I don’t know about you, but 2018 has already been pretty jam packed with work. It seems that without my full knowledge or intentional accepting, the past few days have become a bit overloaded with work. Now listen, don’t get me wrong — I am so insanely grateful to be able to stay busy doing what I love and running my business. But I’ve realized that what Elizabeth Gilbert says is true:
I am a better person when I have less on my plate.
I like juggling and conquering different tasks — it’s why I love being an entrepreneur. But we are all human and we all have limits. And when we don’t make time to be humans at our simplest form, we also let some other things slip:
Love
Grace
Ridiculous laughter
Quiet time
Rest
Peace
Pure joy
Watching Planet Earth recently sort of put my mind back into perspective. In a world that is boundless and expansive, sometimes I look at my life and wonder if these tiny details that we worry about are even worth it. Our daily stresses, our comparisons, todo lists and fears — and how funny it is that we “try” to have purpose when it is already so deeply ingrained in who we are. Meanwhile, there are birds who have to think about not getting stuck to Pisonia trees. Penguins who to travel an entire day through treacherous conditions just to get food for their little ones. Other birds who wait 5 months for their mate to come home. When you think about it, it’s pretty incredible that we are alive here on this planet, doing life together. And maybe that’s enough. Allow yourself to live in wonder today. Let yourself be a human. The simplicity is more beautiful than you know.
And while we’re on the topic of living in today, making bread is my way of staying in the moment. When the world is terrifying to me, I make homemade bread. Seriously — it’s cheaper than therapy, you guys. This recipe is incredibly simple and super yummy. Perfect for sandwiches, butter and jam, cheese boards, or on its own when you just need some carbs. As always, comment below with any questions and let me know how it turns out if you make it!
What you need:
• 1 cup of warm water
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter, plus extra for topping
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour
What to do:
1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and a half cup of flour. Mix well and let rest in a warm place for 8-10 minutes.
2. Once foamy, stir in the melted butter and salt.
3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together into a dough.
4. Flour a surface and turn the dough out onto it, kneading for 10 minutes. Add flour as needed if too sticky.
5. Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Let rest in a warm place for an hour or until the dough is doubled in size (I put mine in the oven turned off).
7. Once the dough is doubled, place it onto a parchment lined baking sheet and divide into 2-4 pieces, depending on how many loaves you’d like to make and how large you want them.
8. Roll each ball of dough out and flatten with your hand slightly, tucking the ends under.
9. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut diagonal slits across the tops of the loaves.
10. Spray the tops of the loaves with a fine mist of warm water. Then let rest for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 400F.
12. Mix a little more melted butter with maple syrup and brush onto each loaf. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be slightly golden brown when finished.
13. Give your bread some time to cool for a few minutes before breaking into it (I highly recommend serving with a touch of butter. These also work great sliced open as sandwich rolls!).
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