Egging Me On

In recent years, my bread-baking has been directed by the white bread recipes of James Beard and Nigella Lawson. However, my very first exposure to bread-making was through a little Japanese cookbook (now out of print) for beginner bakers. I went back to that book this weekend and picked out an egg bread recipe.

The fragrant, spongy result has completely converted me over to egg bread. I've never been fully satisfied with the smell of home-made white bread, especially when made with active dry yeast. The funky, yeasty odor sometimes overpowers the loaf. Eggs apparently mask or neutralize the smell, replacing it with the inviting, familiar smells that waft from a bakery.

The loaf was incredibly light: a crunchy shell housing a fluffy centre. It was good on its own and delectable with margarine.

I was eating a lime-infused salad as I sampled the first couple of slices of the egg bread. It dawned on me that adding lime to the dough would make a very interesting loaf. That will be my next baking project.