I get these urges to bake. So i grab a
wooden spoon and knock the bag of flour off the top shelf and into my hands. That's how it's begun, in the big bowl.
In the big bowl:
two cups of lukewarm water
two packages of dry yeast, or if you've got bulk yeast, two palm-fuls
Mix it up: when it's dissolved, add three cups of
flour and stir it up really well. Set the bowl in your lap and get your arm into the stir, until your arm tires. Then cover the batter - sponge - and put it in a warm, not-drafty place for about a half-hour, until bubbly.
Add a tablespoon of salt and a quarter-cup of olive oil, a cup of grated parmesan cheese and a whole bunch of ground sage. Mix it in throroughly, then add a couple more cups of flour to make a dough. Knead it well, don't skimp on the kneading, because that's the fun part. When you think you're done, do it a little more. Shape it (i did eight baby baguette shapes) and let it rest&rise for 30 minutes, while the oven heats to 350°.
These should be cooked until they are bread-colored and crusty, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Then it's time to be ravenous. (and we were)
But there just wasn't much in the house to put on sammiches; just some old tomatoes that had been bought before they were quite ripe. So we chopped them up with fresh parsley, salt and balsamic vinegar, slit a warm bread down the middle (like gutting a fish), and stuffed it with tomatoes. The sammich thus made is tasty in the hand as you run out the door, and tastier after the show four hours later, when it's been sitting in the car growing into its own best savor. And if you do the dishes while the bread's baking, the kitchen will be clean when you get home. And if that doesn't make you happy, well i don't know if i can help you. That's how it's ended.