Date and Walnut Bread with Kenwood kMix

Last week I told you about the latest addition to my kitchen, the Kenwood kMix. I love baking and the kMix food mixers make it even easier and quicker. The first recipe that I shared was for my deliciously gooey rhubarb and ginger cake, this week I am sharing a bread recipe made with the kMix using the dough hook.

I used to have the Kenwood Prospero food mixer and when making a large batch of dough I found that it did struggle a little so I was definitely curious to see how the more sturdy and robust kMix would handle some dough. The kMix is an all round larger and stronger mixer so I was hopeful. After buying a date and walnut loaf the other week I decided to have a go at making my own.

This is what I did...

Wholemeal and Rye Seeded Loaf - #RealBreadWeek

This week it is Real Bread Week. Real Bread Week is a time to celebrate your local bakers and get making your own bread. Baking bread is a passion that has been reignited. When the twins were smaller I did not buy bread, I only made it. But then life took over and time became an issue so I resigned to that fact that it was easier to buy bread. But now that the twins are at school, I have some more time and have been baking bread again. After I baked for the first time in months I remembered what it was that I loved about baking bread. The whole process of mixing the ingredients together, seeing them come together, feeling them change during kneading, and how after baking the dough you have a loaf of bread.

As it is Real Bread Week it is only fitting that I share a bread recipe with you. On a recent shopping trip to Aldi I found some lovely organic flour on special buy. So I got stocked up with a variety of spelt, wholemeal, Italian 'tipo 00' and dark rye flour. combined with Aldi's The Pantry strong wholemeal flour I have created a delicious bread.

This is what I did...

Brilliant Bread

I love bread! There is nothing better than having a slice of freshly baked bread, that is still warm, with deliciously indulgent butter melting into the slice. Oh just the thought of it is making me want to get in the kitchen and bake some bread!

But if you have ever made your own bread, you will know that it can be quite time consuming and in our ever busy lives, time is such a precious entity! However there are ways that you can enjoy freshly made bread at home without all of the hard work!

Rye and Caraway Bread

If you regularly read my blog you will know that I love to bake bread!

 

I recently treated my self to a new toy. A Lekue silicone container to bake bread in!

 

As I had a new toy, I had to try baking a new bread, or two.

 

I have made this soft, tasty, continental style loaf. That will certainly become a family favourite!

 

This is how what I did...

 

Rye and Caraway Loaf

 

Ingredients

 

250g strong white flour

250g rye flour

10g yeast

8g salt

1tsp caraway seeds

2tbsp olive oil

300g warm water

 

Method

 

1 - Mix together the strong white flour and the rye flour together in a large mixing bowl

 

2 - Add the salt and caraway to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other

 

3 - Add the olive oil and three quarters of the water and start to mix together

 

4 - Gradually add the remaining water until you have a manageable dough

 

5 - Knead the dough for between 5 - 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough with elasticity

 

6 - Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove for about an hour or until the dough has at least doubled in size

 

7 - place the dough on a lightly oiled work top and knock out the air and shape into a round loaf

 

8 - Place on a baking tray or Lekue silicone holder, cover and leave to prove for a further hour

 

9 - Pre heat the oven to 200C

 

10 - Once the dough has doubled in size place in the pre heated oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until a golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base

 

The caraway gives this loaf a real taste of the continent. It is delicious when still slightly warm with butter and makes a delicious sandwich when cold!

Enjoy x

 

 

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Week 8 Spelt Pesto Pinwheel Loaf

This week has been, yet another, challenge.
I love making bread and make it various times a week but I have only ever used your average run of the mill flour, white, brown, wholemeal, seeded or used rye as an addition.
I have never used a gluten free flour.
This week I have used a spelt flour for my bread.
I found that I needed to spend a little more time kneading my dough until it had the smooth, elasticated feel to it. But it was a lovely dough to handle and enjoyed kneading it. I have, what some may seem, a strange fascination with the transformation of the basic ingredients into dough. I love working it with my hands and feeling the change and get a lot of satisfaction from working it with my hands.
Anyway, this is what I came up with.

