The aroma of bread

The sweet smell of bread-making pervaded the last church service of 2012 in the North Bradford Circuit of the Methodist Church.  For three hours the participants mixed, poured and kneaded flour, oil, yeast, honey, slat and water while singing, meditating, discussing and praying.  The oil, for example, was olive oil from the Palestinian Occupied Territories.  There was much merriment over the stickiness of the dough and over the carrying of water on the participant's heads from the kitchen to enact how water is brought for cooking in many areas of the world.  Finally, the bread was cooked in a completely full oven and then eaten with a liberal spreading of Yorkshire butter and quince jam made from fruit out of Baildon Methodist Church garden.  Everyone shared part of their loaves with others.