ted and agnes

Ritual Sunday baking.....

Every Sunday I like to do all my baking for the week, its become a early sunday morning ritual. Everything is quiet there always seems to be peace outside other than a few bird calls & the whir of the Kenwood. It is my time to bake lunch box goodies,bread rolls, mini cakes, danish pastry pizzas (aka tana ramsey) fruit loaves for after school snacks...all in the freezer ready to be whipped out when needed.

I love bread, it certainly is our staff of life (I eat far too much of it) and I love using fresh yeast now I have found a little local deli that sells it to me. I always use organic flour (marriages wholemeal, Doves farm strong white & honey seed flour by sunflours for the fruit loaves)as I have found for me it gives the best results.

I make the following each week

x2 1lb wholemeal loaves

x2 1lb spiced fruit loves

12 wholemeal rolls

12 cup cakes

and often bake depending on our menu for the week.....

12 chocolate brownies/carrot cake/lemon sponge depending on what ingredients I have.

12 danish pastry pizzas

10 wraps

They are all whisked into the freezer and sustain us for the week. I do cook bread through the week but if something happens & I don't get time I have my back up loaves. I used a bread machine for many years but once I got my Kenwood there was no going back. The bread is far superior, a much better texture and keeps fresh longer. I also pre slice a loaf before it goes into the freezer so I can defrost a slice at a time. I know some people may find it too much to bake your own bread but once you get into a routine its really easy and I would encourage you to try....you'll never match the taste and you know exactly whats in it.

leaven recipe #5

Phew...bubbling nicely now and you should get a good acidic aroma when you open the lid. Repeat yesterday's steps.....remove 3/4 mixture and replace with 100mls warm water & 125g white bread flour stir well lid back on leave until tomorrow when the bread making begins...yum

leaven recipe #4

You should be able to see the fermentation today and the smell should have an acidic tang.

First you need to remove 3/4 of the mix from the jar and disguard this.

Add 100mls warm water and stir the mix well

Next strain the mix through a tea strainer to remove any fruit, then put the strained mix back into the jar......

Add 125g strong white bread flour

Stir thoroughly until you have a smooth paste, cover and leave at room temperature for another 24hrs...phew almost there. One more day and we can start using the leaven to make some bread. 

Leaven Recipe #1

Day 1

Add the following ingredients to your kilner jar

2 tsp rye flour

2 tsp white bread flour

2 tsp natural yogurt

2 tsp dried fruit (sultanas, dates, raisins or currants work well)

+ 50mls of luke warm water

Give it a really good stir...........

Cover and then leave at room temperature for 24hrs. I leave mine on the hearth over night as the kitchen tends to get quite chilly but try to leave in somewhere where the temp stay constant

Step 2 tomorrow.....Rx 

making a natural leaven

A very quick post to say that I am going to start my leaven this afternoon and thought I would take pictures and post them here as I go.....If anyone wants to join me the ingredients you'll need are as follows.

A Jar - I use a kilner but any will do..needs a lid

rye flour

strong white flour

raisins

natural live yogurt

I'll be back later after my shift at the library with pictures & instructions..

ttfn Rx