Sunday I was just starting my bread on its first rise when the power went out for no particular reason. There was a moment of panic…but then I remembered Julia’s cookery bookery advice on slowing down rising bread (stick it in the fridge and get it cold).

With this thought in my head I went for a walk and hoped the electricity would come back on before I came home so I wouldn’t have to open the fridge. I also needed a few things at the store and I decided to walk there too. It’s just around the corner and great for all of my forget-me-not ingredients.

Do you see the flaw in my logic yet?

The store is so close to our house that their lights were off. Customers were allowed to shop if they didn’t use a debit card (luckily I had brought cash). It was exciting and slightly scary, like a grocery store haunted house.

There were a few emergency lights, just enough so the cashiers could count the money, but whole sections, like the frozen area, were almost pitch black. Just as I was grabbing my last item the electricity kicked on with the mighty roar of industrial refrigerators. I got home in time to punch down my bread for the second rise.

Even though I didn’t have to try Julia’s cooling method for slowing down a bread rise, it was still a good grocery store adventure (and you know, I don’t have as many of those as I have bread baking adventures).