The History of Our Family Table and Our Daily Bread Bakery Our Family Table Foundation was founded in September, 1993, by Thelma and Wesley Williams. It was inspired by the Williams' work as caterers in Los Angeles, and draws upon their extensive background as teachers. Wesley and Thelma observed that the young people they hired to help in their bakery lacked key educational knowledge and basic business skills. Consequently, the food experience proved to be an effective teaching and motivational context for these young people.
Our Daily Bread Bakery, established by Our Family Table Foundation and created in Atlanta, Ga. combines job experience in the food business with curriculum encompassing day-to-day business expertise and general living skills. In this 26-week after-school program, the students learn how to cook and bake, how to improve their personal effectiveness, and how to resolve problems. To help students learn from a success mode, the program seeks to adjust the curriculum to each student's individual level of academic achievement.
Thelma and Wesley say that their program's goal is to demonstrate that positive work with young African-Americans can make sense for any small enterprise, not just the restaurant industry. It is also a model that shows that community service and sound business practices can go hand-in-hand.
Braided Bread
To create bread loaves like those that guest Thelma Williams demonstrated, combine six packages of frozen dough (1 loaf per package = approximately 1 lb. of dough) or enough of your own favorite yeast bread recipe or bread machine recipe to produce six loaves. Follow your recipe for letting the dough rise and for kneading it, and then divide the combined dough into nine even balls. From the dough balls, roll out nine long ropes, approximately 16-inches each. You can now create each of the three types of braids listed below in similar sizes as those seen on the show.
Twists
- Use enough dough for a normal, unbraided loaf of bread. Attach two 16-inch ropes (A and B - see diagram) by pinching the top ends together.
- Twist ropes A and B around one another.
- Pinch the bottom ends together to hold the twist.
- Paint the top of the bread with beaten egg yolk to produce a shiny golden look when the loaf comes out of the oven.
- Bake at 350-degrees for 25 min. or until golden brown.
Three-Way Braid
- Use enough dough for two normal, unbraided loaves. Attach three ropes by pinching their tops together.
- Fold rope A over rope B.
- Fold rope C over rope A.
- Fold rope B over rope C.
- Continue this process until loaf is formed.
- Paint the top of the bread with beaten egg yolk.
- Bake at 350-degrees for at least 25 min. Bake longer as needed or until golden brown.
Four-Way Braid
- Use enough dough for three normal, unbraided loaves of bread. Pinch together the tops of three ropes and the bottom of one rope to produce a broom shape, as in the diagram.
- Fold rope A over rope B.
- .Fold rope C over ropes A and B.
- Fold rope D down, then fold rope B up.
- .Continue until the loaf is formed.
- Paint the top of the bread with beaten egg yolk.
- Bake at 350-degrees for at least 25 min. Bake longer as needed or until golden brown.
Resources Our Family Table, Inc. / Our Family Table Foundation
Our Family Table, Inc. / Our Family Table Foundation
2031 A Metropolitan Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30315
USA
Phone: 404-765-0084
Guests Thelma Williams
Owner of Our Family Table, Inc. / Our Family Table Foundation
2031 A Metropolitan Pky.
Atlanta, GA 30315
Phone: 404-765-0084
Fax: 404-765-0556
Email:
oftf@mindspring.com
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