White Tin Loaf

It's bank holiday Monday, its miserable outside and my better half was moaning we didn't have any bread for lunch. And because I'm just SO nice, I thought id try and bake a loaf for him- granted that meant no bread for 2 1/2 hours and he eventually got so hungry he walked down to CO-OP to buy lunch but HEY, I made bread!

I'm not going crazy for my first loaf of bread - something nice a simple will do - so a white tin bread will do! I'm fairly happy with how it turned out - especially for my first try of making bread (with yeast!)

This recipe is from Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads
500g Strong White Bread Flour (plus extra for dusting)
10g Salt
20g Yeast
50g Butter
290ml Water

Makes 1 x900g/2lb loaf tin OR 2 x 450g/1lb loaves

1.Put the flour, salt, yeast and butter into a bowl, then add the water, little by little, folding in with your hands until all the flour has been picked up. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until you have a pliable, soft dough. Put the dough back in the bowl and leave for 1 hour.

I found this recipe too salty, so next time I'll probably put in 6g instead of 10g. Don't put the salt on top of the yeast as it will kill it, so I put each ingredient at opposite sides of the bowl. Also I got a bit confused with 20g of yeast?! So I put in a single packet of dried yeast (7g) and it seems to have worked out fine! If, like me, your terrible at kneading, Paul explains at the beginning of his book to: start by making an indentation with the pals of your hands into the middle of the dough - then lift up the dough at the top and press it into the hole you have just made. Turn the dough and repeat and keep repeating this process for the length of time stated in the recipe. When the dough was put back in the bowl, I loosely covered it with cling-film and put it in a warm room.

2. Oil the loaf tin or tins. Shape the dough to fit the tin(s), and leave to rise for 1 hour.

I went for the single 2lb loaf tin. And using sunflower oil, I liberally oiled the tin. And once again loosely covered with cling-film and put in a warm room.

3. Preheat the oven to 230c/450F/mark 8. Just before you bake the loaf, dust the top with flour and, using a knife make slashes across the top. Bake for 30-35 mins, then turn out of the tin(s) onto a wire rack to cool.

I have a feeling I didn't make my slashes deep enough or big enough, as you will see in my pictures that the bread tried to expand out the side... I also found 230c was too high, so I took mine down to 200c. Thing is, the recipe didn't state if 230c was  for fan assisted or not. Im now guessing it was for non-fan assisted ovens!

This recipe is a great starting place for those who are new to bread baking - or want a fairly easy and quick recipe for white bread. I am really pleased with how my loaf turned out! We had a slice will it was still warm so the slice just melted the butter - it was truly delicious! I'm still very new to baking bread but I'm getting there - plus I'm adhering to my New Years Resolution of doing more bread baking! Paul Hollywood would be proud!!

Variation:
For Wholemeal Tin Bread use: 400g wholemeal flour and 100g white flour plus 320ml water.

GBBO Bread Week

This week it was bread week on The Great British Bake Off. 

The challenges were...

Signature Challenge: 2 Quick Breads
Technical Bake: Baguettes
Show Stopper: 3D Bread Sculpture

It was fairly easy for me to choose which challenge I would partake in..... well, it was more of a deduction of the other challenges and seeing what I was left with. There was no way I was making a 3D sculpture - I'm too lazy for that. And I didn't want to buy the fancy cloth for the baguettes, I found one from Lakeland for £12 and I realistically thought 'Would I ever make baguettes ever again after the challenge?? Probably not!' So by default I ended up making 2 quick bread loaves.

When it came to choosing a recipe for my signature challenge I went straight to the one and only bread book I own, 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood. How could I not do a Paul Hollywood recipe in bread week! It would just be breaking all the rules!

 Deciding what type of bread to bake was easy, I didn't want anything flavoured with things like stilton or bacon or other cheeses - so plain soda bread it was!

500g Strong White Bread Flour
20g Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of Salt
75g Butter
200ml Buttermilk
150ml Milk

1. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and work in the butter. Stir in the remaining ingrediants and mix well.

