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!

Chocolate, Apple and Cinnamon Couronne

This week on the Great British Bake Off it was bread week. Bread week has to be my favourite week. I love to bake bread, I love the whole process of seeing the separate ingredients come together to create a loaf. I love how you literally feel the ingredients coming together and changing as you knead. There is something so therapeutic about bread making. Tesco asked me if I would like to take part in the Great Bloggers Bake Off using their products for bread week. As it is my favourite I jumped at the chance!

This week Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry challenged the bakers and really put them to the test. For the signature bakes they were asked to make a sweet dough with a twist that must contain chocolate in some way or another. The technical was a new one to me and the bakers. Paul asked them to make a German dumpling style bread called dampfnudel. Then for the final showstopper they were asked to make a plaited bread centre piece that uses four different flours.

I immediately knew that I wanted to make the signature bake. I always enjoy the challenge of making an enriched dough, plus they are so delicious!

This is what I did...

#CookBlogShare Week 17 - The Baking Round Up

Last week has seen the return of my baking mojo at long last! Last week I baked cakes, breads and made a pudding! Following on from this I had to do a baking round up for week 17 of CookBlogShare!

As always there were so many delicious recipes and Mandy from Sneaky Veg did a great job of hosting, thank you!

As always I loved the variety of savoury and sweet recipes that were shared. It is always such a treat to sit down and read the blog posts. Thank you for joining in and making CookBlogShare a lovely community. Today I have booked my hotel for June's BritMums Live, if any of you are going please do let me know as it would be great to catch up with you!

Back to this weeks baking round up. Here are my four favourite baking recipes from week 17 of CookBlogShare...

Sultana and Apricot Hot Cross Buns

One thing I love about Easter has to be the food. When I say food I don't just mean the chocolate eggs! I love simnel cake, I love lamb, I love fish and I love hot cross buns!

I find hot cross buns to be such a satisfying enriched bread to make. It is a harder dough to work with, but when you have worked through the sticky phase it is a lovely dough to handle. When baking they leave your house smelling of cinnamon and Easter scents.

This is what I did...

Sultana and Apricot Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

500g strong wholemeal flour

300mls milk

50g butter

1 tbsp coconut oil

7g yeast

75g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

1tsp cinnamon

100g sultanas

100g dried apricots, chopped

75g plain flour

I have used ingredients from Aldi

Method

1 - Gently heat the milk, coconut oil and the butter until warm to touch

2 - Place the flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon and beaten egg in a large mixing bowl

3 - Pour in the milk and melted butter and using a wooden spoon start to mix into the flour

4 - As the dough starts to come together stop using the spoon and start using your hands to get a rough dough together

5 - Remove the dough from the bowl and on a lightly floured worktop start to knead the dough. The dough will be very sticky, but keep working through it and continue to knead, adding a little flour if needed, until you have a smooth finish to the dough

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

7 - Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten out

8 - Evenly distribute the dried fruit over the top and fold into the dough

9 - Knead the dough until the fruit is evenly spread throughout the dough

10 - Roll the dough into a long roll and cut into 16 rolls and roll them into balls

11 - Place the flattened balls on 2 lined baking trays, cover with cling film and leave to prove for 30 minutes

12 - Pre heat the oven to 200C

13 - Once the rolls have roughly doubled in size again, prepare the mixture for the cross by mixing the plain flour with about 55 tablespoons of water and mix until you have a smooth batter

14 - Place the flour mixture in an icing bag and pipe over the crosses on the buns

15 - Beat the egg and brush over the top of the buns to glaze

16 - Place in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 20 minutes

These really are delicious buns that are full of flavour from the cinnamon and the fruit. If you do not like fruit, or have children who don't you can substitute the fruit for chocolate drops.

Keep an eye out next week, as I will be sharing a great recipe for leftover hot cross buns and leftover chocolate!

Enjoy x

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

Proper Pickle Extra Special Sandwich with English Provender

When I saw that Foodies100 were working with English Provender I was excited to see what delicious pickle they had created. I have got to admit that I do love a good pickle on my sandwiches. So when I decided to step up the the challenge of creating a Proper Pickle sandwich I knew that it would be fun.

Creating the perfect sandwich is more complicated than you think. It is easy to make a regular, everyday sandwich, but I wanted to go one step further. I wanted to create a sandwich that you can sit back, enjoy and truly appreciate every single mouthful. Now how many time have you been able to do that? I know, not many times!

