More Wheaten Bread

Yes, I know, I spend my life trying new ways with this loaf. It probably gets a little boring but when I shuffle the ingredients once again and there is a good final product, I feel compelled to share it. This was good...........very good. Nice moist dark crumb (that's what bread geeks call the inside of the loaf) lovely golden oatie crust. If you are into healthy eating well it's full of oats and you could of course replace the  maple syrup with honey or leave out the sugary stuff altogether but there's no fun in that. On the subject of fun don't forget when it comes out of the oven cut a big piece and cover it thickly in butter. Use your other hand to catch the drips while you cram it in your mouth. Just tell your arteries to be quiet.

Oatie Wheaten Bread

Pre heat your oven to 200.C/180.C Fan/400.F/Gas 6

Grease and flour a large loaf tin or a round sandwich tin or just a baking sheet and form the loaf by hand.

350gms/12oz wholemeal/whole wheat flour
100gms/4oz oats/oatmeal + a handful for topping
200mls buttermilk or ordinary milk soured with lemon juice + 50mls milk just in case you need it
50g/2oz butter
1egg beaten
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 heaped teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Place the oats, butter, salt and maple syrup in a bowl.
Heat the milk in the microwave or a saucepan until quite warm.
Pour onto the oat mixture and leave for half an hour stirring occasionally. Do not be tempted to skip this and throw the dry oats into the mixture.............trust me you will just get a very dense loaf.
Now stir in half of the beaten egg, the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. You should have a spongy slightly sticky mix.
Don't worry about rushing this bit. I have found that the dough sitting around for a few minutes is quite beneficial

Spoon the dough into your prepared loaf tin/sandwich tin
If forming by hand, flour your hands well and form the dough into a round on your baking sheet. If your dough seems a little soft for that just add a little flour to the mix.....simple.

Brush some of the beaten egg over the top then sprinkle generouly with oats. Now splodge the rest of the egg over that.

Using a sharp knife draw a deepish crevice the full length if the tin. If you are doing a circular loaf cut a deep cross. It's to let the fairies out...........yes it is.

Now bake for 30-40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. If it is getting a little too brown place a tin foil hat over the loaf after it has formed a skin.
Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

Don't forget to cut that thick warm slice and butter it.
Enjoy

PS If anyone knows anything about white balance in cameras give me a call.

Honeyed Porridge Bread

Isn't baking amazing? I love the process of using a set of ingredients and making something. Then, taking the same ingredients using them a slightly different way and a completely different texture results. Magic. I love  oats in bread however, I have always found adding them in their dry state to the mix makes bread a bit dense. Nice toasted but not so good for sandwiches etc. After having a bowl of porridge one morning I wondered what would happen if I soaked the oats before adding. Well it worked. This bread is so light and soft it is just .....well magic.



  I use  23x13.5x6cm /9"x5"x21/2"(nearly three pounds) loaf tin which gives a large loaf .
If you don't have a tin this size two regular 2lb loaf tins will do giving you of course two loaves.

100gms/4oz porridge oats/oatmeal
400 mls /4 1/4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons of honey
50gms/2oz butter
1-2 teaspoons salt

Combine these first five ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer or if doing by hand a large bowl. Allow to cool giving it a stir now and then. You will have what is essentially a bowl of porridge when this bit is done.



300gms/18oz Wholemeal flour
300gms/18oz White Bread flour
1 and 1/4  teaspoons instant yeast
175mls/3/4 cup hand hot water

