—

And there was a clarity about the relationship that was refreshing.
(Steve Jobs on working with designer Paul Rand on the NeXT logo)

37signals

Here is a good quote coming from Jeffrey Zeldman, Usability Expert:

“Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.”

Let’s start out by saying that I am not the most patient person. I want results, and I want them now. I have a hard time sitting around for things to unfold naturally and have a tendency to jump in headfirst. Then I came across this article in the New York Times about a baker who is applying a 6000-year-old approach to baking a loaf of bread. It’s beautiful in its simplicity; it is so easy that I didn’t believe it until I tried it myself.

There are no tricks, no kneading, no special ingredients, other than the usual suspects; yeast, water, flour, a bit of olive oil and time. Lots and lots of time. That’s where the patience lesson kicks in.

Here you go:

Sponge

1 cup of four

1 cup of water

1/8 of a teaspoon of dry yeast (dissolve in a tiny bit of warm water first)

Whip together and pour the almost liquid substance in a bowl. Cover with plastic, an empty plastic bag will do, and put on a dry place for at least 12 hours. I let mine sit for 24 hours, remember, I’m teaching myself patience here.

 Dough

¼ of a teaspoon of dry yeast (again, dissolve first)

2 cups of flour

I teaspoon of salt

1 gulp of olive oil

2/3 cups of water

Add to the sponge and mix with a spoon. Let sit for another couple of hours or until the dough doubled in size. Then pour into a baking dish (or cast iron pan) cover! That created the moisture for a delicious crust! Bake at 400 for about 1 hour. Take the lid of, and bake uncovered for another half hour. That’s it! Best bread baked and lesson learned.