Undergraduate /
UC Prompt #2: Baking Bread [4]
Thank you so much for all of your help! I took all of your suggestions into consideration. However, I don't know how I can make it shorter. I took out lots of it, but ended up replacing it all while I was rewriting. Also, does this talk about me enough? Should I incorporate more of how it relates to me and less of the story?
I hope this is better.
Thanks again!
The aroma of the freshly baked sausage and red bean buns filled the air as I took the pans out of the oven. Friends were over for a leaders' meeting and I was eager for everyone to try my new experiment. I put the beautiful, golden brown buns on a wire rack to cool and a feeling of pride came over me. I snuck a quick bite and was surprised. It tasted like alcohol and was hard--nothing like the bread at the local bakery. As my friends tried it, I could see the disgusted expression on their face and the lump in their throat as they downed the bread with difficulty, but with a reassuring half-smile they said it tasted good, probably not to hurt my feelings. With a nervous laugh, I said thank you. Next time, I was determined to get it right.
It may seem odd that a male high school student took baking as a hobby, but for as long as I could remember, I always loved activities where you use your hands to create something--whether it be wood working or knitting. It all started on a Sunday afternoon, after a piano test I had just taken. I was biking by myself that day since the rest of my family was at church and I decided to get a snack at the bakery. I bought two buns and after finishing them, I looked at the wrapper and noticed that the ingredients in them were everyday things that could easily be found in any kitchen: flour, butter, water, sugar, egg, milk, yeast, and salt. While pedaling home my curiosity took over and I thought to myself, "Couldn't I just make this at home?" The next thing I knew, I found a recipe online and gathered all the ingredients on the kitchen table, ready to be turned into some buns.
I measured everything and started to knead it together. I started to get excited when the combination of ingredients merged into a single gooey mass. But that excitement turned to worry when the gooey mass stayed gooey, even after two hours of kneading. Not sure of what to do, I added some flour to make it more dough-like, shaped the buns, and let them proof in a warm place.
During the time the bread was rising, I turned to the computer to find some information on what went wrong. It turned out that I was using a flour with a lower protein level and that affected the body of the dough. While lost in discovering the intricacies of bread making, I smelled a beer-like scent in the air and I realized the yeast did its job too well in fermenting and the dough was overproofed. Working with what I had, I said a little prayer, and put the pans into the oven. While they were baking people arrived for the meeting.
Although my first time making bread could have been considered a failure, exploring what caused my problems opened me to the world of baking. I gained a true appreciation for the work and science that goes into the creation of a loaf of bread. Baking, to me, is a creative outlet where I can experiment with new ingredients and flavors and a way to share my passion with other people. Sure, my friends may sometimes laugh at me, but they are left speechless once they've had a taste.