When cool gradually stir in the flour and yeast. It will be a really shaggy mess.
Using the dough hook mix slowly. If doing this by hand,use your hand to combine.
Add 100mls water and continue mixing
Now, you want the dough to be soft but come away from the sides of the bowl cleanly while kneading.
Add a little water at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Turn up the mixer to medium and knead for approximately 5 minutes.
Hand workers take the dough out of the bowl and knead on a lightly oiled worktop and you get to knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth ,elastic and satiny.
Now oil a bowl and form your dough into a ball. Turn it round in the oiled bowl (stops it sticking) and then leave it in the bowl cover loosely with cling film or place inside a carrier bag (this keeps the moisture in) and leave for about an hour until it has roughly doubled in size.
When this is done oil your work top and hands to keep the stickies away and gently pull your dough out onto the work top.
Dimple it out flat with your fingers to disperse the air.
Now take an oiled  rolling pin and roll it out into a rectangle about 18 inches by 12 inches.
Fold it over towards you like a business letter. You know the top half down and the bottom half up and over it.
Now take the side end and fold it over the top towards the centre then the other end and fold it over that, turn it once and perform the whole thing again.
Once folded ease the sides down and press the top until you get a cob shape that will fit lengthwise into your tin/tins
If using two tins cut the dough in half before shaping.

A little milk in a flat  rectangular or oval container
A handful of oats ground up finely in the food processor (or just some wholemeal flour if it is more convenient.) also in a flat container

Now dip the smooth side of your cob(s) in the milk and then the flour of your choice. Place into your greased tin(s) flour side up of course.
Place the tin(s) in a plastic bag leaving a balloon shape while tucking in the ends under the tin to keep it moist. Leave in a warm place to rise again for 30-40 minutes..
A good test of when this rise is finished is lightly jiggle the loaf at the end of the tin. When it is ready you will feel it wobble slightly like a jelly. You really will feel it.
Now slash the tops diagonally with a serrated knife two or three times. This will allow the loaf to rise without splitting in odd places.
Put the bread into the oven and bake for about half an hour.
The loaf should be a nice golden brown, feel firm and crusted on the top and when tipped out of the tin it should tap hollow on the base.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Enjoy.

Potato Wheaten Bread

I love all the local (Irish)  breads. From those made on the griddle  wheaten and soda farls, potato bread and pancakes to the oven soda and wheaten (brown soda) bread. I am a great fan of potato bread, called lovingly by locals as"Tatie Bread", which is a flat unleavened bread made with potato and flour. I got to wondering what it would be like to combine the potato with the oven soda and wheaten. Naturally I had to give it a go.

I made two versions One Wheaten Potato loaf (top) and the other my hubby has called the Ulster Fry loaf as the flavours are just like our traditional Ulster Breakfast Fry in a slice. They were both a great success I have to report. At their best straight from the oven and if any left after a day or two, just heaven toasted with lots of butter. Well I didn't say they were healthy did I?

Wheaten Potato


Ingredients

500 gms/ 1lb 2 oz Wholemeal/whole wheat flour
250 gms/9 oz approximately of cooked mashed potato
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 teasp of salt
300mls milk
1 egg beaten
50gms/2 oz butter chopped.

Method

Pre heat oven to 200.C/180.C fan/400.F/Gas6

Put the potatoes into a large jug and gradually beat in the milk until you get a mixture resembling wall paper paste.
Tip in most of the egg reserving a little for glazing.
Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl
Rub in the butter with your finger tips
Add the milk and potato mixture and stir until you have a soft dough.
Empty onto a floured work top and knead gently to shape with well floured hands as  it is a a sticky mixture. The potatoes make it so.
I bake mine in a well buttered 7 inch brownie pan but you could use a round cake pan
Slash a cross on the top of the dough
Glaze with the remaining egg
Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

For the Ulster Fry Bread replace the wholemeal flour with plain /all purpose flour and add two or three pieces of finely chopped fried smoked bacon  and two finely chopped scallions/spring onions to the mix. Omit the salt as the bacon adds enough.

Notes

I have given the method by hand but I make this in the Food Processor which makes life a lot quicker,easier and less sticky . Just whizz the dry ingredients then whizz in the chopped butter then add the milk mixture and whizz again.

If you don't have cream of tartar use buttermilk or milk soured with lemon juice as the bicarbonate of soda needs the acid.

For those of you who have never seen an Ulster Fry this is it. Not my photo as I usually only make a 'fry' when we have guests and a delay would not be tolerated. I wouldn't take the risk.