2. Line a baking tray. Combine the mixture with your hands to make a dough, then divide the dough into two and shape into balls. Flatten the balls out and cut crosses in the top of each, then put on the baking tray and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200c/400F/mark 6. Dust the dough lightly with flour and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recently I bought the Lakeland non-stick magic liners and so I used them to line my baking tray. They did exactly what they said and the bread didn't stick to them at all - I will most certainly be using these liners from bread making in the future!

I was really pleased at how my quick breads turned out! The recipe is fairly simple and I would recommend it to everyone. I kept one loaf and gave the other to my parents; I don't really need two loaves of bread! My parents and I shared their loaf of bread while it was still warm, just a little bit of butter and it was delicious! We were all so impressed especially as it was my first time making bread, let alone without using yeast! The bread itself had the smell of scones and it tasted so yummy. I will definitely be making soda bread again!

GBBO Biscuit Week!

This week on The Great British Bake Off it was biscuit week. My favourite week of the whole show! Anyone who knows me well, knows I love biscuits and always have them close to hand, so I was truly in my element for this weeks bake!

The biscuit challenges were.....

Signature Challenge: Biscotti
Technical Challenge: Arlettes
Show Stopper: Biscuit Box with Biscuits

It was SO easy for me to chose what challenge I would attempt - biscotti. I have been wanting to make these for a very long time so Im really glad they popped up on the show.

My biscotti....

Trying to decide what type of biscotti was quite easy. There is no flavour I hate more than almond or pistachios - liquorice is a close second so they were going no where near this challenge. Flicking through my cook books I found a recipe for Praline Biscotti and knew instantly that's the one for me!

The recipe comes from last years cook book released by The GBBO, The Great British Bake Off Big Book of Baking. 

For The Hazelnut
100g Caster Sugar (white rather than golden works best)
100g Unblanched Hazelnuts

For The Biscotti Dough
150g Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
1 Medium Free-Range Egg Plus 1 Yolk,
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
375g Plain Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
200g Dark Chocolate

1. Start by making the praline. Put the caster sugar and nuts into a medium heavy-based pan. Set over a low heat and let the sugar melt gently, occasionally shaking the pan and stirring gently with a metal spoon. As soon as the sugar has melted turn up the heat to medium and let the syrup bubble away until it turns a chestnut brown - you can stir gently now and then with the metal spoon so the nuts brown evenly. Tip the mixture onto an oiled baking sheet and spread out evenly with the metal spoon. Leave until completely cold and set.

Watch your sugar and nuts like a hawk! I didn't and came so close to burning them! Instead of using an oiled baking sheet, I used a non stick liner - they're so impressive! Nothing sticks to them!! You can pick them up at your local Lakeland store.

2. Break up the praline into chunks. Put them into a food processor and grind to make coarse crumbs with a few larger lumps (you can also chop up the praline with a large knife or bash it up - in a plastic bag - with a rolling pin). Set aside until needed (you can make the praline a day in advance; keep tightly covered).

I chopped my hazelnuts up with a knife, I find it easier to get the correct size this way rather than using a food processor.

3. Heat your oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Put the soft butter into a large mixing bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon or mixer until very creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time.

4. In a small bowl, beat the egg and the yolk together with the vanilla, just to mix, then gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

5. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix in with a plastic spatula or wooden spoon. As soon as all the flour is incorporated, add the praline and work in until evenly distributed. Put your hands into the bowl and bring the dough together in a bowl.

6. Divide the dough in half Line the clean baking sheet with baking paper. Lift one portion of dough on to one side of the sheet. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then mould and shape the dough into a flat brick shape about 30 x 7.5cm and 1.5cm thick. Repeat with the second portion of dough, setting this block slightly apart from the first (to allow for expansion).

7. Bake in the heated oven for about 30 minutes until light and brown and firm. Remove the sheet from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface; turn the oven down to 150C/300F/gas 2. Leave the biscotti blocks to cool down for 10 minute, then slide them, still on the baking paper, on to a chopping board. With a serrated knife cut the blocks across on a slight diagonal, into slices about 1.5cm thick - it will be easier if you use a gentle sawing motion.

8. Line the baking sheet with a fresh piece of baking paper. Set the slices cut side down on the sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave until cold. Store in an airtight container for about a week.

