Chereads / Wonted Hostelry / Chapter 4 - Ch4: Cavern to cultivate and a bread

Chapter 4 - Ch4: Cavern to cultivate and a bread

"Master you are still in this unknown planet. This is just I cave that I created. This is one of my unique ability as an artifact which can create agricultural land, as long as it is within the space of this house. Within this extended 50 sqm2 cavern, you can place whatever plants or animals that you can procure in this world and cultivate it here." Alexander nodded but she can't still speak due to her shock. It does not look like a cave at all. There are several wooden chairs and tables near the door she entered. In addition, there are also agricultural materials such as a hoe, watering can, clipper and some equipment she does not recognize. The most shocking is the ceiling and the floor. The ground is uniformly dark, spongy, and jelly-like appearance, and also amorphous such soil is good for planting. Alexandria looks above, the ceiling looks like a real sky. Although there are no birds flying around, the clouds are constantly moving. The wall is made up of stone which serves as the border of the cave. The height of the wall is about 30 meters from the ground. It looks like she is currently in an underground cave.

While Alexandria pondered, the Stewards intervened by talking, "Master…. since my rank is at the lowest, the benefit that you will receive is also the smallest. Kindly open the window to see the current benefit this house will receive.

• 5% protection to all disease, poison, illness: Applicable to the owner, plants, animals

• 10% decrease in rotting time

• 5% bonus to the owner's health

• 5% decrease in fatigability

• 10% growth and maturity rate to all plants

Alexandria nodded while reading and sigh, "Being a chef was my dream when I was young but that just stay as a dream. I can cook a simple dish such as scrambled egg or cooked rice." "Master…I forgot to mention that I am here to help you. You can really acquire skill by trading sphere deeds or 1 crystal deeds. Please select three skill. You will have all of it for free. The next time you select skills, you will be charged" Then a holographic window appeared.

• Green Thumb

• Baking

• House Keeping Series: 1. Sweep and Wipe

• House Keeping Series: 2. Laundry

• House Keeping Series: 3. Dryer

Alexandria pondered a bit and selected, the first, second and third choice, "Steward? I mean…how will address you?" The steward responded, "It is up to you master." Alexandria thought that the steward's voice is similar to her late grandmother, she smiles and said, "How about Yue? It means moon… Kindly just call me Xia, my grandmother used to call me that name and besides that, I am not comfortable to be called master. The stewards pause a bit and responded, " As you requested Xia…. " Yue pause for a bit then a bell rang three times and Yue responded, "You will receive your skills in 10,9...2,1… Thank You. If you want to increase your mastery to all your current and future skill set, kindly use that specific skills as much as you want.

Alexandria open character windows,

Name: Alexandria Calloz

Race: Human

Age: 12 years old

Class: Hosteler

Level: 1

Deeds: Sphere- 0

Crystal - 0

Artifact:

Mystic House – rank -F

• Farm Space

Skills:

• 0/10 star - Green Thumb

 5% Retained essence in harvesting

 5% Additional protection to any disease to plants handled

 5% Increase growth rate

• 0/10 star – Baking

 10% effect increase to all food

 10% decrease failures

• 0/10 star - House Keeping Series: 1. Sweep and Wipe

 10% increase efficiency and speed

 10% increase durability to any surface being clean

Animals Husbandry: none

Plants Husbandry: none

Storage Products

• Rank F Eggs- 10 eggs/ day for 30 days

• Rank F Bread Flour – 2kg/day for 30 days

• Rank F Oil – 100ml/ day for 30 days

• Rank F yeast -25mg/day for 30 days

• Rank F sugar – 100mg/day for 30 days

• Rank F salt – 50mg/day for 30 days

Alexandria smile when she saw the available products, "Yue, where will I collect these ingredients?" Yue pointed the table near the exit of the farm, "That wooden box? you can get it from there. I would like to remind you that once you take out the ingredients, at least 1 meters away from this house, all the house benefits will cease to function" Alexandria nodded.

Alexandria collected all the ingredients from the wooden box and went to the kitchen. She places all the ingredients on the wooden table. Alexandria is making pandesal, this bread is very popular in the Philippines especially in the rural area, especially eaten before sunrise. Pan de sal which is Spanish for bread of salt is traditionally made with wheat flour, yeast, water, and a pinch of salt added to the dough. Over the years, ingredients such as eggs, milk, and butter were incorporated to the basic recipe resulting in a sweeter than salty flavor. What Alexandria want is the equal proportion of sweetness and saltiness that she tasted during her childhood.

Alexandria started to combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk and stir until the yeast and sugar were fully dissolved in a wooden bowl with a dimension of 10cmx10cm. She grabs another wooden bowl with a dimension of 30cmx15cm, then combines the dry ingredients starting with the flour then the sugar, salt, and baking powder. She added the egg and oil since she does not have a butter and yeast-sugar-milk mixture in the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Then she mixes again until a dough is formed. She transferred the dough in a flat surface which is the other half of the table and knead the dough until the texture becomes fine. She thought that it would be faster and easier kneading if she will use a stand mixer with a dough hook but she doesn't have that equipment.

She molds the dough until shape becomes round then place it back in the mixing bowl. She covers the mixing bowl with a damp cloth. The dry square cloth was found along with the mixing bowl. She let the dough rise for at least 1 hour. She waited for about 30 minutes and check the dough and to her surprise, it already rises up well. The bell ran again, "Xia, you have the skill called baker. That is one of the advantages of having that skill which is in line with what you are doing right now. She giggles and thought one the perks? She places the dough back to the flat surface and divides into 4 equal parts using a single loose thread from the damp cloth. She rolls each part until it forms a cylindrical shape. It took her an hour till she was satisfied with the form. Since she does not have bread crumbs, it will stay as it is. She may hide 1 or 2 bread and grind it for future use.

She place all the cylindrical doughs on the petalite board. She preheated the oven using dried woods then she frowns, "Yue, how will I know that the oven is already in the right temperature?" "Xia, just touch the oven and you can see a floating number above it. The temperature is set in Celcius."

She touches the oven and a red smoke float above the oven and then it forms a number 30°C then it disappears after 10 seconds. She waited for about 25 minutes before it became 180°C. She bakes the bread for about 40 minutes then she removes it from the oven.

She sighs and dumps all the charred bread in the wooden bin then she murmured, " I need to practice more. Maybe it's the temperature?"