Back when we were in Hawaii and we were at Costco buying some provisions for

the trip, with Lisa's coaxing, Ann (Charisma) came across some very interesting

bread. It is made by the "The Essential Baking Company" and I want to give

credit where credit is due. I looked over the entire package several times for

any sign of a copyright on the name, package or contents and could not find

one. So now I suppose I will need to keep the wrapper for the rest of my life

to it prove to the world. It's claim to fame is that it is packaged in a

"Stay-Fresh Package" and that it is always fresh and never frozen. Once you

have bought it you can take it home and leave it sit on the pantry shelf for

"months". It is packaged in an oxygen free environment, so what is in the

atmosphere inside of the package? They don't say. What they do say is it is a

"Super Seeded Multi-Grain, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free"

bread. So both Lisa and Ann each buy some of this bread.

I think Lisa tried to eat some of it and then tried it on our Fijian boys

before ever getting me to try it. Well the getting me to try it was more to

convince her that it was perfectly fine to throw a loaf and a half of this so

called bread away. I tried it, ??? edible, yes, nourishing, possibly and good

for you?, Not if it taste like that. I have a sign in our engine compartments

that says what you can and cannot throw overboard at sea and the distance from

land for each of the items like plastic and Oil - Never, paper - beyond 12

miles, etc, etc, etc. I don't think there is a category for this bread. Ok, I

will admit, if for some reason we had to abandon ship, we might want to take it

with us to fend off any sharks. Hope Ann tries this stuff before trying it on Bob!

So today was baking day. The picture in this blog is not of the bread I spoke

of above but of my baking talents. What you have here is John's rendition of

Hotdog buns, two Loaves of white bread and one 12" homemade crust apple pie.

You see I come on watch at 1400Z which PDST is 0500 in the morning when it is

still dark. I relieve Malo and pace around the boat, try to stay warm and kind

of wait for 1800Z to come around so I can get he daily weather.

Where in the H am I going with this you ask???? Well I was asked to sample the

aforementioned bread yesterday morning and then several hours later there was a

kind of hint that we could use some Hotdog buns because we have these long dogs

from costco but no bread to go with them. Well this morning I get the wild

hair and start the process, and it is a process.

Out comes the flour, not enought so need a new bag, salt, oil, butter, powdered

milk, sugar, yeast and of course all the baking pans and stainless bowls. I

have a plan. Make the hotdog buns from the recipe I made some hamburger buns

from the same, then modify a bread recipe a little for two loaves of bread and

then finally the apple pie. The recipe calls for this batch to make 18 buns.

It is really guess work because when I made the hamburger buns from this recipe

they came out quite large, but these hotdog buns need to be a little longer

than a regular bun, longer weiners. I make 16 from the batch and as it turns

out I should have made 12 and give them a little growing room sitting side by

side. A 1/2" space is not enough. So a picture doesn't always reveal the real

beauty!

I start the process at my 1500Z and finally finish pulling the pie out of the

oven at 2130Z. The buns and bread have to rise for an hour so I made the buns

first and was able to put the dough in a large bowl to rise, then mix up the

bread dough and I have another large bowl for that to rise in. Moses is now up

so I make him and me some pancakes before having to deal with the buns. He

clears out of the galley and heads for the bridge for watch. While the recipe

calls for me to roll out the buns on a slightly floured surface (yes and they

stick), I modify it and take my cutting board and oil it up a bit. Now I can

roll the buns into shape and put them on a couple cookie sheets with a light

coat of oil and semolina flour. Great, done just in time to deal with the

bread and I use the same cutting board lightly coated with oil to knead and

shape the bread into loaves. Oil works better than flour, no stick no mess.

Done with the buns and bread waiting for them to rise the second time so I have

about 45 minutes before the bun and bread dough has risen enough so I make the

pie crusts. As I finish brining the dough together I have Mosese peel 4 apples

and quarter them and I fire up the oven.

Time for another cup of coffee, pop the first tray of buns in the oven and

start cleaning and putting away some of the utinsils and ingrediants. Also

start my load of laundry and then Lisa comes on deck. Quite surprised at what

all I have going on. First batch of buns come out and I pop the bread in and

who shows up but Malo.... Pancakes for Malo, done with that, bread is out and

second rack of buns in. Get all the dishes done and put away when I hear Fish

on... Mosese had him aboard, a small Albacore but lost him. Now the last set

of buns are done and the pie is in. While the pie is baking, I finish up the

dishes and start a pot of water to boil potatos and eggs for future potato

salad, i.e. maybe tomorrow.

What about sailin? We have been motoring since last evening after dinner.

Wind died down to 8-10 knots and so on came the port engine at 1800 rpms to

supplement the wind. By the time I came on, the wind had died even further as

we are definately getting into the center of the high pressure. Baro is 1037

and no wind, no waves to speak of and now motoring at 2400 to keep our speed at

6.5 knots. I drop the main and furl in the genoa, dump the supplementing and

run the engines at 2300rpm. Will have to do this for at least two days before

the winds fill in on the North side of the high and we will pick up a port

tack.

Finally, we are able to see the last 1000 miles of our journey from Fiji to the

PNW. AS they say, getting closer by the day and time to make hotdogs for

lunch. Wonderful buns and I know they will start to mold in about 5-6 days

because mine are stored in free, oxygen rich, Pacific sea air!

All for now.

John