I have always (it seems) enjoyed baking; especially bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, and anything else that requires yeast. Most people think anything with yeast is difficult to make; they try a few times and if the results are less than spectacular, they abandon the effort.
It isn't so difficult; there are just a few rules you have to remember. Yeast is a living element and you can kill it with temperature; either too cold or too hot. When I baked bread every week for my family, sometimes the dough would rise quickly and sometimes it would take much longer. It really didn't matter too much to me; as long as it did eventually become the size I wanted it. There were just a few times when it didn't rise at all and hours later, the dough was still just a lump in the bread pan. Ugh.
Then came the job at the convenience store; not as a cashier, but as the 'doughnut maker.' I worked during the night so the doughnuts would be fresh the next morning. As much as I knew, or thought I knew, about baking; this was a whole new ballgame.
The doughnuts came as frozen little 'tires.S I placed them on the trays and waited for them to thaw.
The person training me said, "Then you put the trays in the proofer, okay?"
I nodded and smiled and secretly withheld the information that I had never used (or seen) a proofer in my entire life. If you aren't familiar with this term either, this is what it looks like, although they come in various sizes.
It isn't so difficult; there are just a few rules you have to remember. Yeast is a living element and you can kill it with temperature; either too cold or too hot. When I baked bread every week for my family, sometimes the dough would rise quickly and sometimes it would take much longer. It really didn't matter too much to me; as long as it did eventually become the size I wanted it. There were just a few times when it didn't rise at all and hours later, the dough was still just a lump in the bread pan. Ugh.
Then came the job at the convenience store; not as a cashier, but as the 'doughnut maker.' I worked during the night so the doughnuts would be fresh the next morning. As much as I knew, or thought I knew, about baking; this was a whole new ballgame.
The doughnuts came as frozen little 'tires.S I placed them on the trays and waited for them to thaw.
The person training me said, "Then you put the trays in the proofer, okay?"
I nodded and smiled and secretly withheld the information that I had never used (or seen) a proofer in my entire life. If you aren't familiar with this term either, this is what it looks like, although they come in various sizes.
It is basically a metal cabinet with slots for trays. The temperature and humidity can be set at a certain level. The dough 'proofs' or expands to the desired size and then it can be utilized (baked or fried). It is certainly a timesaver when you are making 50 dozen doughnuts.
OOPS. Sorry. It looked so good, I had to take a bite.
Since I don't own a proofer, it is always a challenge at home to find the perfect temperature and humidity for the dough. Recently I discovered the perfect place. I have an old house with wall registers.
Since I don't own a proofer, it is always a challenge at home to find the perfect temperature and humidity for the dough. Recently I discovered the perfect place. I have an old house with wall registers.
One of those registers is directly behind a small kitchen cupboard with open shelves. I placed the covered bowl of dough on the shelf. Voila! It raised in short order. (Somehow, I don't believe this is going to work in the summer when the AC is coming through that vent.)
The point of this whole post is this: We, like the yeast, are living organisms. Jesus told us to be like the leaven, or yeast, and multiply his kingdom. (Matthew 13:33) Sometimes we allow the conditions in our lives to keep us from doing God's work, just as too much heat or cold keep the yeast from working.
Do we only follow Jesus' commands when the conditions of our lives are perfect? Perhaps we need to be 'proofed' so we can expand our knowledge of God's word and reach our full potential. Sometimes it is painful to be expanded, but the alternative: remaining a 'useless lump' is not very appealing either.
Do we only follow Jesus' commands when the conditions of our lives are perfect? Perhaps we need to be 'proofed' so we can expand our knowledge of God's word and reach our full potential. Sometimes it is painful to be expanded, but the alternative: remaining a 'useless lump' is not very appealing either.
