Tuesday 2/28 -- baking lesson

We're a bit discombulated about time.  Mysteriously, Tepic (which is EAST of Puerto Vallarta) is an hour EARLIER.  Further compounding the problem, not all of our devices recognized this special time zone.  So we are constantly double-checking the actual time.

We discussed various plans for the week, and eventually set out for some light grocery shopping and a spin through a local flea market.  A few items were identified for purchase at the market, and at the grocery we were looking for some good bakery items for breakfasts and the ingredients to make "Gabe's Favorite Bread" .  This will use up some items we'd brought along, and give Martha a nice demonstration of how to make yeast bread.  Here, of course, the main "bread" is tortillas ... wheat isn't such a big thing.  Getting OUT of the market was complicated by a couple markdown items that wouldn't scan, and a delay in claiming a bag we'd had to leave at security.

Suddenly Martha realized the TIME:  we needed to scurry off to pick up her daughter and then granddaughter.  This put a crimp in the plan to re-visit the market and pick up a few items we hadn't wanted to leave in the car in the pitiless sun; we abandoned the markdown items & the checked bag for the time being.

Oh well, first things first.  We got everyone into the car, then Linda and Martha circled back to complete the morning's tasks.  The bread was started (I always start with a "sponge," too loose to make into loaves but stiff enough to rise and get the gluten going) and folks were amazed at the prospect of fresh yeast bread.

We enjoyed the last of the turkey meatballs and the poblano rice for dinner, with some of the good bakery items passed around for dessert.  By this time the bread was on its final rise, Martha having gotten the experience of patting it out, rolling it up, and getting it into its pans.  (As baking pans were in short supply, we made one full loaf and four mini-loaves ... a new approach!)

Though many homes enjoy natural gas ranges and clothes dryers, gas is viewed to be expensive here and so (for instance) the oven has no pilot light.  After a brief search for a long-reach lighter, we were able to preheat it and later tuck the risen loaves inside.  A short hour later, we had four lovely mini-loaves and a tall full-sized one to celebrate.