Photo courtesy of Ardtrabane House ,Giants Causeway, Co. Antrim

Kiflice - Serbian Mini Rolls

This is my first entry to the monthly challenge from 'Fresh From the Oven' . November's challenge was set by Maja at Cooks and bakes. Thank you Maja for this challenge. I can't tell you how delicious these are.  I have been making my own bread for some years now and I can honestly say I have never produced anything from my oven made with yeast that tastes so heavenly. perfect buttery light soft rolls with a zing of salty cheese. Perfect nibbles for a party at this time of year. I am wondering if a bigger version would make an accompaniment to dinner.

 

 

They are incredibly easy to make.

I used Feta Cheese as I am not keen on Cottage cheese

About a teaspoonful is enough for each roll

The cutting out and rolling is very quick

Mine were not quite the right crescent shape but I will correct that the next time and a next time there will definitely be.

Perfect buttery soft rolls with a zing of salty cheese.

I look forward to trying this recipe with different cheeses.

I think this would also lend itself beautifully to a sweet filling should you be so inclined. Perhaps jam or chocolate?

This is Maja's recipe. The only change I made was to use butter instead of margarine. The buttery taste through them was wonderful. Not healthy but wonderful just the same.

Kiflice - Serbian Mini Rolls

Dough:
500 g all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
20 g fresh yeast (2 tsp instant yeast or 2.5 tsp active dry yeast)
1 tsp sugar
250 ml milk
75 ml sunflower oil
1 egg

Filling:
200-250 g cottage cheese (you may use feta or other fresh cheese)
1 egg white (optional)

And more:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
100-125 g margarine

Directions:
1. Crush the cheese using a fork. Add some salt if it tastes neutral. Stir the egg white in, if the cheese is too crumbly. Filling shouldn't be runny, but thick and compact, thicker than the cream cheese, and pretty salty.

2. For the starter - dissolve yeast with some lukewarm milk in a cup, add a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of flour, stir to get smooth batter. Set aside at room temperature, or near the stove top, to let the yeast activate and fill the cup.

3. Sift the flour, add salt. Add activated yeast, egg, oil and milk, then combine using a wooden spoon to get smooth dough. The dough seems like too soft and too sticky at the beginning, but don't worry, continue with kneading, and soon your dough should start to separate from the bowl, and thicken. It is not necessary to knead the dough by hands, the wooden spoon works just fine (you may use any spoon, of course, the wooden spoon is common tool for all stirring and kneading works here at the Balkans). Grease the cling film with oil, cover the bowl, and set aside for at least an hour, at lukewarm place, to let the dough doubles in size.

4. Re-knead the dough, divide into 5 equal parts, shape them into balls. Each part should make 8 rolls, so you'll end up with 40 rolls, which should perfectly fit the regular oven pan, if lined in 5x8 order. Flatten each ball by hands over the floury working surface, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out in a circle, a few millimeters thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the circle into 8 triangles. Take one triangle, stretch it in the air with your hands, to get it extended as much as you can, gently. Put some filling at the triangle base, then fold the edges of the base as shown at pic4, to avoid the filling leak out during baking. Roll. Arrange the rolls at the pan (5x8).

5. Lightly beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk, then brush the top of each roll with the mixture. This is used to prevent forming thick crust, and to improve the color of baked rolls. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds, if you like.

6. Arrange the small peaces of margarine between the rolls, then bake in the oven preheated to 180°C for about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overbake them. Let them cool a bit, be careful as the filling is always more hot then the dough, take a seat in your favorite armchair, and start enjoying the softest cheese rolls ever. And don't think of calories, please :) 

