The holiday season is upon us. Did you have a few friends on your list to shop for but ran out of time with no idea what to get them? Don’t worry, you still have time to do something special for them; something personal and thoughtful. In a pinch a bottle of wine will do, but if you are looking for something a little more thoughtful, a bit more unique, but easy to do, I have the perfect solution for you!
Our neighbors stopped by with a pate of homemade cookies the other day and they were delicious! That plate of cookies from our neighbors got me thinking. Why not share something I love to bake? Something I bake on a regular basis. I bake fresh bread several times a week. So I decided to bake up a few extra loaves of bread and deliver them to our neighbors and friends, still warm from the oven!
Baking bread is so easy! I found a wonderful technique that makes the whole bread baking process almost effortless. I was so intimidated with the whole yeast thing, letting dough proof and punching it down. I thought I could never master how to do it. It all sounded so complicated and intimidating to do.
Well I was so wrong! If you want to find out just how easy it is to bake bread, check out the post I wrote about how to do it here. There is no punching of dough required either. Nothing complicated about it! Once you give this easy method a try you will be wondering why you were so afraid to give baking bread a try.
Once you pull that beautiful loaf of bread from the oven you can’t just plop that beautifully baked artisan loaf of bread on a paper plate, so not festive! Here’s how to make that loaf of bread a really special gift.
Wrap that still warm loaf in a pretty new cotton dishtowel.
Place the loosely wrapped loaf onto a small wooden cutting board. Not only does it make a pretty presentation but once the bread has been eaten they will have a beautiful wooden cutting board and a new dishtowel to use in their kitchen. Not only a tasty gift but a useful one as well.
Tie with a bit of twine to secure onto the wood cutting board.
Add a couple sprigs of fresh Rosemary from the garden, and you’re done.
It was so much fun stopping by to visit with neighbors and friends this holiday week and bringing them freshly baked loaves of bread to enjoy! Such a lovely way to slow down after the craziness of all the Christmas preparations and connecting with everyone I didn’t get a chance to see during the holiday season. I think I may make this an annual holiday tradition.
Even if you don’t get a fresh loaf to family and friends before Christmas I don’t think anyone will complain if you show up at their door with a warm loaf of freshly baked bread. That week between Christmas and New Years is typically such a let down and it’s actually the perfect opportunity to gift someone special with a visit.
The Christmas crunch may be behind us but the holidays aren’t over yet. I can’t think of a better way to keep the celebrations going than by stopping by with a delicious home made gift straight from the oven! You may even be asked to stay for a bit to enjoy a glass of wine ☺️