Wholemeal Loaf

Fresh wholemeal bread is the best. It takes a little longer to make but it is worth it. I usually make this in my bread maker so it is ready when I get up the next morning.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 tsp dry yeast
300g Whole Wheat flour
100g bread flour (don't use plain flour the results will not be the same)
2 tsp milk powder
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
15ml sunflower oil
300ml water

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle and mix the ingredients with your hands.
3. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky
4. Tip the mix onto a floured bench and with floured hands knead until smooth
5. Place back into lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap.
6. Leave in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size
7. Punch the air out of the dough and tip onto a floured bench and kneed lightly
8. Place in a loaf pan and place in a warm place for 1- 2 hours
9. Heat oven to 200 degrees c and bake loaf for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 180 degrees c and back until golden or it sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Cool on on an rack.

If you have a bread machine: Just follow the instructions for your bread maker. Use the whole wheat bread option if you have one.

If you have a mixer with a dough hook: Only recommended if you have a Kitchenaid or Kenwood type mixer as they can handle the work. Use the mixer for steps 1 - 4.

Mixed Fruit Loaf

This is really yummy. As I am the only one that eats it I slice it and freeze it. That way I can enjoy anytime I want. Toasted of course with lashings of butter.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 tsp dry yeast
420g bread flour (don't use plain flour the results will not be the same)
2 tsp milk powder
1 3/4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
15ml sunflower oil
1 tsp All Spice/Mixed Spice
300ml water
1/4 Cup of chopped mixed fruit (if it has imitation cherries in it remove them)

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle and mix the ingredients with your hands.
3. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky
4. Tip the mix onto a floured bench and with floured hands knead until smooth
5. Place back into lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap.
6. Leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size
7. Punch the air out of the dough and tip onto a floured bench and kneed lightly
8. Place in a loaf pan and place in a warm place for 1 hour
9. Heat oven to 200 degrees c and bake loaf for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 180 degrees c and back until golden or it sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Cool on on an rack.

If you have a bread machine: Just follow the instructions for your bread maker.

If you have a mixer with a dough hook: Only recommended if you have a Kitchenaid or Kenwood type mixer as they can handle the work. Use the mixer for steps 1 - 4.

Onion Bread Rolls

The aroma of these bread rolls is likely to have everybody swooning and salivating. They are wonderful warm with lashings of butter and equally as good cold with lovely fillings for lunch.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 tsp dry yeast
640g bread flour (don't use plain flour the results will not be the same)
1 3/4 tbsp milk powder
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
25ml sunflower oil
1 small onion very finely chopped
400ml water

Method:

1. Steam the chopped onion in a little water in the microwave as you would any other vegetable. About 1 minute
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Make a well in the middle and mix the ingredients with your hands.
4. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky - if it is too sticky add a little more flour.
5. Tip the mix onto a floured bench and with floured hands knead until smooth
6. Place back into lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap.
7. Leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size
8. Punch the air out of the dough and tip onto a floured bench and kneed lightly
9. Shape into a fat sausage and cut into slices roughly shaping each slice into a roll and place on baking trays. I don't get to worried about the shape. I usually get about 10 large rolls or about 15 smaller rolls. Experiment. It won't hurt.
10. Place in a warm place for 1 hour
11. Heat oven to 200 degrees c and bake rolls for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 180 degrees c and back until golden or it sounds hollow when tapped - usually about another 5 minutes
12. Cool on on an rack.

Italian Bread Rolls - Great for Hamburgers

I was not sure whether to do hamburgers last night so I decided to make some Italian Bread rolls just in case. The firmness of the roll allows you to keep a hamburger together easier. But, they are great for lunches and toasted.

The great thing about bread rolls is they are very economical. I wrap them in cling wrap and place them in the freezer and use them for my husbands lunch. The defrost beautifully.

Ingredients:

1 tsp dry yeast
400g bread flour (don't use plain flour the results will not be the same)
1 1/2 tsp salt
20ml virgin olive oil
260ml water

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle and mix the ingredients with your hands.
3. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky
4. Tip the mix onto a floured bench and with floured hands knead until smooth
5. Place back into lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap.
6. Leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size
7. Punch the air out of the dough and tip onto a floured bench and kneed lightly
8. Roll into sausage about 30cm long
9. Cut into 6 equal pieces and roll into balls - don't get to precious about it though, the joy of home cooking is it does not have to look perfect every time and different sizes cater for different appetites.
10. Place on a baking tray and cover with a slightly damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size and starting to collapse a little (this will give a slightly flatter roll).
9. Heat oven to 200 degrees c and bake rolls for 10 minutes until golden or the rolls sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Cool on on an rack.

If you have a bread machine: Just follow the instructions for your bread maker. Use the bread dough program if you have one.

If you have a mixer with a dough hook: Only recommended if you have a Kitchenaid or Kenwood type mixer as they can handle the work. Use the mixer for steps 1 - 4.

A Fast Loaf of White Bread with fibre added

Yesterday I made a loaf of white bread with a little extra fibre. There is nothing like a loaf of bread that is warm, crusty and just minutes old. You will be hard pressed to buy that in a shop but what is more I use no preservatives or numbered additives.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
420g bread flour (don't use plain flour the results will not be the same)
1 tbsp milk powder
1 3/4 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
15ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp psyllium husks (available the health food section in the supermarket)
320ml water

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle and mix the ingredients with your hands.
3. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky
4. Tip the mix onto a floured bench and with floured hands knead until smooth
5. Place back into lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap.
6. Leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size
7. Punch the air out of the dough and tip onto a floured bench and kneed lightly
8. Place in a loaf pan and place in a warm place for 1 hour
9. Heat oven to 200 degrees c and bake loaf for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 180 degrees c and back until golden or it sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Cool on on an rack.


If you have a bread machine: Just follow the instructions for your bread maker. Use the rapid bread option if you have one

If you have a mixer with a dough hook: Only recommended if you have a Kitchenaid or Kenwood type mixer as they can handle the work. Use the mixer for steps 1 - 4.

Hideously Lazy

What a lazy day it has been. I really should have done so much more. When I say lazy dinner was just a rustle up of leftovers. But, like most days I did cook: a loaf of bread, 6 Italian bread rolls and a vanilla butter cake.

Lunch was a delight though. Fresh bread (home made of course), with ham, sliced hard boiled egg, mayonnaise and avocado (my husband calls avocado Irish butter).

For dinner I fed my husband a pizza that I had made extra last night but not cooked and I just had a simple left over of Moroccan Sausage Roll and fresh Italian bread roll with cheese and danish salami.

Nights like this are good because I can scrounge for food that is left over in the fridge and create meals from almost nothing.


But we are having dessert tonight which isn't usual. There are left over canned peaches in the fridge, whipped cream and I have made a yummy vanilla butter cake. So there will be a layer of cake, followed by peaches and topped with whipped cream. Yum.

Fast Ciabatta Bread

This is a bread machine version of the Italian classic which still bakes in your oven. Though not sour, this bread has the crisp crust and coarse crumb one expects from ciabatta. I love it because you can make it really fast and it is versatile.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 1/4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Directions

1. Place ingredients into the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and Start.
2. Dough will be quite sticky and wet once cycle is completed, resist the temptation to add more flour. Place dough on a lightly floured board, and roll into a fat sausage.
   
3. Divide into 2 pieces. Place loaves on prepared baking sheets. Cover, and let rise in a draft free place for approximately 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5. Place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. During baking, spritz loaves with water every 5 to 10 minutes for a crispier crust. 

 

My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method 

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking