Bread: Issue 1, Spring 2011 (Recipes)

Selected Recipes from the Bread Issue

SODA BREAD

Brilliant. No kneading, no proving, no waiting. This bread is heavy for a rainy Spring day or perfect for a last minute sunny picnic.

So quick to make and oh so satisfying fresh from the oven.

Ingredients:

50ml of natural yoghurt

450ml of milk

1 tablespoon of black treacle

1 tablespoon of honey

250g of plain flour

2 teaspoons of salt

2 ½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda

250g granary or wholemeal bread flour

150g of oats

1) Put the flours, oats, salt, and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.

2) Mix the yogurt, milk, honey and black treacle together and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir well until thoroughly combined.

3) Tip onto a lightly greased baking tray, dust with flour and lightly shape into a round loaf.

4) Make 2 incisions on the top to form a cross and bake in the oven at 200°C for about 50 minutes.

5) Take it out of the oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cold enough to handle, but still warm, pull apart or slice thickly and spread over good quality butter.

Also good with ham, strong cheeses and honey.

BROWN BREAD ICE CREAM

600ml whole milk

227ml double cream

4 egg yolks

few drops of vanilla extract or some vanilla seeds

175g granulated sugar

To make the ice cream custard; mix the milk, double cream, egg yolks and 50g of sugar in a pan and whisk over a low heat until it starts to thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Pass the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl, stir in the vanilla and leave to cool.

Crumble the crusts into fine breadcrumbs with your fingers. Heat the remaining sugar in a clean pan over a high heat until it turns a dark golden colour – it shouldn’t take more than 10mins. Do not stir the sugar; gently swirl the pan around instead. When it’s ready add the breadcrumbs and transfer the mixture to a chilled baking sheet lined with foil and allow to cool.

Once the breadcrumb caramel is set solid break or chop into small pieces and mix with the cold custard

Either pour into a plastic box and freeze (remember to take it out to break up the ice crystals every couple of hours) or churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.