Homemade Brown Bread


Ingredients

  • 250g coarse wholemeal flour
  • 300g plain flour & 150g porridge oats
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tbsp honey or sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 700-800ml buttermilk - add a little more if the batter is too stiff

Method

Preheat a fan oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Take a large mixing bowl and place all the dried ingredients inside. Using a fork, mix the dried ingredients together until they're combined.

Make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and crack in the eggs and pour in half the buttermilk. Using the fork, stir everything together until it starts to clump. Pour in the rest of the buttermilk and stir once more. You will end up with a very thick batter. It doesn’t look one bit like bread dough!

Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin. Sprinkle some oats or sesame seeds on top and put the loaf tin into the hot oven.

Bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 45 minutes ton hour.

After this time, check the bread is cooked by inserting a skewer into the deepest part of the loaf. If it comes out dry and clean then the bread is baked. If not, return it to the oven for another 10 minutes before testing again.

Once the bread is cooked, take the tin out of the oven, and lift the bread from the tin carefully (it’s very hot). Wrap in a damp teatowel and place it on a cooling rack. This will soften the crust to make it easier to slice. If you prefer a crispy crust, turn off the oven and put the bread back onto the rack in the oven while it cools.

Once completely cold the bread will keep for 3 days in a bread bin, you can freeze it for up to 3 months if well wrapped. You can also slice the loaf, then freeze individual slices which will keep for up to 1 month. If cooking for one or two people I recommend this method of baking, slicing, then freezing.

Makes 2 x 2lb loaves

No Knead Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 400g strong white flour
  • 30g sugar
  • 15g table salt
  • 5g dried yeast
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 150-200ml warm water
  • Another 20ml olive oil for baking
  • Salt & Pepper for baking

Method

Place all the dried ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a fork to make sure they are combined. Pour the olive oil over the dried ingredients and stir until you get a breadcrumb like consistency.

Pour in the warm water (body temperature) and stir the ingredients until everything is combined. You should have a loose, slightly wet dough. Cover the bowl and allow the contents to double in size. This should take approximately 2 hours.

After 2 hours, line a large roasting tin with baking parchment. Pour the dough into the roasting tin and gently encourage it to fill the tin to the edges. I find the back of a spoon or spatula is best for this as the dough is very sticky. Cover the roasting tin and set to one side for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat a fan oven to 180 degrees Celsius. After the second waiting period has passed, remove the cover from the roasting tin and sprinkle the top of the dough with olive oil. Using clean hands, dimple the top of the dough with your fingertips and the oil will settle in some of the dimples. Season the top of the dough with salt and pepper. You can add any herbs or soft vegetables at this point such as tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Bake the dough in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden on top. It’s a thin bread so won’t take long to form a crust on top and on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before slicing and dunking in soup.

Makes 1 deep roasting tray

Minestrone

You can add cooked beans towards the end of making this minestrone, but it’s not essential and we often eat it without the addition. This soup is still highly nutritious and full of antioxidants.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 peppers, cored and chopped
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 100g pasta
  • 100g cooked beans (optional)

Method

In a large saucepan on a medium heat, cook the onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes then add the carrots and peppers. Stir well and allow to heat through, then pour in the tomatoes from the tin. Fill the empty tin with water and pour into the pot.

Cover and simmer for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the water level. Add a little extra water (about 100ml) then pour in the pasta to cook in the soup mixture itself. Pour in the beans at this stage if you are using them.

Simmer the soup for a further 15 minutes before serving and allow everybody to season to their own taste at the table. Serves 4 for lunch or 2 for Dinner

Leek & Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 large knob of butter
  • 2 leeks, washed and chopped
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1.5 pints vegetable stock
  • Fresh thyme & parsley

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onions first and cook for about 5 minutes so that they begin to soften. Add the leeks and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the potato chunks and coat well in the leek and onion mixture.

Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan, stir. Add some fresh thyme leaves. Cover the saucepan and bring the contents to a slow simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending with a stick blender.

Serve with fresh parsley & oodles of white pepper – which is my preference. Apparently this carb-full soup is best enjoyed with a doorstep of fresh buttered batch but honestly I find it filling enough.

Makes 4 hearty portions