Feel Good Friday

Apologies.... I know it's Saturday afternoon, but I was so exhausted yesterday to even turn the laptop on!  I don't know if it is the weather and how cold it has become.  Or if I am not feeding myself properly....my sons are eating me out of house and home, so typically all goes to them and I selflessly (stupidly) forget to feed myself.

(I hope this post gets a bit better, not feeling good yet!)

So... what is making me feel good at the moment?  Well if you remember my post earlier in the week, I set myself the mission to learn how to make bread, good, tasty, rustico bread. 

Well, each night this week I have had a go, and the following happened...

Tuesday night... large white loaf, made using this Jamie Oliver's recipe.

Jamie's Recipe

Coming together

Final product

It came out looking wonderful, I was full of excitement!  Oh to be disappointed... it was uncooked in the middle, very doughy.  Humpf.  Try again!

Wednesday night, Allinsons seed & grain flour (recipe off the packet)

Gorgeous crust and great seedy taste

This turned out fantastic, phew!  An easier recipe to follow, without the double prooving method.  Just let it rise and into the oven.  Yummy hot with butter.

Thursday night, Allinsons seed & grain flour recipe

Doughy again!  Hmmm, just too quick to get it out of the oven.  This bread making is becoming more of a lesson in patience!

So my quest continues, in the search for the perfect loaf... maybe tonight will the night!

Make Bread

I want to learn how to make bread.

Really good bread, the kind of bread that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would make.  Artisan bread, good wholesome bread.

Bread that looks like this....

Image by Dorothy Lane Market

Every time I try, it ends up being as solid as a brick, and totally uneatable.  Does anyone know where I am going wrong?  Or recommend a good bread book?  I have thought of getting this one (back on the River Cottage theme) or maybe this book.  

We have a fantastic artisan baker locally to me, Marks Bread, based in sunny Southville, Bristol.  His bread is to die for, perfect round loaves, so crusty and tasty he always has a queue of people up the street.  Charlie loves to come to Mark's Bread, he insists in carrying the warm loaves home, hugging them to his chest, discretely nibbling them!

Unfortunately, buying these amazing loaves are a treat, with greatness comes a price!  So you see, this is why I need to learn how to make bread, bread like this... any help is greatly received!