Bread/Blind baking with lentils
Ok, so a weekend away in a nice hotel and being treated to some really good food has spoiled me and today I have been officially slacking!
However, I did make a loaf of bread, which I haven't done for a couple of weeks. I use Malthouse flour from Dove's farm which is full to bursting with whole grains. I follow their instructions, which work so well, but always use my food mixer with a dough hook, which has more power than I do! I like to do the second knead though:
Malthouse loaf
500g malthouse flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pack dried yeast
10 fl oz warm water
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Mix the dry ingredients. In the food mixer, I start with half the flour mix, and begin to mix in the water and oil. Once the flour has been incorporated, I alternate the rest of the flour and water a tablespoon at a time until it has turned into a smooth dough. Sometimes I find the dough can be quite wet when using the mixer, but it doesn't stop it rising well. If this is the case, I tip out the dough onto an oiled surface and knead it a few times by hand. It goes back into the bowl to rise, with cling film or a teatowel over it. Stand in a warm place until doubled in size.
Knock back the risen dough, and tip out to start the second knead. Knead it for 3-4 mins, before shaping. I use a loaf tin, so a sausage shape is my goal, and then I pop it in the oiled tin for a second rise. Back to the warm place, covered, so that it can expand again and look like the loaf you will cook.
Once ready, cook at 230 C for 35-40 mins. When you tip out the loaf it should sound hollow on the bottom.
Nothing is better than a homemade loaf fresh from the oven...
It's good to see that spring is finally here! Sunshine, warm breeze, washing drying, flowers smiling! Makes you feel good :-)
We had a simple lunch of roasted vegetables and chicken, followed by fantastically crispy meringues (yes, I did leave them in the oven, and remembered them the day after! And yes, they were the best meringues I ever made!!) with ice cream and mandarins.
Finally, a tip...
I made a couple of individual quiches for R's packed lunch. When blind baking the pastry, you don't need to buy those packs of ceramic baking beans, just use some lentils. I had a pack of lentils in the back of the cupboard, which I found a while ago, and have since used and re-used them to hold down the pastry as it bakes. Just allow the lentils to cool a little before shutting the pot you keep them in (otherwise the condensation will develop in the pot and the lentils might develop mould).
Easy, and cheap!!
However, I did make a loaf of bread, which I haven't done for a couple of weeks. I use Malthouse flour from Dove's farm which is full to bursting with whole grains. I follow their instructions, which work so well, but always use my food mixer with a dough hook, which has more power than I do! I like to do the second knead though:
Malthouse loaf
500g malthouse flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pack dried yeast
10 fl oz warm water
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Mix the dry ingredients. In the food mixer, I start with half the flour mix, and begin to mix in the water and oil. Once the flour has been incorporated, I alternate the rest of the flour and water a tablespoon at a time until it has turned into a smooth dough. Sometimes I find the dough can be quite wet when using the mixer, but it doesn't stop it rising well. If this is the case, I tip out the dough onto an oiled surface and knead it a few times by hand. It goes back into the bowl to rise, with cling film or a teatowel over it. Stand in a warm place until doubled in size.
Knock back the risen dough, and tip out to start the second knead. Knead it for 3-4 mins, before shaping. I use a loaf tin, so a sausage shape is my goal, and then I pop it in the oiled tin for a second rise. Back to the warm place, covered, so that it can expand again and look like the loaf you will cook.
Once ready, cook at 230 C for 35-40 mins. When you tip out the loaf it should sound hollow on the bottom.
Nothing is better than a homemade loaf fresh from the oven...
It's good to see that spring is finally here! Sunshine, warm breeze, washing drying, flowers smiling! Makes you feel good :-)
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| Even the tulips have decided it's time to think about blooming! |
Finally, a tip...
I made a couple of individual quiches for R's packed lunch. When blind baking the pastry, you don't need to buy those packs of ceramic baking beans, just use some lentils. I had a pack of lentils in the back of the cupboard, which I found a while ago, and have since used and re-used them to hold down the pastry as it bakes. Just allow the lentils to cool a little before shutting the pot you keep them in (otherwise the condensation will develop in the pot and the lentils might develop mould).
Easy, and cheap!!
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