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

Scones

I know I have Blogged about scones before but...........I love to fiddle. I never normally bothered putting fat/shortening into scones. I am a very lazy cook and it was just too much bother to rub it in. Sad I know but there you have it. What started my recent fiddling was Sue on Vi's pantry said a couple of times to do scones in the food processor. Shock Horror. I come from the handle little and lightly brigade and I just couldn't see how using a food processor would work. This from the girl who will chuck cake mixes into the said machine without a moment's thought. There was nothing else but to try it. Sue had recommended 'Lily's scones' from HTBADG by Nigella Lawson. She was right. they worked a treat. I was amazed. The only thing I had against that recipe was the amount of cream of tartar used. 41/2 teaspoons. Seemed excessive to me. I make scones so much I would need to empty the supermarket shelves of the stuff to keep me in stock. So I started fiddling. The one thing I liked was cream of tartar negated the need for buttermilk as it provides the acidic environment needed by the baking soda. Ordinary milk would do. The food processor rubbed in fat for me. A whole new chapter in fiddling was opened with unparalleled success. The result was light fluffy scones with a shiny crunchy top. They didn't even need to be cut in half. One touch of the knife and they obligingly fell into two pieces so light were they. You really need to try them. Trust me they are so quick. You'll have them made before the kettle has boiled.

Ingredients.

250g/9 oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
250g/ 9 oz wholemeal flour
1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 rounded tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt (if using salted butter use 1/2 a teaspoon)
1oog/4oz chilled butter cubed
1 egg beaten
300 mls milk

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 200.C/180.C fan/400F/Gas 6

Whizz the dry ingredients together in the food processsor to mix.
Add the butter and whizz again until the mix looks like the texture of sugar.
Put approximately half the beaten egg into a measuring jug, then make up to 300mls with the milk.
Pour this into the mix and whizz for a few seconds until everything just combines. It will form a moist ball.
Turn out onto a floured work top and pat or roll lightly out to about 2cm/3/4 inch thick.
using a 6cm/2 1/4 inch fluted cutter, cut into rounds and place quite close together on a lightly greased and floured baking tray.
Use the rest of the beaten egg to brush over the tops.
Bake for 10 - 12 mintes or until well risen and golden. Remove to a cooling rack.

makes 12 - 14 scones


If you don't want to use the Food Processr just sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
Rub in the cut up butter lightly with your finger tips
Then stir in the egg and milk

Dig in while they are still warm

Perfect with the raspberry jam posted below.

Variations

Add 50g/2oz grated cheddar for savoury scones

If you want sweet scones. Use all plain flour and add 25g/1oz caster sugar.

More Soda Bread

Well it is Saint Patrick's day and Soda bread is an Irish tradition so this is my contribution. It is a slightly different version from my usual recipe. Well I need to be adventurous now and again. This was not a huge change but the results blew me away as I was expecting the usual disaster to happen. The change was.............I used Bread flour instead of the usual plain. Tah Dah! Risque no? It made a great difference to the texture and it had a lovely crispy crust. I wanted a savoury loaf so I added cheese and spring onions. Totally delicious. Perfect toasted with some cheese. The spring onions added a little traditional green to the occasion. I made it in a long cob shape instead of the tradional round. I slashed the top diagonally three times to replace the usual cross too let the fairies out. I don't think Saint Patrick will worry about this slight deviation do you?

Ingredients

250gms/ strong white (bread) flour
250gms/strong wholemeal ( bread) flour
50 gms butter
400mls approx buttermilk or milk soured with the juice of a lemon
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
Good pich of cayenne pepper
100gms grated cheddar
5-6 spring onions chopped

Method

Pre heat oven to 180.C/160.C fan/gas 4/355.F

Grease a baking sheet

Mix the flours, salt, cayenne pepper, soda bic and cream of tartar together.
Rub in the butter until well dispersed.
Stir in the cheese and onions.
make a well in the centre and add the egg then the buttermilk.
Mix until well combined. Don't add all of the liquid at first. The mix should combine easily but not be too sticky. It's easier to add a little more liquid at a time should it be too dry than take it away if too wet.
Place the dough on a floured work top and shape gently into what ever shape you want.
Place on the baking sheet
Slash the top deeply and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Test with a skewer to see if it is ready.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Oatie Wholemeal Bread and Some Bread Making Tips

I have been making my own bread for two or three years now. I love bread making and I love home made bread. Wholemeal flour has been causing me endless problems as I could never get the lightness and softness i wanted. I usually ended up with loaves that could be used in the building trade. I bought the River cottage bread book recently. That book was quite a revelation to me. Unlike some bread book authors Daniel Stevens has a very laid back approach. This book slid the last piece of the puzzle in. I haven't had a failure in bread since. I used his overnight sponge method for this wholemeal loaf and two rises plus the final proof. Voila it worked perfectly. Light soft wholemeal bread. You can make it the quick route but I haven't tried it that way yet so pleased am I with the results so far.






