Posts tagged gluten

shaping dough, or why gluten is like a toddler

I like to tell people that gluten is like a toddler. It will behave with enough rest and when it thinks an idea is its own. Shaping has to occur in stages in order to build the strength and tension necessary to form a nice loaf. As I shape, I am grateful for the patience of all those who have formed me. Who allow me to slowly shift into the directions that I need to go.

lenten bread, faithKendall VandersliceMarch 17, 2017bread, shaping, sourdough, glutenComment

what gluten has taught me about the Church

As soon as water hits flour, transformation begins. Gluten begins to form and starches slowly release their sugar. When given enough time, gluten forms a powerful net. In the tension between two qualities--the plastic and elastic--the dough begins to grow. When I watch a loaf of bread rise, I'm reminded that the Holy Spirit lives in the tensions of the Christian faith.

lenten bread, faithKendall VandersliceMarch 10, 2017gluten, autolyse, tension, transformationComment