This week’s giveaway had me trying a different type of bread than I had ever made before called Nisu.  It is a sweet bread apparently made in the Nordic countries of Europe that is much beloved.  I read a story about it on Food52 and was pretty much obsessed with making it for a giveaway.  The recipe makes 3 loaves and I wasn’t confident enough in the process the first time (you can read more about that here) so I had to remake it a second time.  So yes, for those counting that was 6 loaves of bread.  I also decided I had to make a specific brown bread recipe I have been eyeing for weeks and weeks as a test for a future giveaway.  It made 2 loaves.

Yes, for those counting, my kitchen kicked out 8 loaves of bread this past week.  It was definitely excessive and I really, really like bread.  I had to farm out the different tasting sampling loaves to a few people to you know, fit in my jeans…ish.  So, I was doing Oprah style practice giveaways where everyone was getting loaves of bread, coworkers, former coworkers, siblings, in-laws, parents, the works to clear the counters.  Thanks, team–you were my guinea pigs this week, and I don’t feel like you really minded.

My official giveaway this week came with a short weeknight visit to my dear friend and neighbor’s house.  She is the kind of friend and neighbor that makes you feel like you won the lottery just because you moved into the neighborhood where she lives.  She is equal parts hilarious, and serious.  She is smart and witty, an amazing activist, honest, and has an amazing capacity to make sense of the world around her.  In short, her point of view and world-view is so unique and fierce that it always makes me think harder.  Getting to spend time with her is always treasured.  It is not the first loaf of bread I have given her (nor will it be the last!), but she was definitely due for the full wrapped and presented bread loaf this week given with intentionality.  She let me know the bread had a specific de-grumpifying factor for her family too when they were slightly out of sorts.  I can’t promise those same results for you, but it is definitely worth a shot.  Most Everyone loves homemade bread.

This bread heavy week also witnessed me dipping into this book on bread.  It is a beautiful tale of a man in search of what he calls elemental bread with an old soul.  Bread that was the foundation of life and nourished generations for hundreds of years.  I wanted to yell PREACH brother as I was reading his introduction.  His basic loaf recipe starts on page 41 and with some pictures, goes to page 70.  This is then followed by what the hero of the book says is a more in-depth look at each stage of the recipe.  What the what?  Yes, this man is bread obsessed.  I am just in the beginning stages of capturing wild yeast to make a starter for his bread, and there is no doubt that you will hear more about this in the upcoming weeks.

Creating a starter and capturing wild yeast seems like a good metaphor for my bread project too, as I am now closing in on 3 months or 12 weeks of giveaways.  This short time has convinced me I love what I am doing and my recipients, from well-known friends to those I want to connect more with, to even strangers, have seemed delighted when they get a loaf.  It is all early, but it all feels right, bringing together the things that I love, baking, sharing, connecting with people, into a wild start of something really cool.  Onward.