Salt of the earth

My church does meals every month for a local women's shelter. We have a signup sheet posted (and it occurred to me last night: hey, in this modern age, why not do this online?) for folks to sign up for main dish, drinks, etc. I signed up for "bread" for tonight's meal.

I had intended to bake rolls Wednesday night. For whatever reason, Wednesday, which has no plans from week to week, never is actually productive. I think I wallow in the time and suddenly, it's 7:30 and G needs to get ready for bed, it's 8:30 and his light needs to be off, it's 10:00 and I need to turn the lights off, and--wait, what was I going to get done tonight? Rats.

So I realize as I'm turning the lights off Wednesday night that I can set up the bread machine for dough in the morning, and turn it on as I'm flying through before choir practice on Thursday. I measure out everything but leave the water in a measuring cup. I pour it in at 6PM, turn it on, and leave.

We come back to beautiful, high dough all ready for shaping and the last rise. I cut it with a sharp knife, assemble it in a greased 13x9" pan, and put it on the stove (with the oven on) for its last rise. They rise up wonderfully, looking delicious.

As I'm putting them in the oven, it occurs to me, Hm, did I put salt in this batch? I keep salt in a spice jar and it's been empty (I buy sea salt by the pound at the local bulk foods store). I don't remember raiding the salt shaker or anything. crap.

I bake them anyway--why not?--and start a new load of dough in the breadmaker. Then I call my sister and blame her, because she made bread without salt and told me how beautifully it rose and baked. Clearly, it's her fault. She's right, too: you have to eat it with salted butter and additional salt over the top. Bread without salt tastes like nothing.

Fortunately, I fall asleep very easily in general, so I set an alarm to wake up when the dough's done to cut and shape it as before, another alarm to put the risen rolls in the oven, and a last alarm to take them out. I was a little afraid I'd miss the last one and wake up to smoke in the house or seriously burnt rolls in the morning. Np, as Liz says; I woke up and set them out to cool, remembering to turn the oven off, even.

Delivered the rolls this morning. I hope they enjoy them. I do love me some baking.

remember the salt...