Home Made Peasant Bread

An Easy Bread Recipe

Peasant Bread

The Very Simplest Way To Make Tasty Bread

Quickly

I do have a bread maker but in general I do not use it often as the bread is rather inferior. I love to make bread but am not particularly good at it - and also it usually takes far too long. I was delighted to discover a simple and fool proof way of making bread quickly, which could be cooked in an Aga or an ordinary oven - and appears to turn out perfectly each and every time. ~The very best part about this recipe is that there is no kneading required! I do know the Mark Bittman recipe for no knead bread very well and feel that this is on a par with that - although I do have a preference for this one as it is quicker - about 3 hours start to finish as apposed to 24 hours!

This is the recipe I use - a slight variation of that found in many places on the Internet.

Peasant Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups of bread flour (I use seeded Atkinson's flour or ordinary white bread flour)
2 cups of lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon of active yeast (again I use Atkinson's)
Softened butter to grease tins, (I use two small Pyrex bowls about 1 litre each, which enable a good view of the cooking process), but any bread tin or tins is fine

Method:
Sprinkle the active yeast over a bowl with the warm water and sugar and leave for ten minutes
Meanwhile put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and after ten minutes add the yeast mixture
Mix thoroughly and then place in a warm spot with a damp towel over the bowl for about an hour
After the dough has risen divide into two bowls well greased with softened butter
Again leave to rise in a warm spot with a damp towel over the bowl for about an hour
Cook in a hot oven for about 20-30 minutes (there is no temperature to an Aga other than hot)
Cooking charts suggest around 375 farenheight for ordinary ovens
The Pyrex helps enormously when testing to see if the bread is cooked

These are some photos of my bread taken along the preparation process ...

Ready For Tea?

This bread took about 22 minutes in a very hot oven. If the bowls are very well buttered the bread tips out easily. They are probably a little more well done than I would have wished but will still be delicious with butter when eaten warm.

The inside is just perfect!

Sewing Machine Works

Have You Ever Wondered How?

A sewing machine works

Yesterday I got back to my sewing - something rather boring - and was hemming some curtains for my son. It has been such a long time since I used the machine that I had actually forgotten how to use some of the features and had to look them up. Must try harder .... Meanwhile this easy explanation is useful to know just how things work.



LOOM UPDATE

I have had the flu and so sadly my weaving has progressed only a tiny amount. I am awaiting a trip to buy some supplies for my new rug. Meanwhile I have found some beautiful rugs by Beni Ourain, which have enchanted me and enthused me to be a little daring with my design. I have printed some graph paper of the finished size required and now intend to buy the supplies and then colour the chart appropriately and then to try and make an approximate copy. Bit hopeful for a first attempt, I do know, but 'who dares wins'!


I have managed to complete the warping of the loom and threading of the heddle - not sure of the correct terminology - and fastened the second ends to the closest bar. I have now put ten rows of the warping thread through the shed (alternate sheds) and am now ready to begin proper. There are quite huge gaps visible but I understand that this is normal and will correct itself at the very end when the woven rug is washed, blocked and dried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







 

Still looking for a teacher!

 

 

 

 

 



Borough Market

Foodie Heaven


This is one of my favourite haunts. Do go and see it for yourself.

Lets take a trip to market shall we? 

 

This is famous Borough Market in
London near London Bridge Tube 

This place is known for its fresh produce


Breads and cakes of all kinds



Everything in perfect condition



Cheeses from around the world


Shellfish of all kinds
(And a fish restaurant here too)


Little bars for food and drinks
This wheatgrass is very popular
(Although I think it a little weird)


Lots of flowers to take home
I like these oriental lilies

 

 

 

This market is for serious foodies and tourists and it is held every day throughout the year except on Sundays. Lots of famous chefs can be seen wandering about here and there are often camera crews too. It is good to go early - 8am - well before the crowds of tourists arrive. Friday and Saturday are the most interesting with traders from all over the country and abroad selling yummy stuff - and this is the only time viable for taking photos. I've really enjoyed a morning here.

 

 

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

 

 

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies - Recipe

 

 



Found on the Internet

My favourite friend 'Ada'

Ingredients

Prepared dish 8 x 8

Brownie mix

Cream cheese ingredients

Brownie ready

Cream cheese mix ready

Squashed raspberries
(Can you see the stem of a glass in the photo?
I always think its a good idea to have a glass of wine on hand!)

Add to cheesecake mix

Ready to bake

Well done 'Ada'
(There's that wine again!)

Unusual texture brownie raspberry cheesecake
Serve warm with cream

Yummy

Ingredients for brownie mix:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg
1/4 cup cocoa/chocolate powder
pinch salt

Method for brownie mix:
Mix all ingredients together and pour into buttered and lined 8 x 8 in pan

Ingredients for cheesecake/raspberry mix:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
tsp vanilla
1 cup lightly squashed raspberries

Method for cheesecake/raspberry mix:
Lightly fold all ingredients together and pour over brownie mix

Place in oven 180c for 1 hour.
Leave to stand in tin until cool and before cutting.

Very yummy indeed!

Update on the weaving.

This recipe is a little break from the setting up of the Rigid Heddle Loom. I am a bit under the weather today so decided on something simple to eat over the weekend and will go back to the weaving tomorrow. The warping  is so much more difficult than I imagined and I wish that I had started on a smaller project, (width wise), instead of trying to warp the whole loom in both length and width in order to make a fireside rug - a replacement for this little handmade rug in the snug! I am using thick wools in fawn,  cream, brown and pink to match the colour scheme - the warps in cream and fawn and the other colours during the weaving process.