumper stickers/pictures. Some of them seemed pretty old and historical...

Not this one...haha...

But this one did! ^^^ 

The next part of the tour was to see the way the beer is packaged. Oxygen helps the beer ferment and keep its flavor, so when it is packaged, one "poof" of oxygen is added to each bottle. Trick of the trade: according to our guide, green bottles suck. Why? They let ultra0-violet light through the bottle, which changes the freshness in the flavor of the beer. The riboflavin in the yeast reacts with UV light, oxidizing. Our guide recommended buying beer with oxygen absorbing caps, as well as beer in darker bottles. Apparently to get the freshest beer you should actually buy beer in cans! Yep, you heard me, cans! Believe it or not. Brown bottles are second runners up, and green bottles are the worst. 

If anyone's interested in trying something new, our guide said that Dale's pale ale was fantastic. I feel like it must be pretty good if he chose to give a huge compliment to his business competition on a public tour. 

Alright folks, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed your tour today.

Breads: the fluffy, the dense, and the undercooked

This experiment was all about baking. I studied the different cooking qualities of baking soda vs baking powder, the way mixing can affect the end result, and how timing, temperature, and exact measurements mean everything if you are looking for a particular final product. I studied this through reading and sensory evaluations of lemon poppyseed muffins, rosemary focaccia bread, and a loaf of honey whole wheat. 

LEMON POPPYSEED MUFFINS

1/2 cup sweet creamy butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp poppy seeds

2 lemons, grated zest

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk 

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Coat muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray
3. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, poppy seeds and lemon zest.
5. With a mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating two times with the buttermilk, then the lemon juice, and then vanilla.
6. Beat until smooth
7. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form
8. Gently fold them into the muffin batter until blended
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, 3/4 full
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
11. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely

(For a little extra sweetness, sprinkle the muffin mixture with sugar prior to putting in the oven.)

• ODOR
• lemon zest, lemony and sweet
• poppy has a toned musky smell
• TEXTURE
• spongey
• slightly dense
• moist
• poppy seeds add a tiny crunch in every bite
• packed together
• TOUCH
• spongey
• smooth
• firm/thick shell
• TASTE 
• lemony
• sweet
• rich and hearty flavor
• citrus kick that travels upwards through your face

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD

3/4 cups bread flour

3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast

1/2 cup, 5 tbsp, + 1 tsp warm water (110 degrees F)

1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbsp grated parmesan

1. In a large stoneware bowl, stir together the flours and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and sprinkle sugar and yeast into the well.
3. Carefully pour the water into the well.
4. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minute.
5. Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into the well.
6. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture in the center of the bowl.
7. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all the flour at the sides of the well. 
8. Turn out on a floured surface and knead the dough just until smooth, keep soft. 
9. Pour 1/2 tsp of the oil into a clean bowl
10. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. 
11. Cover, and let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
12. Punch the dough down.
13. Use 1 tsp of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet.
14. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
15. Pour the remaining oil over the top of the dough.
16. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals.
17. Sprinkle with the rosemary and cheese.
18. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf.
19. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread.
20. Let the bread rise until doubled, 20-25 minutes. Turn on the oven to 375 degrees F. 
21. Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes, or until browned on top. 
22. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. 
23. Serve warm!

THIS WAS SO INCREDIBLY PERFECTLY DELICIOUS IN SO MANY WAYS. I WILL, WITHOUT A DOUBT, BE MAKING THIS AGAIN.

• ODOR
• the rich smell of olive oil
• the savory smell of rosemary
• moist steam that emits the toasted bread scent
• TEXTURE
• flakey
• crispy
• light!
• fluffy on the inside
• falls apart and breaks in your mouth before it melts away
• TOUCH
• light
• airy
• cushiony
• rough
• crunchy on top
• warm
• tender
• TASTE
• rosemary essence
• fresh
• savory
• pungent parmesan
• usually focaccia is more salty, but this time the olive oil and the salty cheese made up for it in butter mediterranean flavors

SIMPLE HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD LOAF

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2 1/2 cup bread flour

1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

5 tbsp + 1 tsp cup honey

5 tbsp + 1 tsp cup honey

1/2 tbsp salt

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast and 1/3 cup honey.
2. Add 5 cups white bread flour and stir to combine.
3. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
4. Mix in melted butter, 1/3 cup honey and salt. 
5. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour.
6. Flour a flat surface and knead the whole wheat flour until not real sticky- just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2-4 cups of whole wheat flour.
7. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. 
8. Cover with a dishtowel. 
9. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. 
10. Punch down and divide if necessary.
11. Place in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and allow to rise until dough as topped the pan by one inch.
12. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over-bake.
13. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely. 

• ODOR
• sweet
• yeasty
• flour is strong
• fresh
• doughy
• TEXTURE
• heavy and brick like
• thick, takes effort to break down
• dense sponge
• crispy on the outside
• dough and chewy on the inside
• needs to cook more 
• TOUCH
• moist 
• dense
• kind of like a temperpedic mattress
• thick crust that holds
• doesn't flack or crumb much
• TASTE
• honey sweet
• slightly grainy 
• full yeasty flavor
• doughy 

FUN FACT: Steam creates a gloss that speeds the cooking process and coats the outside of the dough and results in an extra crispy crust.