Julia & Tiffany?

One of my favorite movies is Julie & Julia. After I saw it for the first time we went to the library and found Julia Childs cook book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I cooked a few dishes out of it and was hooked! Then I had to give it back :-(
So for my birthday, Brian and the kids gave me my very own copy, plus "Mastering... Volume 2" :-D
Today we tackled something from volume 2 - French bread.
We started making it at 2:00
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.
.
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It is now 10:00 and I still don't have any fresh French bread...

Julia taught me a few things today:
Check the temperature of the water you are going to use to activated your yeast; if it's over 100 degrees, chances are you will kill the yeast. We have attempted bread several times and never ever understood this properly and therefore our bread just wouldn't rise despite our best efforts.
Julia also taught me today that bread takes a freakin long time to make. You knead dough, let it rise for 3 hours, punch it down and let it rise 1.5 hours, then shape it into loaves and let it rise 2 more hours.
I also learned that bread making really is as hard as it looks!
So at 9, after I shaped the dough into the loaves, I gave up and stuck it in the refrigerator.
Julia is testing my patience...
I really wish I had some fresh hot French bread. Right now. With butter. Please.

If this goes well we will try to make croissants in the near future!!!

Maybe they'll be as good as La Madelliene's!!! Mmmmmmm