"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of
lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight..." — M. F. K. Fisher,The Art of Eatin'Organic Seeded Seduction Bread...... that is the name of the bread in the photo, a hostess gift given to me by a friend that came to visit this weekend. What do you think? Does it look seductive? It did to me...... and became even more so as I smelled it warming in the oven. What is it about the smell of fresh, homemade bread baking in the oven? It conjures up many thoughts, emotions, and memories for me, as my mom made a lot of homemade breads growing up....english muffins, biscuits, oatmeal bread......
Bread is a universal...a part of almost every culture and diet and has deep meaning for many. It is used as a symbol and for teaching, as I think of the many scripture passages and teachings of Jesus that refer to bread..... "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body” Mathew 26:26 .
We speak of "breaking bread together" when we fellowship and eat together.
When I "googled" the word bread, I found these interesting links:
1. Here is the Wikipedia definition of bread.
2. Here is a blog devoted to bread.
3. Here is a website devoted to ending Hunger.
4. And Here is a site all about the mechanics and science of baking bread.
What thoughts and emotions are evoked when you smell homemade bread baking?
20 comments:
Mmmm ... I can almost smell it! And I agree; the bread does look seductive!!
I left my family's home several years ago, but for me, I immediately associate that fresh home-baked loaf with the warmth of my family's home. I feel cozy, wrapped up ... warm.
I like how you identify it as a staple of the diet in so many cultures; perhaps in part it is symbolic of how central home & family are to any given society.
Maybe I'm stretching ... I'd love to hear what others think!
Ummm Yummmmm, it makes my mouth water. My Mom made wonderful bread and rolls. The smell usually meant company was coming. Good , fond memories.
kirsten- i agree with what you said...about bread being symbolic of how central home and family are to any given society....that's kind of how my thoughts were going, too. and it's sad that bread baking is somewhat of a lost art in our society since it's so easy to run to the grocery and pick up a loaf....i bet a lot of children nowadays have never smelled that smell- of bread baking in the oven! and there are numerous studies about how smells help imprint memories...a neat thought and probably why certain smells trigger such strong emotions in us, whether good or bad.
When I smell bread baking in my house, I usually feel grateful that I know how to bake it now! I had never baked bread before I married Joel. But soon after our wedding, his mom had me over to her house and spent a whole day showing me how to make her special homemade bread. So, when I smell it baking in my oven now, I am grateful that my children will grow up with that memory :) What a neat post!
Can I have a piece? That looks yummy! I liked your post a lot.... :) Hope that you are doing good!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love your pictures below of the homes. This bread looks great.
We are just north of Silver Dollar City. Good to hear about your connection.
This makes even more poignant the Revelation prophecy... that a loaf of bread will cost a day's wage. Perhaps, then, it also becomes a symbol of the spiritual poverty and communal poverty we will find ourselves in... (sorry to be the sad one here... it's just what came to mind)
l.l.- that's something to think about too....and kind of follows the train of thought of bread symbolizing the stability of home and hearth. there already is that break-down of the home and family in our society and it just seems to be getting worse....thanks for your thoughts.
Oh yeah, that's some very seductive bread. But then I've always been a sucker for a good loaf of homemade bread. On my high-school senior trip we went to the beach in S. Texas. What did I bring home from the trip? Two loaves of whole-grain gourmet bread from one of the bakeries we stopped at on the way home. I ate both of them the next week as I waited for my family to come pick me up. (Lived in a dorm.)
I made our family's bread for many years. I'm remembering how Jesus said, "I am the bread of life".
Bread is awesome and I want to pull that loaf out of my monitor and eat it!
Funny that you posted this because yesterday I ate fresh baguette with my soup for lunch, fresh baguette with homemade soup for dinner... and then I paged through my bread books trying to decide what kind of bread to make today.
Yummy. And how sweet of your friend to make you bread- that's a real friend! :o)
busybusymama, donna, and jaime- i loved hearing that all of you make your own bread- i don't make our "daily" bread, so to speak, but i like to make rolls, muffins, and specialty breads.
That bread looks so so so divine!
The smell of fresh baking break evokes closeness to me. I just want to gather my children around and read "Little House on the Prairie" while we munch.
And bread also means money. Too bad, I can't eat very much of the stuff. Too much carbs make my fatiuge worse.
BMM- I don't make our sandwich bread because we like Rudi's Country White... it's more firm than most bread, it's a potato/white bread. As soon as I figure out a recipe for a similar bread I'm going to have to make it homemade- it's expensive and the kids are eating like teenagers these days. LOL
I'm hoping to try my hand at making baguettes today.
bbm- if you find a recipe for it, let me know- sounds yummy! good luck with the baquettes...i've never tried to make them.
I'm late commenting here, due to my computer woes, but this was a particularly touching post for me, reminding me of my great grandmother, who baked bread in her wood stove until she died at 92. Good memories that warm the heart.
I have a cookbook called "the Poor Poet's Cookbook" that contends if you have good wine, good bread and good company, the meal will be a success. I can't argue, particularly with the bread and company part!
Tom
Tom- good to hear from you! that's a good quote. sometimes i stress myself out trying to make a HUGE meal for company, but it really doesn't take much...as it's savoring the company and good conversation that make the evening so enjoyable. my aunt sarah also cooked with a wood cookstove until she passed a way in the 90's....
I could almost smell the warmth through my screen. Seriously!
The smartest thing we ever did was buy a bread machine. When that magical device is kneading a loaf before we wake up, I often lie in bed and listen to it go through its paces as my nose is tickled by the homey scent.
Few things say home more warmly than the smell of a freshly baked loaf as you walk through the door. I can't think of any place I'd rather be.
How is it you always manage to evoke such rich thoughts of home and family in every entry you write? I wish I could be as grounded a writer as you. So much for me to learn...
carmi- thank you SO much for the encouraging words. i really don't consider myself a writer...i just jot down my thoughts as they come. i had a very strong sense of home and "place" and being aware of my surroundings growing up, as i lived on a farm and my parent's encouraged "slow living", so to speak. i think i have carried that into adulthood in many ways, and tend to like and cherish the simple things and prefer an unhurried lifestyle that allows me to be home a lot and be aware of my "place" and surroundings.
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