A few days later I went to my moms to video her making bread. I remember her onion bread in round loaves on the counter many years ago and I wanted to preserve that memory. She would make three round onion loaves with sesame seeds on top and when we saw them we knew someone was in need. A loaf would go to the neighbor and two loaves for the family. We knew mom loved and cared for others and she loved us. So, ready to preserve this memory, and armed with my camera I started pulling out the ingredients. Mom was adorable. Really. She had on a fresh apron, her hair was done beautifully and she glowed with love. Mom cooked the onion in butter and added water and yeast. Then she measured the salt and the flour. She talked of how her mother baked bread, and of the wonderful meals she cooked, and the clothing her mom sewed that made that made my mom feel loved. She shared memories of her grandmother who taught home economics at the high school and sewed beautiful clothing for the governor's wife. Her grandmother earned the living for the family because her husband was away. I felt these values of previous generations: Nurture. Faith. Hard work. Sacrifice. Thriftiness. Determination. That is what I wanted to capture in my record. I wanted to record the love, identity and values coming through the generations. To me. To my daughters.
We looked at the dough. "Did I forget to put in the sugar?" she said. She forgot the sugar. So. She put it in. After the dough was already kneaded. And the dough became very sticky. So mom added more flour. It was still very sticky. So she added more flour. And more flour. We laughed and laughed as she left the dough to rise. We forgot the dough and let it rise twice as long before mom formed the round loaves. After forming the loaves we forgot to put them in the oven and the loaves rose too high over the edge of the pans. We laughed again and Mom just tucked the dough in and made it look the right size again and the loaves went into the oven. Not a problem. The bread looked great and it tasted even better! That day was a great memory and I'm glad I recorded it. I love this quote:
"If you do not write your story, your name will be obliterated from the human record and you will not speak from the grave. You will not have any influence on those who come after you. Those who write about the things they have done and learned in life have a huge impact on posterity. Write your story. You have overcome things your children need to know about." Ronald O. Barney
My children need to know about these nurturing and wonderful women. I want them to feel the holiness and joy in everyday activities like bread making. And I want to pass on the tradition of caring for others with her onion bread recipe.
Onion Bread Recipe:
Saute:
1 medium onion and 1 square butter.
Mix in the bowl:
Onion butter and 2 1/2 cups cold water or milk.
When lukewarm add:
2 Tbl yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
Wait 5 minutes then add:
6 to 6 1/2 cups flour
Knead for five minutes then let rise for an hour or so. Form into three loaves in round pans. Let rise until double 30-45 minutes. Glaze with milk and put sesame seeds on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
