
The First Bread You’ll Never Forget
What’s for Dinner?
I was watching an English movie whose story is centered on a bakery shop. A light one, perfect for a Sunday evening. As I watched, it came to my mind that I have never made bread before. I started to look for recipes, to see if I have all the items at home and, as a miracle, I did!
- 3 ½ tea cups wheat flour
- 1 ⅓ tea cups water
- 1 medium spoon yeast (about 10 g)
- 2 small spoons salt
- wheat flour to spread over table
- olive oil to use in bowl
- water for the end

Mix the four first items and knead dough for 15–20 min, use extra flour until it looses of your hand and on the table. Let it rest for about 40 min on a bowl with olive oil (to avoid sticking on everything) and it will double its size. Work the dough again for 10 min and let rest for 30 min. Light your oven on 220–240 celsius.
Now, the oven is hot enough, the dough is ready. With a knife, draw lines on the top, spread drops of water, put it on a baking tray and inside the oven. Now, you wait. It took 50 minutes to bake. It is not perfect, but smells and tastes like heaven! I added rosemary leaves because I love them and I am an anarchist cook. Here is the original recipe, in portuguese.

I loved doing it because takes time. I am always in my mind: life, work, love, family, writing. Making bread made me think about making the bread. It is the cliché of meditation. Sometimes, I wish I had a ‘physical’ job other than being in the office. I enjoy solving problems, improves my mind, but it is the same routine and always in a rush.
Making bread gave me patience, sense of observation, contact with new textures, the smell of rosemary. I’ve said it before: it isn’t perfect and this is a good thing: I will try again, clear my mind for the present, create food, a concrete goal. I’ll be making decisions, using my senses to new ideas. And then, I’ll find a organic solution, or a better bread.

