Today I didn't feel like doing anything.
So, I did something. I made bread.
When making bread it’s kind of like doing nothing. You mix stuff together and let it rise. You can't go too far because you have to be around to knock it back before shaping it and letting it have a second rise. Then it's just a matter of baking it.
There is just time in between those stages. In that time you
can get a lot of nothing done.
Like reading a book. I finished reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult while making this bread.
Which is fitting because there is a lot of bread making in
the book. Definitely worth a read for bakers, historians, and mystery type
readers.
The thing about bread is that it’s not really hard to make. Putting the few ingredients together isn't complicated at all.
However there are so many ways it could go wrong. If the
water temperature is too hot or two cold it will not rise properly. If you over
or under knead it affects the tightness of the dough.
I don’t bake bread often enough to have it down where I know when to stop
kneading or what the exact temperature feels like. I think that comes with
experience and with experience comes you gain the knowledge one needs to create
the perfect loaf of bread.
Don’t get me wrong I get by, for instance this loaf has
turned out great! It has a crust, with a soft (small) holey middle. With the
added pesto and sundried tomatoes it’s a real winner!
It’s so good I just ate a slice all on it’s own. No butter
or anything! That’s when you know it’s good bread.
Try it out for yourself!
Pesto & Sundried Tomato Loaf
500g Sainsbury’s Taste the
Difference Very Strong Canadian White Bread Flour
7g sachet fast-action dried
yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp basil pesto
300ml tepid water
5 sundried tomatoes,
chopped
a little oil from sundried
tomatoes
pinch of sea salt
In a large bowl mix the
flour, yeast, and salt before adding the pesto. Very gradually add the water,
while gently bringing the dough together with your hand. If the dough is soft
and brought together before all the water is used, just leave the extra water.
If it’s not needed don’t use it. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or for
about 7 in a mixer on low speed. It shouldn’t look bumpy, instead it should
look smooth and bouncy. Bring the dough together in a ball and place in an
oiled bowl. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it’s doubled in
size.
Grease a 2lb loaf tin with
oil before knocking the risen dough back (knead the air out), gently flatten
the dough out and scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top. Shape it into a
sausage like loaf and place in the loaf tin. Leave again for about an hour or
more in a warm place until it doubles in size.
When it’s doubled heat the
oven to 220C and brush a bit of the dried tomato oil on top and sprinkle a
pinch of salt on top of the loaf. Bake for 30-35 minutes until when you “knock”
on the bottom of the loaf it sounds hollow.
notes: In association with Sainsbury’s; they have a wide
range of self-branded flours and for this recipe I used the Taste the
Difference Very Strong Canadian White Bread Flour as mentioned above. They also
have a nice range of bread mixes, which I tried and some how burnt? It's because I was trying to be clever. Check
my instagram! Recipe is adapted from Bakes & Cakes magazine Summer 2014
edition.
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