I love the process of yeast cookery, but my family will testify that I have very rarely got it right. White bread, wholemeal loaves, hot cross buns, chelsea buns - I have always loved the kneading, the rising, the anticipation, the smell of baking. But too often I am forced to eat it up whatever it is, as no-one else really wants to. I leave the dough too long or not long enough, I forget it and it rises too far, the oven isn't hot enough, the buns are hard, the bread is yeasty....
Dan Lepard in the Guardian published a 'foolproof' recipe for white bread last week which ,despite my record, I eagerly tried. I always think it will be better next time. It is always worth another try. His is an easier method to do,but the result of my two attempts was still not a match for the one in his photo, and more importantly, still not a family favourite.
However, there are two really fool proofed methods for producing a good white loaf. One is to use a packet. My friend Liz discovered years ago that the ciabbatta instant bread packet produces two lovely light and delicious loaves that everyone loves. If you add a little extra olive oil, even better.
The other method is the recipe for a flat bread, foccaccio, below. This really does never seem to fail; it makes two rounds so is good for entertaining; and it is easy to add your own tweaks to.
Foccaccio
1 lb white bread flour
1/2 pint warm water
1/2 oz fresh yeast started first with 1/2 tsp sugar and a little of the warm water so it rises (10 mins) - or just put a packet of instant yeast and all the water in at stage one.
Dan Lepard in the Guardian published a 'foolproof' recipe for white bread last week which ,despite my record, I eagerly tried. I always think it will be better next time. It is always worth another try. His is an easier method to do,but the result of my two attempts was still not a match for the one in his photo, and more importantly, still not a family favourite.
However, there are two really fool proofed methods for producing a good white loaf. One is to use a packet. My friend Liz discovered years ago that the ciabbatta instant bread packet produces two lovely light and delicious loaves that everyone loves. If you add a little extra olive oil, even better.
The other method is the recipe for a flat bread, foccaccio, below. This really does never seem to fail; it makes two rounds so is good for entertaining; and it is easy to add your own tweaks to.
Foccaccio
1 lb white bread flour
1/2 pint warm water
1/2 oz fresh yeast started first with 1/2 tsp sugar and a little of the warm water so it rises (10 mins) - or just put a packet of instant yeast and all the water in at stage one.
- Mix the yeast and flour in a food processor.
- Add 1 tsp salt. 1 tbs olive oil and 2 tablets of Vitamin C (the magic ingredient).
- Mix well in the machine to knead it and then leave to rise - about an hour or less.
- Take the dough out and knock the bubbles down with your hands. Knead it lightly and carry on kneading as you mix in 1 tbs dried oregano, 1 tbs dried basil and as much as 6 tbs olive oil.
- This will seem sticky and too much oil, but as you carry on, it will become a silky smooth dough. Press it then out thinly into 2 large rounds with your fingertips onto baking trays you have lightly greased.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse salt plus some rosemary chopped, or sage, or a few olives.
Bake straight away in a hot oven for 15 minutes and take out when the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.
Eat with any middle east type dish or with dips like these:
1) Tomato dip
- 1/2 lb tomatoes
- 4 spring onions
- 2 tsp pesto
- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar
- A little tomato puree
Mix in a processor
2)Cheese dip
- 4 - 6 oz Ricotta or cream chesse
- 1 red pepper
- At least one clove garlic chopped finely
- Juice of a lemon
- S&P
Mix in a processor but not too finely
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