Our daily bread
Hello dear readers and welcome to new followers!
As you can see I've changed my blog background. I felt the black, although glamourous and twinkly, was sometimes difficult to read...so I've reverted to the background I used on my previous blog. I love the watery wash of colour, which I sometimes feel reflects exactly what is going on inside of my head!
My week has been busy. My middle daughter left for a two month trip to South Africa and the house is considerably quieter without her larger than life presence!
I've been doing a lot of foodie related posts lately - I hope you don't mind...
I love sharing my baking with you.
I love the idea of making and baking your own bread. I don't mean throwing it all in a bread making machine and switching the switch, I mean kneading, resting and kneading again and then baking.
It just takes me back to grass roots, how it must have been for women the world over, when most of them grew their own meals and certainly baked their own daily bread.
So this week I've been experimenting because I've only made one other loaf of bread in my life, and it was a recipe from Jamie Oliver's first book, The Naked Chef.
I found a blog called THE FRESH LOAF and I decided to try out his recipes.
(It's not only a website, it's an interactive forum where you can leave queries about your bread baking, have them answered and really get to grips with baking bread).
It all came about because I don't really enjoy eating supermarket loaves and my absolute favourite bread is FRENCH BOULE and I was looking for a recipe to make it.
here
You can just imagine how delicious this bread is!
Turns out the French Boule is for the more experienced baker involving starters etc, so I turned my hand to the easier loaves, lesson one and two on the website!
The dough after 10 minutes of kneading
After 90 minutes of proving
The loaf - so proud!
The result!
My week has been busy. My middle daughter left for a two month trip to South Africa and the house is considerably quieter without her larger than life presence!
I've been doing a lot of foodie related posts lately - I hope you don't mind...
I love sharing my baking with you.
I love the idea of making and baking your own bread. I don't mean throwing it all in a bread making machine and switching the switch, I mean kneading, resting and kneading again and then baking.
It just takes me back to grass roots, how it must have been for women the world over, when most of them grew their own meals and certainly baked their own daily bread.
So this week I've been experimenting because I've only made one other loaf of bread in my life, and it was a recipe from Jamie Oliver's first book, The Naked Chef.
I found a blog called THE FRESH LOAF and I decided to try out his recipes.
(It's not only a website, it's an interactive forum where you can leave queries about your bread baking, have them answered and really get to grips with baking bread).
It all came about because I don't really enjoy eating supermarket loaves and my absolute favourite bread is FRENCH BOULE and I was looking for a recipe to make it.
You can just imagine how delicious this bread is!
Turns out the French Boule is for the more experienced baker involving starters etc, so I turned my hand to the easier loaves, lesson one and two on the website!
I know life is short and for some, life is way, way too short to bake your own bread!
But it didn't really take that long, 10 minutes of kneading, then put it somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours and go do something else and then knock it back and leave to rest again...finally you bake it. The kneading was great - very therapeutic, muscle inducing, a real workout for the arms!
If you do want to bake your own bread
try this recipe - lesson one:
THE FRESH LOAF
But it didn't really take that long, 10 minutes of kneading, then put it somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours and go do something else and then knock it back and leave to rest again...finally you bake it. The kneading was great - very therapeutic, muscle inducing, a real workout for the arms!
If you do want to bake your own bread
try this recipe - lesson one:
THE FRESH LOAF
I know it's only bread, but it went down a treat! Much tastier than any bought bread you will ever buy and without any additives, only flour, water, yeast and salt!
Happy weekend everyone!
Sharon
xxx
Happy weekend to you also! This loaf looks delicious .... you know how you can smell fresh bread when you drop by someone's home who has been baking? Well ..... I'm certain your blog smells rather lovely just now! Minerva ~
ReplyDeleteThanks Minerva, I'm really enjoying this breadmaking thing...finished lesson 2 which was a sweeter bread...will share someday. x
DeleteWhat a delicious bread Sharon !!!...love from me...happy weekend...x !
ReplyDeleteManna from heaven Ria....manna from heaven! Hugs x
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