Thursday 21 October 2010

Veda Bread


There is a little malt loaf particular to Northern Ireland called Veda.


My hubby loves it. I have tried for years but have been unable to replicate it in the kitchen. Why? because I could not get the necessary dark malt flours. Well I could have but they only sold in bulk to the bakeries. Even at my most enthusiastic I don't think I could get through 50 kilos of flour. The other day I finally found my flour courtesy of Bakery Bits. A very good website selling flour and all sorts of bread making equipment. All I had was the ingredients on the loaf sleeve and my fiercest critic (Hubby) and the knowledge that hundreds of ex pat. ulster people have been searching for a recipe but with little success (Google told me this) Previous attempts with just malt extract and treacle failed to give the definitive flavour particular to Veda.
I explained to Rhyley what I was doing. The tension in the kitchen was immense as I took the loaf out of the oven and waited for it to cool. Enter Hubby who had a slice slathered in butter while four female eyes watched in apprehension as he chewed. He then uttered the words 'That's it' and watched in amazement as Rhyley and I danced round the kitchen. Success is heady stuff. I haven't had to buy a Veda since.

You can just make this with the malt extract and treacle and it will give a nice malt loaf but if you are a fan it takes the malted flours.

I make my loaf in a covered mermaid pan as it gives the bread a lovely soft sandwich texture. It can of course be baked in an ordinary loaf pan.





Makes one small loaf.
Oven temperature
200.C/180.C Fan/400.F/Gas 6


Ingredients


450gms/1lb White Bread Flour
1 teasp Roasted barley Malt Flour
2 teasp Nut Brown Malt Flour
1 teasp instant yeast
1 teasp salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 large teaspoon malt extract
1 large teaspoon treacle or molasses
200-250 mls warm water

Glaze (If desired)

A teaspoon of warmed treacle/molasses


Method


Mix all the ingredients together using 200mls of the water. If it seems a little dry add a little more water just a drop at a time. It should be a softish slightly sticky dough
Knead for 10 minutes by hand or five in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl covered with cling film 
Leave somewhere warm to rise for about an hour until doubled in volume.
Gently pull the dough out of the bowl onto an oiled work top and dimple out with your fingers to disperse the gas.

Fold the dough over towards yourself bit by bit firming each roll with your thumbs as you go..

When you have a sausage fold it into thirds like a busines letter.
Turn it over and tease the sides down and under until you get a cob shape.
Place this into a greased 2 lb loaf pan and squash it down until it fills the base.
Place the tin inside a plastic bag and leave for 30-40 mins until it has risen again. You will know when it is ready if you very gently shake the end of it trembles a bit like a jelly.
Brush gently with the glaze and bake for approx thirty minutes.
The loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the underside when it is done. If not pop it back in the tin and bake for a further five minutes and check again.

TIP
Oil your hands and the work top when working with the dough. It stops it sticking to you and everything else












19 comments:

Grannymar said...

If Elly makes this she will never come home! ;)

Brownieville Girl said...

You are a baking genius!

I'm due a trip up North soon (to stock up on all butter puff pastry, coffee bags and low fat peanut butter) and will add Veda to the list.

I could never make a loaf as perfect looking (or as tasty) as yours!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

That bread has a funny shape. It looks very flavorful. I'm sure I'd get through a bag of 50kgs flour, but I would not know where to put it! ;-P

Cheers,

Rosa

Zoe said...

You are very brilliant with this creation! It's so difficult to replicate some commercial baked good because of their secret ingredients but you did well!

Rhyleysgranny said...

Grannymar - I think wild horses would not keep your Elly away.

BG - You could of course make the bread. I am intrigued by your trip north.

Joie de vivre said...

This post made me smile. What we won't do for the men in our life huh? Did you make it in a coffee can? How did you make it cylindrical?

Rhyleysgranny said...

Rosa - It's a funny shape as I used a milk loaf pan

Rhyleysgranny said...

Zoe - Thank you kindly. More good luck than good guidance I think

Joi de Vivre- I've put in a pic of the pan. It's a milk loaf pan. I have two and it gives a lovely soft loaf. Quite small but it does us just fine

George@CulinaryTravels said...

Oooh that looks fabulous Brenda.

Nic's Notebook said...

Oh I love Veda! I always get one of our mum's to bring us some over from N.Ireland! Will def try this recipe :) :) Thanks for sharing xx

Unknown said...

Wonderful! Congratulations!

Unknown said...

Granny, it looks so exceptional! I simply love the tin you've baked it in, it's given it such a wonderfully intriguing shape, never heard of Veda bread so it's great to learn new things... I got up early today to make my second attempt at sourdough which is currently rising in the airing cupboard!

Dina said...

interesting! thanks for sharing. would like to try it.

Gloria Baker said...

Dear Brenda I love your bread look awesome and I love your shape, xx Gloria

Choclette said...

Well done for finally cracking that one - it sounds delicious and I may well be checking out that malt flour - mmmmm.

Julia Balbilla said...

Glad I spotted this. Bakery Bits are brilliant for breadmaking stuff - think I first discovered them on ebay, but now have their own website. Hopefully this reflects an increase in home baking! Have never heard of Veda bread, but have made a note of it. xxx

Mary said...

I just found my way over from Brownieville Girl's site, and I'm so glad I did! I spent a month in Belfast a couple of years ago, and ate an awful lot of wheaten bread. I was in a bit of a panic before I left to come home to Canada, asking everyone I met for a recipe, cutting labels off packets and buying big bags of flour to carry home! Silly me, I should have looked here first.
:)

Anonymous said...

I lived in Bristol for a few years and recently found myself craving malt loaf - but the only one you can get here (San Francisco) is soreen's fruity malt loaf, which is not what I want. Bakery bits is inspiring, I ordered my flours and am having them shipped to my inlaws' in France, as they don't ship to North America I'm even going to get a hinged milk loaf pan - also not available stateside - on eBay.uk. I am so hoping that I too will get to say "That's it."

Thanks for the recipe and the Inspiration.


Cristie

Rhyleysgranny said...

Cristie, You have gone to a huge amount of bother to get your ingredients. Unfortunately Lakeland where I originally purchased the mermaid pan no longer sell it. If using the mermaid pan you may want to use less flour and also accordingly less water. 350 gms flour to 150-200mls water. Let me know how you get on. I hope you enjoy. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. x