I made bread.
Not dry, claggy, inedible bread (which I've made on and off for about five years now) but soft, fluffy, tasty bread that actually got eaten.
An added bonus is the cost - I worked out that the loaf cost me around 35p in ingredients which is an undeniable bargain!
I made another loaf straight away because I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and because the children demolished the first one in under ten minutes.
My recipe is simple, and as follows:
225g strong bread flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp sugar
15g soft marg
1 sachet of yeast
150 ml of warm water.
Mix together flour, sugar and water.
Add marg, make it crumbly.
Add yeast, sprinkle it over but don't bother stirring it.
Add in all the water.
Mix - I cheat and use a hand blender with a dough hooks (mine is a cheap and cheerful model costing all of £13.27 at Argos.) I mixed for about five minutes, until it got a bit challenging quite frankly.
Then I put in the oven to rise, because my kitchen is freezing - I preheat the oven for a few minutes to its lowest setting and then put the dough in covered with a teatowel for about 20 minutes with the door just a teeny bit open - I've forgotten to say that I turn the oven off before I put the bread in. So don't forget to TURN IT OFF. Then I take the dough out, roughly shape it on a baking tray and put in the oven which I turn on to about 220 c, for about twenty(ish) minutes. I keep an eye on it though.
Why am I telling you all this? Probably all of you reading this bake bread every single day without even thinking about it. I am telling you because I am thrilled with this discovery, and that it is a perfect example of how you are never to old to learn a new skill.
Yay me :)
5 comments:
Yay you! I shall try your recipe, sounds good, but most of all I shall try your cunning technique for a freezing kitchen. Got one of those ;-)
Now, any good at ciabatta rolls?
So, SO yay you! I too, do the freezing kitchen lateral thinkery...
Fantastic! I love making bread, the kneading bit is the best for me, you can work out all your aggression, lol! Now you've started you will be able to try so many things. Pizza dough is a favourite of ours as its very versatile for picnics in the summer. It makes great foccacia, yum! Thankyou very much for Pepe, I have sent you an email too.
Liz
I had a really hit-and-miss run with bread, a few years back. I changed the flour I use and there was no looking back. I use a dough hook too. I don't seem to have the same pent up agression that I used to have. Beaten down by life and children, maybe.
Here's to many more wonderful bread days.
Congrats....making bread isnt easy, actually its something i have not mastered despite having a baker for an uncle when i was a kid!And the best thing about homemade is that you know whats in it (oh and the dough makes the best pizza base ever!) Keep up the good work:)
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