As you can see from my picture I dipped my biscotti into dark chocolate - I felt this really lifts the biscuit by giving it another taste. I also dipped the bottom of the biscuit into the chocolate - not one of the ends (like the traditional method)! This way, with every bite you get some chocolate, for which I personally think this balances out the praline. So....

9. Once the biscotti have cooled, melt the dark chocolate in bowl over simmering water until melted. Gently dip the biscotti into the chocolate to cover the base of the biscuit, let any excess chocolate drop back into the bowl and then place on a wire rack to dry.

A bit of sturdy advice coming from Mary Berry herself... read the recipe twice before you start! Its got quite a few stages so I really recommend reading the recipe a few times.

I have never made biscotti before and I have never done sugar work like that before, so Im learning something new every week with this bake along malarkey! I am really impressed with how my biscotti have turned out - the chocolate has a nice shine - the biscuit snaps well, it tastes bloomin' good! I took them into work and were devoured. I must admit they weren't the most uniform in size but I am so pleased with how they turned out!! Biscotti can have such a variety in tastes and flavours which is why they're vastly becoming my favourite biscuit, I can't wait to bake more of these!

Biscuit week - Im giving myself an 8/10!

GBBO Madeira Cake

he Great British Bake Off is back!  #GBBO

Im pretty sure by the end of the series my waistline will have expanded as this year I am totally jumping on the GBBO Bake Along band wagon and hoping to improve my baking skills along the way!  My fellow colleagues at work are preparing themselves for the long weeks ahead to be my faithful critics, my very own Paul and Mary.

The first episode:

Signature challenge: Madeira Cake

Technical Challenge: Walnut Cake

The Show Stopper: Black Forest Gateau 

For the first bake along I went with the Madeira cake. I chose it as I thought it would be the most simple out of the three...how wrong was I! I used the following recipe from Nigella Lawson.....

• 240 grams unsalted butter (softened)
• 200 grams caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
• grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 3 large eggs
• 210 grams self-raising flour
• 90 grams plain flour

You will need a loaf tin (23 x 13 x 7cm / 9 x 5 x 3 inches), buttered and lined.

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3/325ºF.
2. Cream the butter and sugar, and add the lemon zest.
3. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour for each.
4. Then gently mix in the rest of the flour and, finally, the lemon juice.
5. Sprinkle with caster sugar (about 2 tablespoons should do it) as it goes into the oven, and bake for 1 hour or until a cake-tester comes out clean.
6. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in the tin before turning out.

I made the first mistake - not reading the recipe properly so I totally forgot to sprinkle on the caster sugar in step 5! 

It seemed like a very easy recipe so I was disappointed when the top and sides started to brown very quickly. I even gave the cake a foil hat as it was still raw in the centre. I have a feeling that it might be due to my oven. Its a very old cooker and you have to guess what temperature it is on as it is a thermometer dial. So I think my oven was at a too high of a temperature...im now thinking of investing in an oven thermometer.

In the end, my cake was over baked and you could tell straight away when you cut into it, it was very crumbly. Although it wasn't like eating a mouthful of stale panatone - it still had some moisture in it. I didn't eat any of the sides and threw most of my slice in the bin but my colleagues seemed to enjoy it - or they're just very polite!! 

But on a positive note, I DID have the crack along the top! And I got the balance of the lemon just right! I didn't want the lemon too be too overpowering (like a lemon drizzle) but have enough lemon in it to be able to taste it, so im really pleased with that outcome.

I've never cooked a madeira cake before and I probably wont for quite a long time, I'd rather have a slice of lemon drizzle cake. However, to go along with my madeira cake I candied some lemon peel to go on the top. Now this element of the bake turned out well, I was pretty chuffed with myself because OH MY GOD is it a faff!!!!

I used the following recipe from the Good Food website...

1. Cut the fruit into 8 wedges, then cut out the flesh, leaving about 5mm thickness of peel and pith. Cut each wedge into 3-4 strips.

2. Put the peel in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Drain, return to the pan and re-cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins.

