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Seeded Bread

Ingredients

Dried yeast - 2 sachets for 4lb flour
organic flours: 2 lb wholemeal, 1.5 lbs white, 0.5 lb rye
1-2 teaspoons of salt
flaxseed (I found some 'organic milled' on offer in Sainsburys) – golden or brown linseed is an alternative
poppyseed
sesame seed (preferably the 'natural' kind from Asian supermarkets)
sunflower seed
pine kernels or pumpkin seeds
3-4 tablespoons of oil (rice bran or rapeseed or sunflower or olive)
enough water to make the dough (approx 1 litre)

Preparation time: 3-4 hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes

I’m afraid I don’t follow recipes as such. I’ve been making bread for a very long time and I just adapt to whatever ingredients are available or that I feel like using on the day. Also I never make ‘a loaf’ of bread. I usually make around 7 pounds of bread dough or enough for 2x2lb loves and one of 3-4lbs. (I never measure out seeds but just put in a ‘big dollop’)
Process:
Mix all the ingredients, and stir in oil and then water slowly. Knead the dough for about 10 mins until it is a consistent texture (wetter is better than drier) then leave to rise for 3-4 hours.
Knock back the dough and knead again for a few minutes. Divide the now elastic dough into three loaves as above, put into greased tins and leave to rise for another hour or so.
Preheat oven on hottest setting for 10-15 minutes and then turn down to Gas 8 and put the bread in.
Turn down to Gas 5-6 after 12 mins and cook for a further 25-30 mins
Remove loaves from tins and test by rapping all round with a knuckle – the loaf should sound hollow. If necessary return the loaf (upside down so the uncooked bottom is uppermost) to the oven (not in the tin) for another 4-5 mins and test again.
Leave overnight to cool down on a grille
These loaves will remain fresh for four or five days. I think they taste best after a day or two. Personally, I would never eat this kind of bread when it is still fresh and I usually freeze one and keep one in a plastic bag in the fridge with one in the bread bin.

Plain bread

Loaf of home cooked bread on white background

Ingredients

1 lb (460 grams) Strong plain bread flour (Organic)
1 lb (450 grams) Bacheldre stoneground 100% wholemeal strong flour
2 teaspoonsful salt
2/3rds teaspoonful sugar
1 tablespoonful olive oil
¼ oz (6 grams) Allinson dried yeast
7/8 pint (500mls) warm water

John Allison won first prize with this tasty bread in 2013 and also the Best Bread Cup

Into the warm water (it should be at blood heat [37 C or 98 F] and just feel warm when felt with a finger) stir in the sugar. Stir gently and when dissolved put in the dried yeast. Stir to mix evenly. Leave for the yeast to begin to multiply while the other ingredients are prepared.
Warm a mixing bowl with hot water, then pour away water and put in the flours, salt and the olive oil. (The original recipe used lard, but olive oil makes the bread suitable for vegetarians and vegans).
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the yeast, sugar and water. I mix with a spoon until the flour is mixed with the wet ingredients.

Either knead in a mixer according to the machine’s instructions or by hand. Replace the kneaded dough into the mixing bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm or a teatowel and put in a warm place to rise.

When the dough has risen and is about double its original size (the rising process takes about 1 to 1.5 hours), remove it from the bowl and knead it again to “knock it back”. Divide the dough into pieces. Shape each piece and place into baking tins. I use three hand made tins, passed down the family, which are oval shaped and take one third of the dough each. Again cover the tins and replace in a warm place to again double in size (proving).

When ready put the tins into a preheated oven (Temperature 230 C – 450 F – Gas mark 8) for 30-35 minutes. When done the top should be brown and the base should sound hollow when tapped. Turn out the loaves and cool on a wire rack.

The organic wholemeal flour is stoneground slowly and gently in a watermill first recorded in 1575 (rebuilt 1747 ). More details and recipes at www.bacheldremill.co.uk

 

Cheese Brioche Loaf

Cheese brioche loafIngredients

For the bread

¼oz / 7g of dried yeast
8fl oz / 230ml water
24oz / 680g strong organic flour
1tsp / 10ml sugar
1½tsp / 7.5ml salt
6oz / 170g organic butter at room temperature
4 organic eggs at room temperature
10½oz / 300g diced Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Chopped shallot

For the glaze

1 egg
1 tbsp milk

Preparation time:
1-2 hours
Cooking time:
20 minutes

The very tasty brioche is from Clive Richardson from Thornton (first time entrant!) whose Cheese Brioche Loaf was a big hit with judges and public alike, and won first prize in 2012.

(Based on a recipe in ‘The Breads of France’ by Bernard Clayton) – makes two loaves, using a food mixer although it’s possible to make it without a food mixer, as it was for the Show.

Blend the water and yeast in a large mixer bowl; add the sugar, salt and half the flour and beat for 2mins. Add the butter, divided into small pieces, and beat 1min. Add the eggs one at a time and the rest of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Beat at medium speed for 10mins, scraping down the dough from the sides if needed. Stir in the cheese and shallot thoroughly; cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise to double its size at room temp for 2-3hrs, then place the bowl, undisturbed, in the fridge for at least 5hrs/overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge, divide into two and put one portion, covered, back in the fridge as the dough works easier when cold. Divide the dough into 3 pieces; roll each into a long strand 14-16” long and plait them, being sure to seal the ends. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Brush the loaves with the glaze and let rise, uncovered, in the warm for 1-2hrs till doubled in size.

Brush again with the glaze and bake for 20mins or less in a pre-heated oven @ 400F/200C – watch out for the loaves scorching. Turn the loaves over and bake for another 10mins or so.

Slide onto a cooling rack – handle carefully as the loaves will be fragile till cold.