Getting all of the core ingredients at the highest quality is fundamental when creating a perfect sandwich. That is why I decided to make my own bread. You simply cannot beat the taste of fresh bread. Once I had decided on the type of bread that I would bake I had my first ingredient ready. Next comes the filling. English Provender have created four deliciously different pickles. They have made two Traditional Proper Pickles, one that is chunky while the other is finely chopped, a Pickled Onion Proper Pickle and a Beetroot Proper Pickle. To say that I was excited to try the pickles was an under statement. They are all truly scrumptious and exactly what you come to expect from a pickle, and more. My favourite pickle had to be the Pickled Onion Proper Pickle. I love pickled onions and can sit and eat them from the jar. This pickle contains yellow mustard seed so gives a real kick of flavours with every bite!

Once I had my bread and the pickle my focus went onto flavours that would combine well and compliment the pickle. One of my favourite flavour combinations has to be salmon and cream cheese. I know that onions go well with salmon too so I decided to give smoked salmon slices, topped with cottage cheese and finished with a spoon of Pickled Onion Proper Pickle and, WOW, it works so well! I seriously had to stop myself from eating all of the salmon before I had prepared the sandwich in the pictures.

Let me tell you how to make this Proper Pickle Extra Special Sandwich!

Our Soft and Fluffy Moments with Roberts Bakery

Going away last week was the perfect time for us to find our Soft and Fluffy moments in each day. Roberts Bakery have challenged us to fill a jar of our Soft and Fluffy moments and to look back on them to remember our summer. To document our summer I have naturally taken plenty of pictures!

Here are our Soft and Fluffy Moments...

Seeing this beautiful view while having a ride on a train at Castle Howard 

Nutty Smoked Soda Bread

Even though I was on holiday, I was glued to last weeks Great British Bake Off and I knew that I would love it. Last week was bread week. Before I lost my baking mojo thanks to depression, bread was my favourite thing to bake. I had been looking forward to last week as I am wanting to fall in love with bread making again, this was to be the push that I needed.

In the past I have baked baguettes and bread art was not for me. So that left me with soda bread.

Soda bread is normally my hubby's bake so I was excited to have a go. I love to experiment with new and different flours and while we were away we found a lovely little deli which had a wide stock of flours so before leaving for home I had to buy some for my soda bread. In this bake I have used three different flours along with a peat smoked salt and the flavours went together perfectly.

This is what I did...

Paul Hollywood's Povitica - Great Bloggers Bake Off

This week was advanced dough on The Great British Bake Off. I love working with dough so decided to have a go at the Povitica.

I have followed the recipe that was used on the programme as it was a bake that I have never heard of before let alone made. I used the recipe that is featured in The Great British Bake Off - Big Book of Baking or you can also see the recipe here.

This is a loaf that I have never made before and I love to have a challenge!

This is how I did...

Paul Hollywood's Povitica

Ingredients

For the dough

300g plain flour

40g caster sugar

7g salt

10g fast action yeast

30g butter, melted

1 egg

150mls warm full fat milk

1/2tsp vanilla paste

For the filling

60g butter
60mls full fat milk
280g walnut pieces
100g caster sugar
2tbsp cocoa powder
1/2tsp vanilla paste
1 egg yolk

For topping

15g butter, melted
1 egg white
100g icing sugar

Method

1 - To prepare the dough use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Take the bowl and add the flour and sugar. Place the salt on one side and the yeast on the other side. Add the melted butter, milk, egg and vanilla paste and mix on a slow speed until you have a rough dough.

2 - Increase the speed to medium and leave to mix for 8 - 10 minutes or until you have a smooth elasticated dough.

3 - Tip the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

4 - To prepare the filling place the butter and milk in a pan and heat until the butter has melted then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla paste.

5 - Place the walnut pieces, sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth powder.

6 - Pour in the butter, milk and vanilla paste and blitz until you have a paste and leave on one side at room temperature.

7 - Cover a table or large section of worktop in either a smooth table cloth or bed sheet and flour well.

8 - Remove the dough from the bowl and without knocking it back roll out the dough into a large rectangle.

9 - Using your hands stretch out the dough into a rectangle that is about 1 metre long.

10 - Take the filling and spread over the dough evenly.