3. Set a sieve over a bowl and drain the peel, reserving the cooking water. Add 100g sugar to each 100ml water you have. Pour into a pan and gently heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer for 30 mins until the peel is translucent and soft. Leave to cool in the syrup, then remove with a slotted spoon and arrange in 1 layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Put in the oven at the lowest setting for 30 mins to dry.

4. Sprinkle a layer of sugar over a sheet of baking parchment. Toss the strips of peel in the sugar, a few at a time, then spread out and leave for 1 hr or so to air-dry.

5. Pack the peel into an airtight storage jar or rigid container lined with baking parchment. Will keep for 6-8 weeks in a cool, dry place.                                                                                               

6. To make into a delicious gift, melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Dip the candied orange peel into the chocolate to half-coat them, shaking off the excess. Put them on baking parchment to set, then pack into small cellophane bags tied with ribbon or pretty kitchen string.

See what I mean?! So time consuming! And not to mention I was a bit shocked at the sugar content! But not to blow my own whistle but my lemon candy turned out great! Even passed the GBBO drop test! I've never done anything like this before with sugar so I'm really pleased to have learnt a new skill!

Hopefully next week will be a better week for me....

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Chocolate Buttons.

I've just moved into a new flat and I had some girlfriends over to celebrate and to have a snoop around. The girls brought a whole load of snacks to see us through the evening and I did chocolate covered strawberries!

They were delicious, and unsurprisingly I bought both the strawberries and chocolate from Lidl. The strawberries were huuuuge and both were really cheap!! Plus they're great for if you have a friend who is gluten intolerant.


1 Punnet of Strawberries
400g Chocolate

1. Break up the chocolate and place in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

2. Wash the strawberries and carefully pat them dry.

3. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat. Hold the strawberries by the stalk and gently dip into the chocolate. Let some of the chocolate drip off. Once suitably covered, place onto greaseproof paper to harden.

4. Once hardened, place them onto a plate and pop them into the fridge.

Sarah's Tips

Use any chocolate you like. I used normal milk chocolate and it was totally fine.

If you hate cold strawberries, take them out of the fridge and let them come up to room temperature before eating.

You do need to use a lot of chocolate so you can dip the strawberries sufficiently enough. 

Which brings me onto.... I had a lot of left over chocolate and wanted to use it instead of just throwing it in the bin. 

So either using a teaspoon or pipping bag, make little chocolate buttons on a silicon mar. Once hardened, peel each button off the silicon mat and place in an airtight container. It really is that simple!

Okay so I've been really bad at keeping up with my blog. I have quite a few things I want to post - bakes all the way back to February. I promise to post these blogs soon! So be patient...just a little bit more patient!

Jus-Rol Apple Danish

Im still on the Jus-Rol pastry bandwagon and this time I 'made' Apple Danish!

I still can't really claim this is baking - all you do is take the pastry out of the tin and put it in the oven.

I must admit I was a little disappointed with the Apple Danish. The apple sauce REALLY tastes like Apple Sourz shots. I HATE Apple Sourz shots. I feel like im going to be sick (damn my student days!), so this Apple Danish really didn't float my boat. I won't be making these again and I wouldn't recommend them. Although, that is my personal taste - so if you like Apple Sourz then these Danish' are for you!

Once again its a pretty fool proof recipe..

1) Pull the corner of the red label down to the left.

2) The can will open itself, then twist the can to remove the dough.

3) Unroll the dough and separate into pieces where perforated. 

4)Fold two opposite corners into the centre of the pastry overlapping the points by approximately 1cm.

5) Press down firmly to seal and prick wit a fork to secure their folded shape when baked.

6) Place 1 tsp of the apple filling on top of the forked area.

7) Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 12-14 mins or until golden brown.

For a deeper golden colour, brush dough with lightly beaten egg before adding the fruit filling.

For icing, simply mix 4 tbsp of icing sugar with 2 tsp of water and stir well to separate any sugar lumps, allow Danish to cool, slightly drizzle the on top and enjoy! 

Sarahs Tip

As you can see, some of the apple sauce spilled onto the tray, so I just spooned it back onto the Danish. Im pretty sure it spilled over because I didn't press down hard enough - so the pastry really puffed up! Oops!