Who doesn’t love bread fresh and hot straight from the oven?… It never lasts long here which means not so much waste … which is always a good thing…isn’t it?

Covid-19 has meant for many like me that they have honed their bread baking and cake making skills which is great…

As it is Homemade Bread Day today I have gathered some of my tried and tested recipes together for you…I hope you enjoy it!

My first recipe is for Pretzel Bread which was a first for me as the method is one I hadn’t tackled before and it came out really well and was a great hit with everyone…

All I knew about pretzel dough was that like beigels the dough was boiled before baking and this gives it that characteristic deep brown crust and pretzel taste…

It was lovely a little sweet my tester said it tasted like currant bread sweetness not horrible he liked it and the salt was a foil for that methinks but with some ham and mustard in a sandwich it went down a treat…

I have however tweaked the original recipe and would use less sugar…1 tbsp instead of 3 tbsp.

Ingredients:

• 2 and a quarter tsp of instant yeast.
• 1 cup of lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp milk…I used full-fat milk
• 4 tbsp (2 oz) melted butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 cups of all-purpose unbleached flour

Baking Soda Bath:

• 4 quarts(8 pints) water
• Half cup Baking Soda

Pretzel Topping:

• 2 tbsp butter melted
• Coarse salt for topping.

A lined baking tray.

Preheated oven 200 degrees

Let’s bake!

Combine your yeast, water, and brown sugar in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.

Melt the butter and then add to the milk then stir into the yeast mixture to combine.

Add the salt and flour 1 cup at a time and stir to combine then once the dough has come together knead until it is a firm but slightly tacky dough. If you need to add more add a little at a time.

Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a cloth and allow to rise about an hour and it should have doubled in size.

Once the 60  mins are up put your 4 quarts of water in a large pan and bring to the boil then add your Baking Soda…DO NOT ADD IT ALL AT ONCE OR IT WILL ALLL FIZZ OVER …add a little at a time I added it a tsp at a time.

Then punch your dough down to remove the gas and divide it into two portions…Add one portion to the boiling water and turn after 60 seconds and give it 60 seconds on the other side remove with a slotted spoon to drain and make a small cross in the middle and sprinkle with salt. Put on a lined baking tin…

Repeat with your second piece of dough…When cutting the cross I made mine too big as this dough once boiled is easier than a normal risen dough to cut through.

Sit both pieces of prepared dough on a lined baking tray and put it into your preheated oven…200 degrees.

Cook for 23-25 mins turning the tray around halfway through the cooking…

I was quite amazed at how it coloured up and just looked the colour of a pretzel that lovely deep brown…

When you remove it from the oven brush with the melted butter and enjoy it!

My second recipe is for some lovely finger rolls again a first with a process I hadn’t used before…

This is a lovely easy recipe and I sometimes make finger rolls or round rolls depending on how I feel or what I am cooking they make lovely hot dog rolls.

Although my images show white and use white unbleached flour I do sometimes mix the flour with wholemeal or go the whole hog hubby is getting to like wholewheat bread so now I have stocked up today on my flours the next loaf will not be white…

Let’s Cook! Bread!

 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of flour. I used unbleached, Bread flour.
• 2 tbsp of instant yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups of warm water
• 1/4 cup of cooking oil. I used Olive oil.

This is so quick and easy.

Add 4 cups of flour with all the other ingredients and mix to combine…just get your hands in there it’s the best way.

It will be sticky but hey ho we are bread making.

Gradually knead in the last cup of flour and knead that dough for 5 minutes.

Put it in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove for 30 minutes(for) me but it is warm here it may be a tad longer for you.

It should double its size, punch it down and divide into two or as I will next time make one large loaf.

Shape both pieces to fit into your oiled bread tins and leave to rise until dough reaches the top of the tin approx 20/30 mins.

Bake at 440F/ 200 C for approx 40 minutes.

Allow the bread to cool slightly then remove from the tin and put on a cooling rack you now have two lovely loaves of fresh bread.

If the crust is too hard then cover with a clean, damp tea towel to soften.

Enjoy...

Buttermilk Bread…

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water.
• 1 cup of Buttermilk.
• 1 tbsp quick yeast.
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 6 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour.

Let’s Bake!

Mix water, buttermilk, yeast, salt, sugar in a bowl. Add the flour. No need to knead..lol

Just combine all the ingredients together..lightly cover the bowl and leave to rest/rise for 2 hrs.

The bonus of living here is dough rises quickly...I love using yeast now.

You can use the dough immediately, store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

If you are using now preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dust the dough with flour and very lightly knead, shape into a round. Cover and rest for 90 minutes.

Oh, and I made a cut into the top of my dough just like a cross.

Bake in the middle of the oven for approx 40 minutes until golden brown and delicious.

Remove from the oven and brush the top with melted butter.

Leave to cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

Flat Bread:

• 1/2 cup water.
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 cups flour.
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder.
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt.

To make flatbreads.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add liquids and mix thoroughly…I used my food processor and it took literally 2 mins…. if that and formed a ball. If it is too sticky add little more flour. Divide into 8 pieces. Flatten with the heel of the hand and roll out very thin.

My first attempt at this and I didn’t roll mine out thin enough to start with practice makes perfect with all bread but I have never had any which is inedible just maybe a funny shape…lol

Heat pan and cook 2/3 minutes each side turn over with tongs or fish slice and done… finito..ready to fill…easy peasy.

My last bread recipe today is Crock Pot or Dutch Oven Bread…This loaf was cooked in a dutch oven and I was pleasantly surprised how much the crust was like ones I have purchased in bakeries.

Probably from the steam produced using the dutch oven method…

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
•  2 1/4 tsp of rapid yeast
• 2 cups of lukewarm water
• 1 tsp of olive oil.

Let’s Bake!

In a large bowl add the flour and salt whisk to combine.

Make a well and add the raid yeast granules and the lukewarm water then with wet hands bring the mix together. If it is too sticky add a little more flour and likewise if too dry add a little more water a tsp at a time…This will vary as it depends on the flour used.

Cover and leave in a warm spot to double in size again this depends on the temperature where you live it can be anything from a 1hr to 1 1/2 hours…if it is very warm mine takes a little less time.

Once risen using your hand or a dough scraper work the dough loose from the sides and working around the edge bring the sides to the middle.

Cover and leave to double in size again about 1 hour it rises slightly quicker this time.

Once risen transfer to a lightly floured surface sprinkle the top with a little flour and shape and fold the dough under itself several times then pinch the seams together. Coat your bowl with the olive oil and put the dough in the bowl cover and leave the dough to rise once again.

Then put on the oven and set the heat at 230C/450F and put your dutch oven into the oven to heat up for 45-1n hr. By the time this has heated your dough should have risen.

NOW VERY CAREFULLY REMOVE THE HOT DUTCH OVEN ONTO A TRIVETT…It is hot then turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface and carefully put in the dutch oven.

Put the pot back into the oven and cook for 45 minutes then carefully remove the lid and cook for a further 15-30 minutes …

Remove from the oven and cover with a cloth to cool for about 15 mins before slicing and enjoy…That’s all for today …Happy Bread making..xx