In Knead of a bed

[kayleth]

25, Ash 4622

It did not take long for Kayleth to finish his journey from the Eastern field back to the humble baking home he had become quite fond of. A soft knock echoed into the house. Ciara knew it was her elf child as only he had such a quiet knock. The door flew open with force as a small cloud of flour erupted from inside.

"Kayleth boy, didn't I tell you to just walk in from now on and yell your name. I swear boy, your formality will be the death of me. How was lunch with the ol' tree of mine?"

Kayleth let out an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his head. He could not ever seen himself announcing himself into someone else home in that manner but, perhaps it could be seen as a sign of disrespect to Ciara. He made a mental note for the future.

"It was okay, we talked for quite some time. He is an intimidating man to say the least. He asked me about what I did before I moved here but, more importantly I found out he knew my grandfather."

Ciara let out a high pitched wale of joy

"Ai! Did he now. Who knew you had someone that lived here. Why that practically makes you a Nurinian don't it my we Elf."

Kayleth laughed at the thought of being considered one of the people of this town and the same time he did not hate it. Of course, Ciara was the only person in the history of Atharen that could call him 'we elf' and not be met with a variety of sharp witted comments meant to tear down someone's sense of reality.

"It would appear. Would you know about my late Grandfather, perhaps, Soll of Lanbridge?"

A floured fingerprint left an impression on her face as she thought on the question for a moment. "Neigh Kayleth, I can't say I have. If you want to learn more though if Bain knew about him then I have no doubt the town Reeves would. You should go ask him, I can have Bain introduce yous two."

Kayleth took that to mean the noble responsible for the management of this town and while that would be beneficial. The thought of interacting with nobility seemed more trouble than it was worth. Although, if he planned to help the village Kayleth would eventually need to meet this man to get approval to make advancements.

"Perhaps another day. Now, you promised me my next lesson in sour dough bread making, Ciara and I plan to call you on that."

She let out a glee filled chuckle and began to push him into the home, floured handprints leaving impressions on his cloths. "Ai, Ai, I did. Now is where the hard work starts. You think Bain has it hard out in that field you try being by these harths all day. Let's go boy the dough won't kneed itself!"

The bowls from before were still on the table covered by cheese cloths to prevent them from drying out or being dirtied. He stood on one end of the table and his stout would be mother on the other side. She waited with a look that told him to proceed.

"Ah yes, the kneading. You did not really demonstrate it more as just tell me it was ready to be done." Ciara gave a huff and took a wooden spoon and began to separate the large wet dough in half.

"Ai, I suppose you are right. However, there is one thing I did not tell yeh before you headed out to Bain. After you mix your dough to a good consistency, if you can remember what that felt like, you need to let it rest so the starter or leaven can start to give the dough its rise. Oh, it'll take about an hour or so and then you can start to kneed her like so."

She grabbed the mass of semi solid dough and slammed it onto the table. Like a machine she began to push and pull the dough with her hands against the table. Turning the dough after every motion to evenly spread out the spreading. Folding it in on itself as to not miss any parts.

"I never realized bread making was such a rigorous endeavor. " Kayleth attempted to do the same with less effectiveness and began to work up a sweat.

"There you go, Kay. Now we will do this for about five minuets until the dough goes from a glop to more of a nice solid dough with a soft smooth exterior. The look on his face sunk for a moment as five minuets seemed like an eternity to him. He was at heart an academic and most types of physical labors were more than a bother for to him.

Ciara began to laugh at the lengthy armed elf as he struggled to keep up with her. “Aigh, Kayleth are all elves as scrawny as you? We have got to get you on the Nurin diet. You eat enough of my bread and we will have you looking like Bain. Then we can find you a wife!” The baker woman had a proclivity for match making and while she was mostly joking there was a part of her that was serious.

Awkwardly laughing was becoming a habit for Kayleth in the presence of Ciara and he could not help but wonder if all of the villages people had the potential for such kindness. It was apparent to him that they shared the traits for physical labor though. “ I am more of a books kind of Elf, although there are plenty who are great warriors or at least I have read about them.”

“Oh who has time for readen when there is work to be done. Readen won’t put food in your belly and fire in your home. We best get you trained up before winter sinks her cold jaws around you. I don’t think you can make it through by yourself out ways where you are.” He was surprised that she had the forethought to think about him and his circumstance but, it was a situation that Kayleth well knew already.

“I will manage, Ciara. Sil’norai always do. This is nothing compared to the trials I have already faced in my short life time.” That comment sent her laugh as she threw her head back.

“We’re close in age and you’re calling yourself young, aint that somethin! Oh, see there the dough is ready.” Kayleth looked down to see the consistency of the mass had changed to a springy texture with a smooth surface.

“Time flies when you have someone to talk tah, I could do this all day, but we best not. I need to get these in harth soon. I wager we can make three loaves from each so go ahead and separate it as best you can equally and then we will roll them into seamless blobs and plop them in their baking dish to sit and rise again. They are tired after being worked and need to rest.” Ciara winked as she said the last bit.

Kayleth did so and was pleased with himself to have fully produced a loaf of bread, almost. He placed his inside some clay dishes that had cheese cloths in them dusted with flour. Here they would sit in their baskets for another hour doubling in size before they were to be transferred to the harth.
He looked over to the two harths. He was not unfamiliar with them nor the concept of heating things steadily thanks to his studies in fragmenting. However, these were slightly different methods of approach. There was no peddle to press and instead you had to maintain the heat with air flow and timber as well as the residual heat the brick naturally held onto. The inefficacy made the cogs in his mind begin to turn so much so that he would later think of ways to improve it that would be impactful to Ciara and Bain.

“Ciara, I think I will stay at the Taigh tonight. I am more tired than I believed I would be and I think it is too late for me to make the journey to my small home. “

She wiped the sweat from her brown and threw a rag over the side of her shoulder. The woman leaned back to peak out a nearby window seeing how far the sun was down in the sky. “Aye, I supposed you’d be right. You take a loaf for me over to Bjorc He runs the place and it'll’ get yah a better room. Me mother always used tah say that a gift upon a first meeting goes a long way.”

Kayleth never ceased to be amazed by the giving heart of her and was grateful to be able to experience such an altruistic person. It drove him to care if he could feel such an emotion. More so, it was probably is want to do right by her and Bain for that matter. To show that he could add value to their lives in ways they could not understand. Quickly, he headed out of the home towards the village inn for some much needed rest after waving to the children goodbye.

"Make sure to come back tomorrow morning before you head back to that thing you call a home so you can see what fresh bread looks like cookin in my babies." By babies she meant harths that were in her family since as long as she could remember.

"I am looking forward to the educational experience, Ciara. Goodbye and may the Path watch over you."

[Salen]

Kayleth

Lores
Cooking Lores
~ How to eye ball dough measuremnts
~ Measuring by hand
~ Understanding what your dough needs
~ Kneading method: stretch and fold
~ Resting and proofing times
~ Sour Dough starter basics

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points: 5

Comments: Cute thread about dough making *Dances* Great thread, if you have any questions about your rewards let me know.