11 - Take the long side closest to you and roll the dough tightly like a Swiss roll.

12 - Gently lift the rolled dough and place in a 1kg loaf tin in a U shape, continue laying the rolled dough over to create a second U shape.

13 - Place the tin in a large bag and leave to prove for about an hour.

14 - Pre heat the oven to 180C.

15 - Place the tin in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 15 minutes on 180C then reduce the temperature to 150C and bake for a further 45 minutes. Keep a close eye on the bake and once it gets a nice golden colour on the top cover with foil to prevent it burning.

16 - Once thoroughly baked leave to cool for 30 minutes in the tin before removing and finishing to cool off on a cooling rack.

17 - Once cooled completely mix the icing sugar with a little water and drizzle over the top.

This is a delicious bake with a Nutella flavoured filling. This was a bake that was enjoyed by everyone and I will be baking it again. I may even try some new flavour combinations next time!

I was delighted when I cut into the loaf to find that it was baked though and was a lovely, light dough..

Enjoy x

As always I am joining in with The Great Bloggers Bake Off that is hosted by the lovely Jenny at Mummy Mishaps and My #GBBO Bake Along that is hosted by the lovely Lucy at Supergolden Bakes.

I was kindly sent vouchers for Kerrygold butter which I used in this recipe.

Bread - Week 3 of Great Bloggers Bake Off

I love baking bread so have been looking forward to bread week.

This week I have ended up making two different breads. I have made two types of rye bread and couldn't resist making a stuffed bread. I am pleased with them both and have struggled which to select, so I am sharing them both as I am away next week so will not be baking for dessert week.

This is what I have made this week...

Olive and Sundried Tomato Rye Rolls

Ingredients

250g strong white flour
500g organic rye flour
15g fast action yeast
12g salt
2tbsp olive oil
1tsp caraway seeds
6 black olives, chopped
3 sundried tomatoes, chopped
400 - 450mls water

Method

1 - Place the white flour, rye flour and caraway seeds in a large mixing bowl.

2 - Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt on the other (Do Not mix the yeast and salt as it will prevent the yeast from working!).

3 - Add the olive oil and pour in 350mls of water and start to bring the dough together.

4 - Add more water as needed.

5 - Once you have a rough dough remove from the bowl and begin to knead, try not to add any extra flour as this will dry the dough out. If you are finding your dough a little sticky keep kneading and as the gluten builds up the stickiness will go.

6 - Split the dough into 2 pieces. Flatten each piece and add the olives into one and the sundried tomatoes into the other and knead in.

7 - Once your dough has a smooth elasticated texture place in lightly oiled bowls, cover and leave to prove for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

8 - Once your dough has proved, remove from the bowl and gently work so that your dough is workable, do not knock all of the air out.

8 - Roll each dough into a sausage shape and cut into 6 equal pieces.

9 - To make the mini cottage loaf shape simply cut each piece into 2 further pieces, one larger than the other. Shape the larger piece into a ball and slightly flatten. Take the smaller piece and do the same. Place the smaller piece on top of the larger on and push your finger through the centre.

10 - Place onto a baking tray and leave to prove for a further hour.

11 - Pre heat the oven to 220C fan and place a roasting tin at the bottom of the oven.

12 - Once the rolls have doubled in size score around the edges to prevent splitting and place into the centre of the pre heated oven. Pour some water into the roasting tin to create steam and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until the base has a hollow sound when tapped.

These rye rolls are delicious as they are with a little butter, or cut into slices and used to dip in oils and balsamic vinegar. They have a real Mediterranean taste to them, perfect for summer.

Italian Inspired Tear and Share Loaf

Ingredients

750g strong white flour
15g fast action yeast
12g salt
2tbsp olive oil
400mls - 450mls water
6 slices of prosciutto
150g mozzarella pearls
Fresh basil

Method

1 - Place the white flour in a large mixing bowl.

2 - Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt on the other (Do Not mix the yeast and salt as it will prevent the yeast from working!).

3 - Add the olive oil and pour in 350mls of water and start to bring the dough together.

4 - Add more water as needed.

5 - Once you have a rough dough remove from the bowl and begin to knead, try not to add any extra flour as this will dry the dough out. If you are finding your dough a little sticky keep kneading and as the gluten builds up the stickiness will go.

6 - Once you have a smooth elasticated dough place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for about an hour or until doubled in size.

