Bread to go with...

Buceph

I'm heading away for the weekend with some friends, down to Schull in West Cork. The plan is to eat well and drink well, with each person taking turns to make breakfast, and dinner. I'm planning on making mussels (with white wine, cream, onions and herbs.) And I'd like to have some home-made bread to go with it, to soak up the juices and sauce with.

The plan would be to make it tomorrow (Thurdsay) and eat it with the mussels on Saturday. I can't guarantee I'd have the stuff to make the bread on the weekend, so I'd have to make it before I go.

So should I make bread tomorrow, and if so what recipe would be good to go with the meal? If it's not a good idea, I'll just buy bread down there.

unkel

Not a good idea I'm afraid. Home made bread is only good on the day it is baked (unless you toast it) and preferably straight after it comes out of the oven.

Why don't you bring the ingredients and bake it in Schull? The smell of fresh bread in the oven will impress your friends

Buceph

I was afraid that was going to be the case.


I would bake it in Schull, but I don't want to have to bring the scales, mixer and tin with me. The car is already packed enough and I wouldn't want to add more to it.

Ah well. I'm sure I can get fresh bread from one of the shops down there.

unkel

Buceph wrote: »

I don't want to have to bring the scales, mixer and tin with me.

Weigh your ingredients at home and store them in plastic bags (sandwich bags). Mix by hand (I know, I know, I too hate mixing / kneading bread dough by hand) so that only leaves the baking tin. Surely that will fit somewhere? It will be worth it

Buceph

I might try that then.

Any idea of what recipe to go with? I don't have any particular site I trust seeing as I've just started baking in the past week. (Although I worked in a bakery for a bit twelve years ago as a teenager, only making cakes though.)

Zuiderzee

Soda bread, about as traditional as it gets. No messing around with yeast or waiting to rise etc.
This is a very simple, easy to follow recipe.

1 loaf is big enough for 4 people for a big meal, I serve it always with my own version of Moule Mariner - similar to your mussel dish - as well as bisque chowder or fondue.

Before you head west pre-mix the dry ingredients, finish it off in the Schull oven.
Follow the instructions, this works each time every time.

Ingredients:
450g (1lb) plain white flour, or wholemeal if you want a brown loaf.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baxitartar
1 teaspoon bread soda or bicarbonate of soda (2 if you dont have baxitartar)
400ml (14fl oz) buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 230ºc / Gas Mark 9.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large, wide bowl, and make a well in the centre.
Pour in the milk and mix using the fingers of one hand, stiff and oustretched like a claw, stir from the centre to the edge of the bowl in circles.

The dough should be softish, but not too wet and sticky.
When it all comes together, turn out on to a well-floured work surface.

Wash and dry your hands. Pat the dough into a tidy shape and flip over gently, then pat it into a round about 4cm (1 and 1/2 inches) thick.
Gently transfer to a floured baking tray.
Cut a deep cross into the loaf and prick the centre of each quarter to let the fairies out, or do a cross pattern with a fork.

The reason that you make a cross in the top of the loaf before you bake it is to allow the heat to get through to the centre of the bread and cook the middle.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200ºc/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 30 minutes or until cooked. If you are in doubt tap the bottom of the bread: it should sound hollow.
Rub the surface with a knob of butter or a few tablespoons of buttermilk while warm - this softens the crust.
Cool on a wire rack covered with a clean dishcloth.

While you have the oven going, and buttermilk left over, you may as well practice your baking and think about doing a buttermilk clafoutis as well - Very impressive looking and very Simples!!!!!!!!!!

Magic Monkey

You can make your dough, and once it's mixed, freeze it. When you go down to Cork on Saturday, it should be defrosted by the time you get there. Then you just proof, shape, rise and bake. A simple but delicious recipe is:

1,000g strong flour
620g water, ice-cold (<4c)
21g fresh yeast (or 7g instant)
21g table salt (3.5 tsp)

1. Combine all ingredients and mix, ideally by machine, for 8 mins or until smooth. The dough should be very wet and sticky.
2. Refrigerate immediately, overnight (or in your case, as long as you can, and then place in the freezer.)
3. Remove from fridge, leave to proof for 2-2.5 hours or until doubled in size.
4. On a well floured surface, pat into a rectangular shape. Cut into short rectangles.
5. Place rectangles onto baking sheet(s). As you lift them, they'll naturally stretch as the dough is so slack.
6. Turn oven up to max and pre-heat for 30 mins. Load the oven and then reduce the temperature to 250c.
7. Bake for 10 mins, rotate the trays, then bake for another 5-10 mins.

quaalude

Zuiderzee wrote: »

Soda bread, about as traditional as it gets. No messing around with yeast or waiting to rise etc.
This is a very simple, easy to follow recipe....

I made this yesterday when I got home from work, it was really lovely. Then only change I made was a added a teaspoon of sugar (as most other soda bread recipes seem to have it).
Thanks for posting it, Zuiderzee!

Zuiderzee

quaalude wrote: »

I made this yesterday when I got home from work, it was really lovely. Then only change I made was a added a teaspoon of sugar (as most other soda bread recipes seem to have it).
Thanks for posting it, Zuiderzee!

Yeah, it helps fluff up the bread a bit more, but the recipe I use is what I remember as a kid and I like the density.
The whole point of the recipes I put on the blog and here is that they are not imperical, I hope people experiment with them and I really apprieciate the feedback I get for both cooking and gardening.

wina

Nice recipe for soda bread, I'm not good in baking but I will try to make a yummy soda bread. thanks for sharing