Spelt Pesto Pinwheel Loaf

Ingredients

500g spelt flour
7g yeast
10g fine salt
A glug of olive oil (approx 1 tbsp)
1tbsp honey
300mls warm water
3 - 4 tspn green pesto
Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese, grated and mixed together
Prosciutto ham

Method

1 - Place the flour in a large mixing bowl
2 - Place the salt on one side and add the yeast to the other
3 - Add the olive oil, the honey and the water
4 - Combine all of the ingredients together and mix until you have a rough dough
5 - Take the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floored top. Knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and has elasticity
6 - Place in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to prove until at least doubled in size
7 - Once the dough has proved place on a lightly floured top and knock the air out
8 - Next, roll the dough out onto a rectangular shape which is roughly the same size as your tin. If you have small loaf tins you'll have enough dough to make 2

 

9 - Spoon the Pesto onto the dough and spread out evenly. Leave an edge with no pesto
10 - Sprinkle over the mixed cheeses
11 - Lay on the Prosciutto ham

12 - Now, beginning at the edge with the pesto on, roll the dough up, use the side with no filling on to seal
13 - Seal the ends by folding them down towards the seal. This will be the base of the bread

14 - Roll the loaf in some spelt flour to coat and then place, seam down, in a loaf tin lined with baking paper and leave to prove for about an hour

15 - Heat your oven to 180C
16 - Once the loaf has proved place in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes or until brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom

This bread is delicious eaten when warm!
Enjoy x

 

 

 

 

The Great Bloggers Bake Off is hosted by:

http://www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk/p/the-great-bloggers-bake-off.html

http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/category/gbbo

 

 

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Week 6 Sweet Dough

This week I will admit to being excited about sweet dough!

I love baking and eating sweet dough so my choice this week was an easy one. I have, in the past, made a savoury couronne so decided to bake a sweet one.

I looked at what fruit I had in the fridge and found some blueberries. I had my basis now I just needed flavours to go with them.

This is what I decided on:

Blueberry, Apple and Cinnamon Couronne 

Ingredients

250g strong white flour

5g salt

7g yeast

110g warm full fat milk

50g softened butter

1tbsp honey

1 lg apple I used a Granny Smith

80g blueberries

1dsp plain flour

1tsp cinnamon

Honey for drizzling over the couronne

Icing sugar

1:  Place the flour in a large mixing bowl

2: Add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side

3: Add the softened butter, warm milk, honey and mix

4: When you have a rough dough start to knead

5: Knead for about 10 minutes or until your dough has a smooth top and is stretchy

6: Place in an oiled bowl and leave to prove. With this dough I allow at least 2 hours to prove

7: When the dough is ready peel and chop up the apple and mix with the blueberries

8: Mix together the flour and cinnamon and add to the fruit to prevent browning

9: Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out and knead

10: Roll the dough out into a rectangle and spread the fruit along the middle

11: Roll up the dough and fruit

12: Cut the roll of dough in half

13: Now start to twist the two pieces together. Leave and fruit that is showing

14: Once the two pieces are twisted together shape them into a round crown shape onto a lined baking tray

15: Leave to prove in a large bag for an hour

16: Pre-heat the oven to 200C 

17: Once the couronne has proved again place it in the pre-heated oven for approx 30 minutes or until golden

18: Once taken out of the oven let it cool slightly then drizzle over some honey and sprinkle with icing sugar

Enjoy x

This is my recipe for Great Bloggers Bake Off week 6 hosted by

http://www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk/p/the-great-bloggers-bake-off.html

http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/category/gbbo

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Loaf

I love Great British Bake Off so when I saw that a Great Bloggers Bake Off was running I had to join in! Unfortunately I was too late for week ones challenge which was cake so I was determined that I would be ready for week two, bread!
I love baking anything but I do love baking bread. I love the feeling of mixing all of the individual ingredients together with my hands and feeling it transform into one lovely silky dough.
So I got my baking thinking cap on and came up with this recipe!

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Loaf

 

 

Ingredients:

Makes 2 loaves
 

250g strong white bread flour

250g strong wholemeal flour

10g yeast

10g salt

2tbspn olive oil

320ml warm water (approx add as needed)

 

1/2 red onion

1/2 orange pepper

3 mushrooms

1 courgette

Italian herbs

Mozzarella cheese

Mature Cheddar cheese



 

 

Method:

 

1: Put both flours in a large mixing bowl

2: Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other

3: Add the olive oil

4: Add half of the water and start to mix, add more water as needed until you have a rough dough and all of the flour is mixed in

