First Post: Bread
The one good thing about the Big C is that I've started to teach myself to do a couple of things from scratch - one of them: breadmaking. I've learned by now that most of the recipes you'll find in cookbooks and magazines are literally foolproof but when it comes to taste the results aren't always that great. The reason for that is because most book and magazine recipes tell you to use so much yeast that, in theory, you should be able to get lead shavings to rise within an hour or two. Unfortunately, that's exactly what your bread will taste like, too: yeasty. I've been told to add vinegar to the mix to counter the taste, but why add something to get rid of something that could have been avoided in the first place?
The secret to delicious and uniquely tasting bread is simple: good ingredients and lots of time. When I first came across a recipe that only needed a couple of crumbs of yeast I wrote to the author and asked him if there may have been a spelling mistake in the instructions he posted. He was nice enough not to be offended by my question and explained that a small amount of yeast and a long resting time will get the same thing done than the opposite.
So I gave it a try. The first couple of loaves tasted alright but didn't much resemble anything you'll find in the shops
But I've gotten better (and invested in a cast-iron pot) and this is what today's loaf of bread turned out to be. It's a rye bread with all kinds of seeds in it and I already had the first two slices for breakfast and they were just the way I hoped for them to turn out.
Anybody interested in the recipe?
Oh well, here it is anyway:
70g flour
35-45ml water
Mix together in pot and heat up (keep stirring) until it has the consistency of pudding. Put in a lidded container and allow to cool down.
1/4 cube of fresh yeast OR 1/2 packet of dry yeast
1TSP sugar
~20ml warm water
Mix together and ignore for half an hour (until yeast starts bubbling).
~700g rye flour
50g soft butter OR margarine
15g salt (or to taste)
45g malt
1TSP honey
100g yoghurt OR kefir
30-50g linseed / sunflower seeds / chia seeds (altogether 90 / 150g)
~ 340ml water
Mix everything together and knead well for 10-15 minutes. If too runny add one spoon of flour at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. If the opposite's the case, carefully add more water.
Cover with a piece of cloth and put in a cool environment. For the next 3-4 days knead once a day. After the 3rd or 4th day your dough should start to rise - that's your baking day.
Preheat oven and cast-iron pot to 270°. Take out pot and grease bottom and sides. Throw in some sunflower seeds and then add dough. Sprinkle some flower of top, put the lid back on and bake for 15 minutes. After that lower temperature to 200° and bake for a further 45 minutes. If you like your crust a little more crispy, bake with the lid off for the last 10-15 minutes.
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