Adventures in the kitchen, part 1

I baked some bread today. It was my first try at something other than banana bread and it went pretty well. I bought Beth Hensperger's Bread Made Easy book and made the first recipe. It was a batter bread that didn't need to be kneaded or anything. My first attempt activating the yeast turned out poorly. The recipe called for the yeast to be dissolved in warm water with a little sugar and ginger. I dissolved the yeast, but waited and waited and it never activated. I tried it again, raising the temperature of the water and it worked! I then put the batter into a fluted tube pan and waited for the yeast to work its magic. The dough was supposed to double in size after an hour. The hour came and went and the dough did not look much different. After 3 or 4 hours, the dough had risen to the top of the pan. I put the soon-to-be-delicious-bread in the oven. After 40 minutes at 350 degrees, the bread was done. I checked the temperature (205 degrees) and knew that it was finished. After waiting for the bread to cool for a few minutes, I turned it onto a plate. It looked delightful for a first bread making attempt. I later served the bread with my butternut squash soup and it was a hit (with Caroline, at least). I am still enjoying the bread. I just hope that Todd gets home soon, because it may disappear.