I always add seeds to my wholemeal bread. Tiny packets full of all the essential nutrients of life. The plant goes to great effort in producing and protecting its seed, filling each genetic packet with high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential oils and dormant enzymes. The problem with seeds especially flax which is the most nutritious of the seeds is, if they are not chewed the nutrients are lost to you. I whizz my seeds in the food processor so nothing is lost then just add a couple of tablespoonfuls to the mix before kneading.



It always amuses me when watching a movie when a breakfast time scene is shown. Mum is standing perfectly coiffed and suited having a final cup of coffee before departing for her high powered job while hubby and kids are all seated round the table eating different breakfasts from pancakes to eggs. Mum must be up at four in the morning to accomplish that lot. The reality is somewhat different. Breakfast is a rushed affair. Mum making sure all is ready for the children before going to school or singles would rather grab an extra ten minutes in bed than take breakfast. This bread toasted at least gives you a nutritious start to the day even if it is taken on the run. It also makes lovely sandwiches so no problems at lunch time either.


I have added some bread making tips. I don't set myself up as an expert, far from it but I have noticed a lot of people are afraid to use yeast. I was the same when I started. I think there are a lot of books which are very precise in instructions and advice conflicts from book to book. Perhaps because the authors are masters of their trade I don't know. Anyway I thought as an everyday home baker I would pass on what experience I have and a few tips I have picked up along the way in the hope it will encourage the fearful to take the plunge.

Oatie Wholemeal Loaf

500gms/18oz Wholemeal flour
300 mls water (warm if going the quick route) or 150 mls milk and 150 mls water
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1-2 teaspoons salt
About 1 tablespoon oil (optional)

Extras
2 tablespoons seeds
1 tablespoon honey
You can also add a handful of raisins or other dried fruit to this but it does make the bread quite sweet so you may want to leave out the honey.


I have started using baker's percentages which makes adjusting amounts of ingredients very simple.

The basic mix is

Flour =100%
Liquid = 60%
Dried InstantYeast = 1% (or 2% if using fresh yeast)
Salt = 2%
Fat = 2 %
(The fat can be oil,butter or lard and is optional. The salt can be varied according to taste.)

You use whatever flour you wish or a mix of flours

After this you have your extras such as seeds, honey, or whatever you want to use. If adding dry extras to the mix you may need a little extra liquid. I add soya flour and horlicks to my white bread to assist the growing bones of my little people so I need to add more liquid.

I base most of my tin breads on 500 gms flour. It suits the fairly large loaf tins I use

Because the basic recipe uses instant dried yeast you can of course just chuck everything into the bowl and knead. I am just giving instructions for the sponge method because it is a slightly different route. Not essential at all. It does however allow you time. That is, if you have a day at home you can do this and leave it until it suits you to make the bread. The same applies to the second or even third rise. If you have to dash off and it doesn't suit to make the bread you can leave it to rise again and gain some time. It does of course improve the bread too.



Sponge Method.

This can be done overnight or for just a few hours or even one makes a difference,
Mix half of the flour, all of the yeast and all of the liquid. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed then cover with cling film and forget about it until you are ready for the next stage.



It will look quite bubbly and frothy now.

Add the rest of your flour fat (if using) salt and any extras. Mix thoroughly. If you find the dough is a little dry, add a more liquid a tablespoon at a time. You don't want it to be a sticky mess. If it does you can add a little more flour. My best guide using a dough hook is, it is right when it leaves the side of the bowl clean but is still quite soft.