7 - Once the dough has proved knead so that it is workable and flatten out into a rectangle.

8 - Lay the slices of prosciutto evenly on the dough, top with the mozzarella pearls and finished with fresh basil leaves.

9 - Roll the dough and cut 8 even sized pieces of dough. Using a large cake tin arrange the dough pinwheels as shown below.

10 - Cover and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

11 - Pre heat the oven to 200C fan.

12 - Once the dough has rested place in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes

13 - Leave to cool slightly and serve warm.

This tear and share loaf is delicious when warm and the mozzarella melted. It has a real taste of Italy and makes a lovely lunch.

Enjoy x

As always I am sharing with 

Mummy Mishaps - Great Bloggers Bake Off

Super Golden Bakes - My Great #GBBO Bake Along

Easy Enriched Bread

I love brioche bread but find the whole process so lengthy it really does put me off.

Recently I have been trying different ways to get the brioche style of enriched bread, easily and quickly!

I have had ones that came out better than others but through trial and error I now have a recipe which I am sticking with!

It makes such a lovely, light roll which has an enriched dough style of flavour to it. The dough takes the usual amount of time to make and prove, with great results!

Easy Enriched Bread

Ingredients

450g strong white flour
7g fast action yeast
30mls warm milk
10g caster sugar
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, at room temperature
7g salt
200mls water

Method

1 - Place the flour in a large bowl and add the yeast to one side and add the salt, sugar, melted butter and beaten egg to the other.

2 - Pour in the milk and three quarters of the water and begin to bring together with your hands.

3 - Gradually add more water until you have a rough dough and have picked up all of the flour.

4 - This is a sticky dough so to start with you will need to stretch it to build up the gluten instead of kneading as you work through the stickiness you will be able to knead the dough. This can take up to 10 - 15 minutes.

5 - Once you have a smooth dough place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

6 - One the dough has risen remove from the bowl and knock the air out until you have a workable dough.

7 - Cut off pieces of dough, shape into a ball and gently flatten.

8 - Place on lined baking trays, cover and prove again or until doubled in size.

9 - Pre heat the oven to 220C

10 - Place the dough in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 10 minutes.

11 - Once baked remove from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

This dough creates a soft, light bread which is great for the whole family. The children have particularly enjoyed the soft crust. This bread is now a firm favourite in our house!

Enjoy x

Cinnamon Breakfast Loaf

I often miss breakfast because of the morning madness rush and coffee always seems so much more inviting!

However when the twins have their mid morning nap, this is when I sit down with a drink and enjoy something to eat. I will often have some Settling Ginger Loaf that I make for the hubby to take to work. However, after having Hot Cross Buns over Easter I have wanted to have something a little bit different. I love cinnamon and its around Easter and Christmas that I really remember one of my favourite flavours. I love sweet breads but find that making brioche is such a long, drawn out process.

So I have made a sweet, enriched dough which I think is just as tasty and little less guilt ridden as brioche!

This is what I did...

Cinnamon Breakfast Loaf

Ingredients

200g strong white flour
4g instant yeast
3g salt
30g caster sugar
20g butter, melted
45mls milk
15mls cream
40 - 50mls water
1tbsp ground cinnamon
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1 - Place the flour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl

2 - Put the yeast on one side and add the salt and sugar to the other side

3 - Add the milk, cream, melted butter and half the water and begin to mix with your hand, bringing all of the ingredients together

4 - Add more water if needed, once you have a manageable dough remove from the bowl and knead for 5 - 10 minutes or until it has a smooth texture

5 - Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for 1 - 2 hours or until doubled in size

6 - Once it has doubled, remove from the bowl and knock the air out, knead until smooth again, shape, place on a lined baking tray, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size again

7 - Pre heat the oven to 200C

8 - Once the dough is ready place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom then leave to cool on a cooling rack

Once the loaf has cooled sprinkle or sieve icing sugar over the top and serve.

I enjoyed a slice of this delicious bread with a chai latte and it they went together perfectly!

Enjoy x

I am sharing this recipe with Honest Mums Tasty Tuesdays pop over and check out some delicious recipes.



I am also sharing this recipe with A Mummy Too's Recipe of the Week pop over and check out some delicious recipes.

I am also sharing this recipe with Casa Costello's Bake of the Week pop over and check out the other yummy bakes, Helen's Hazelnut Ficelle look delicious!