I had baked bread yesterday, more out of a need to use up some flour coming up to its sell by than anything, and when I woke up today I was still had the baking buzz. This hits me maybe once every few weeks and the house will be filled to brim with all manner of baked goods - much to my own downfall, but this time it has been breads I've been turning my hand to. I made chili garlic hearthbread, a foccacia and Mary dearest made some lovely soda bread. All eaten in one sitting.
Then this morning, when I knew dear C was on her way, I whipped up a batch of our favorite Nigella scones, forgetting that C has really had to stop eating wheat, so I was left with 16 huge white scones to dispose of myself. That still didn't satisfy my baking buzz and so later on I threw the last of the flour into a bowl and made the cutest little white loaf.
By the time dinner came to being made I couldn't face another stir of a spoon... So I threw a few burgers on the grill, fried a few eggs and boiled up potatoes with puy lentils. It was a mish mosh of "must use this week" foods and I was not too sure about the flavours! All served up with fresh baked bread and my own homemade butter!
It was lovely and tasty thank God, not one word was said as the four of us licked away the salty yellow yoke from our lips and wiped our plates clean with soft white buttered bread...
Bread and Butter
For the butter, you'll need 1 cup of double cream poured into a clean jar or flask with a wide rim. If you happen to have a flavour shaker use this, with the ball removed.
Making butter is so easy, just shake the cream in the jar and you'll hear it go from slooshing to plopping, then to nothing as the cream is as whipped as it can be... keep shaking and suddenly you'll hear a slooshing again. When you look into the jar there it will be, a little ball of butter! Squeeze the butter rid of any milk and there you have it! Add salt to taste!
Plain white loaf
You'll need 500gms plain flour, sachet of instant yeast, 300mls of warm water with 2 tbsp of olive oil added, 2 tsps sugar and 1 of salt.
Sift flour, yeast, salt and sugar into bowl. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until its raggy but clumping together. Tip onto a floured surface and knead until stretchy and smooth (about 10 mins or so) - pop back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and put in a warm corner for about 2 hours. WHen you return it'll be doubled its size and you can now enjoy punching it to deflate! Then turn it out again, knead for a couple of minutes and then back in the bowl and cover again for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 230degreesC. After this time, pop it onto a floured oven tray and shape it into a sausage shape. Push the sides upwards to make a small ridge under the loaf ( like a cartoon loaf). Pop in the oven for 15 minutes, turn it bottom up and leave for another 10 minutes. Then turn once more to really brown the top before turning onto a wire tray to cool.
The smell through the house alone makes this worth the wait!
Then this morning, when I knew dear C was on her way, I whipped up a batch of our favorite Nigella scones, forgetting that C has really had to stop eating wheat, so I was left with 16 huge white scones to dispose of myself. That still didn't satisfy my baking buzz and so later on I threw the last of the flour into a bowl and made the cutest little white loaf.
By the time dinner came to being made I couldn't face another stir of a spoon... So I threw a few burgers on the grill, fried a few eggs and boiled up potatoes with puy lentils. It was a mish mosh of "must use this week" foods and I was not too sure about the flavours! All served up with fresh baked bread and my own homemade butter!
It was lovely and tasty thank God, not one word was said as the four of us licked away the salty yellow yoke from our lips and wiped our plates clean with soft white buttered bread...
Bread and Butter
For the butter, you'll need 1 cup of double cream poured into a clean jar or flask with a wide rim. If you happen to have a flavour shaker use this, with the ball removed.
Making butter is so easy, just shake the cream in the jar and you'll hear it go from slooshing to plopping, then to nothing as the cream is as whipped as it can be... keep shaking and suddenly you'll hear a slooshing again. When you look into the jar there it will be, a little ball of butter! Squeeze the butter rid of any milk and there you have it! Add salt to taste!
Plain white loaf
You'll need 500gms plain flour, sachet of instant yeast, 300mls of warm water with 2 tbsp of olive oil added, 2 tsps sugar and 1 of salt.
Sift flour, yeast, salt and sugar into bowl. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until its raggy but clumping together. Tip onto a floured surface and knead until stretchy and smooth (about 10 mins or so) - pop back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and put in a warm corner for about 2 hours. WHen you return it'll be doubled its size and you can now enjoy punching it to deflate! Then turn it out again, knead for a couple of minutes and then back in the bowl and cover again for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 230degreesC. After this time, pop it onto a floured oven tray and shape it into a sausage shape. Push the sides upwards to make a small ridge under the loaf ( like a cartoon loaf). Pop in the oven for 15 minutes, turn it bottom up and leave for another 10 minutes. Then turn once more to really brown the top before turning onto a wire tray to cool.
The smell through the house alone makes this worth the wait!
2 comments:
Some days, those are the best kind of meals. And nothing beats that smell of baking bread throughout the house. Mmmm...
Nice site. I like your photos. I just found it. I will check it out some more. You are putting me in the mood to bake bread!
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