Bread ~

I have this new passion...to master my skill of bread making~
I have a mental block...I'm sure of that~
either the yeast is not correct or I'm not kneading correctly~
anyway I feel I'm slowly getting there~

For the focacia I used cake flour for a softer texture and sprinkled herbs and feta and baked it...

I found these adorable wrappers here  via my blogging friend Monique....their breads look lovlier than mine....I decided to print my wrappers on baking paper... it turned out well...

 

Then I tried the baguettes.....lots and lots of practise is still required but I will get there soon....

they were however so tasty when dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar....

 

 

 

 

 here is the basic recipe for bread I used from my favourite English baker... Jamie....

 

Recipe~

3 x 7g sachets dried yeast

30g of honey

625ml tepid water

1kg of strong bread flour...(for the focacia I used cake flour....I also 1/4 the recipe for that)

1 level tablespoon salt

extra flour for dusting

 

Dissolve the yeast and honey in half the tepid water

Make a pile of flour and salt on a clean surface..

Make a well and pour in half the yeast water misture and make circular movements with 4 fingers, slowly bringing more flour to the centre until all the yeast misture is soaked up,...then pour the other half of the water into the centre and gradually incorporate all the flour.

KNEADING!

Keep rolling, pushing and folding the dough over and over for 5 minutes to develop the gluten and the structure of the dough.. Rub your hands together with extra flour.

Place on a greased baking tray and allow to rise in a warm place.

Knock back and shape into the baguettes allow to rise again for 20 minutes, brush with milk and make slits along the top, sprinkle with flour....pop in a hot oven at 200deg for around 20minutes until browned and crisp and when complete the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

 

 

Photo credit:The right hand corner photo of the wrapper in detail from Heather's blog.

 

Happy baking!

 

 

Rolo Biscuits.

We have an Afrikaans foodie magazine, Kos, that I love to get my hands on.
The latest edition has so many wonderful recipes of biscuits....
I tried my hand at these....
they are a keeper......

 

Straight out of the oven.......

The recipe~
2 packets of Rolo Toffee chocolates
140g butter
200g brown sugar
200g white sugar
2 eggs
30ml milk
5ml good vanilla
100g cocoa
350g cake flour
5ml baking powder
1ml salt
castor sugar to roll the little dough balls in before baking

Method~
Put the Rolos in the fridge at least an hour before using
Heat oven to 180deg C
Put the butter in an electric mixer. Add the sugars slowly until light and fluffy.. Beat milk, eggs and vanilla together....add to butter mixture and sift the dry ingredients together and add slowly to this mixture until a dough forms.
Take out desertspoonful and form into a ball. Push a Rolo into the centre and shape into a ball.
Roll in castor sugar. The cookies must be 2cm apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 - 15minutes until they begin to crack. Take out the oven and allow to cool~
we loved them hot when the caramel oozed out the centre.~
Trick rather add 2 Rolos so the centre is nice and oozy!
Taste like lovely brownie biscuits with chewy centres...delicious!!

 

 

 

 

Hopefully I will be able to get up another post today!!
Shel :))