5: Put a small amount of olive oil on the side and start to knead the dough

6: Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth stretchy dough

7: Place in a well oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for at least an hour or until doubled in size

8: While the dough is proving, prepare the vegetables for roasting. Preheat the oven to 200C. Once heated put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a dish and place in the oven to heat

9: Chop the vegetables into small chunks

 

 

 

10: Place the chopped vegetables into the hot oil and sprinkle with the herbs. Roast for approx 20 minutes

11: Once the vegetables have been roasted remove from the oven and leave to cool down

12: Once the dough has at least doubled in size remove from the bowl and re knead to knock the air out. Knead until the dough is smooth again

13: Flatten out the dough into a rectangular shape, take the roasted vegetables and place down the middle of the dough

14: Sprinkle some grated mozzarella and mature cheddar cheese over the top of the vegetables

 

 

15: Roll one side of the dough over the vegetables, then roll the opposite side over and turn over the ends

16: Flip the dough over so that the join is on the bottom

17: Place some grated cheese on the top and sprinkle with herbs

 

 

 

 

18: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden and when tapped on the base and the loaf sounds hollow

 

 

19: Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy with a salad or with cheese or just as it is!



Enjoy!

http://www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk/p/the-great-bloggers-bake-off.html 

http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/category/gbbo





 

 

Yummy Post

Apart from my family my other love in life is cooking and baking. For me there is no greater compliment than seeing people enjoy what I have cooked and baked for them.
The last couple of days, with hubby being home, I have enjoyed some quality kitchen time.
This year I have started to bake all of our bread. At first it started out as a challenge as it was something that I had never tried to bake before. However, after the first loaf, I became enthralled with how the dough changes and transforms and becomes one of the most staple elements of our diets. I get such satisfaction from putting all the different, individual ingredients together, mixing with my hands, kneading and feeling the change within the dough and creating a food that everyone will love. I do like to get creative with my cooking and baking and I often take a basic recipe and add what I think will go well and create my own twist.
This weekend I was making some bread and decided to make a wholemeal loaf for the children but I also made an olive and seeded bloomer which was delicious served with some tangy chives and onion cheese and blue Stilton.
Every weekend my parents come down and I always bake a cake. Both my dad and hubby are huge cake fans so it is unthinkable to not serve a cake. This week I tried a twist on a lemon drizzle cake. This week I made a St. Clements drizzle cake. I love to make a moist orange sponge but my lemon drizzle cakes have been going down a storm. So what better way to add a twist, I mixed the two! This created such a light, moist cake and one that I definitely will be baking again. Needless to say by the time my parents left there was only one piece left!
It certainly does sound like all I have done during these last couple of days is bake cakes!
Today we went to have lunch with my father in law for his birthday. Now, it really would be rude to go cakeless. So I baked his favorite. Carrot cake. This too is my absolute favorite cake. But, believe it or not, this is a cake that I have never dared bake until yesterday. It is extremely laborious preparing all of the ingredients and I think that this is one of the reasons that I have shied away from it. But I am always up for a culinary challenge and it was for my father in law. Yes it took me forever to grate the carrots and I felt like a work out had been done on my arm once the were done, but it was so worth it. I was over the moon with the results and this will not be the last one that I bake!
I do have one challenge that I have not conquered but I will not give up. My nanna used to make the most amazingly, scrummy, fruit scones and I have her trusted recipe. However mine never turn out like hers did. Sadly she is no longer with us. We lost her 3 days after the twins were born so I cannot ask for her advice. One thing is for sure, I will keep practicing until I have got them perfect! That is going to be my next bake this week, we'll see how I get on this time.

Joseph's Well Done Dinner

As a treat I told Joseph that he can decide what we have for our tea as a well done for his fab school report. Many would think that I was being very brave, but luckily Joseph has got good taste in food and wouldn't ask for anything too bazar!
So tonight Joseph has decided that we are having hot dogs, potatoes and beans (salad for me and hubby). So I've been busy this afternoon making dough for some freshly made hot dog rolls and have baked a cake, on hubby's request! The apple crumble cake that I baked for his birthday was such a hit as soon as it had all gone he was asking me to bake another.
I am an avid cook and baker and for me it is a massive compliment seeing people enjoy what I have made. So when hubby asked me to bake another I keenly agreed but have changed it slightly. This time he has an apple, pear and sultana crumble cake. This one looks even more yummy! But we'll see what his verdict is :-)