Knead for ten minutes if you are doing it by hand. I use a dough hook in my stand mixer so 4-5 minutes is enough. Over kneading is not going to be a problem by hand but if using machinery it could be. The gluten structure can collapse. Keep your machine at a slow speed. If you want to test it the dough should stretch to quite a thin membrane. This is easier to see in white flour dough than wholemeal



Form it into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film to double in volume which should take about an hour to an hour and a half depending on the temperature of the room.



I cheat a little and turn my oven on very low for a few minutes while the dough is kneading and then turn it off and pop my dough in there to rise.




When the dough is ready pull it gently out of the bowl with oiled hands onto a lightly oiled surface. The oiling stops the dough sticking to you and everything else.





The advice generally given is to punch the dough hard in the bowl to knock it back. I have found this to be the worst notion of handling dough. It is full of all the wonderful air to give the final loaf lightness. I never could understand why it had to be treated so harshly. Handling it gently makes a huge difference.

Just dimple it out with your fingers to disperse the air throughout the dough




At this stage you can form it into a ball againa give it a second rise. It is not essential but it does improve the dough so if you have the time and inclination you can do so. A lot of people fear that the yeast will lose it's 'power'. It doesn't. You can try a little experiment if you are not convinced. Mix 100 gms/4oz of flour with 60 mls of water and a little yeast. Leave it in a covered plastic box . Every so often squash it back. Just watch how often it pushes the lid off the box. It goes on for days.

Now you want to shape the dough for it's final rise or proof. You want to decide at this stage whether you want to make a tin loaf or place it on a baking tray (or stone if you have one) for a more rustic shape. Fold the dough over towards you firming each fold with your thumbs as you go.



Flatten the sausage and fold it in on itself like a business letter




Then you need to pull the sides up to the middle. This creates a surface tension on the top of the dough. It can be fiddly at the start but you soon find your own way of going. Don't worry the dough won't spoil as you work with it. Just take your time.



When you have it all pinched together on the underside turn it over and tighten gently across the surface on either side.





This leaves you with a a sort of cylinder shape. At this stage you want to add any coatings. I like to just dust it over with flour. Rye flour gives a nice rustic look. For the oat coating, dip the loaf in milk and then roll in a mix of oat flakes oat bran and pin head oatmeal. Press it quite firmly on all over so they stay in and on the loaf and don't end up on the floor when you come to use it. Now if you want to make a tin bread make sure the cylinder is about the same length and width as you chosen tin. Just press it gently into the prepared tin for it's final proof. If you want a rustic bread shape place it on a baking sheet.




Enclose the loaf in a plastic bag. This gives a nice moist draught free environment in which to rise. Some like to use towels but I find them difficult to keep off the surface of the bread and they also absorb the moisture.





Tuck in the ends of the bag and leave it in a warm place to rise. I usually turn my oven on at this point for baking the bread and leave the loaf to rise on the hob for about 20-40 minutes. After about twenty minutes shake it very very gently and you will feel how light it is getting. At the point it is ready for the oven it is really very trembly. You will feel it. I find it ready at about 40 minutes. Now you want to slash the loaf diagonally across the top to allow it to expand in the oven. I use a bread knife for this.





Place an old roasting tin in the bottom of the oven while it is heating and boil the kettle. The addition of hot water in the oven gives a nice steamy environment for the bread. Again it is not essential but does improve the crust
Have your oven turned up to about twenty degrees hotter than you need it. This will give you time to get the loaf in, pour the boiling water into the tin, without losing too much heat.
Then turn the heat down. I bake my loaves at 180.C Fan and that suits them perfectly but there are variations in every oven. 200.C/180'CFan/400.F/Gas6 is about the norm. It should take about 35 -45 minutes to bake. After 35 mins remove from the oven and tap the bottom of the loaf. It should sound quite hollow. If you are not sure pop it back in the oven for five minutes and so on. You don't want a doughy crumb. If you find your loaf too brown when ready, that is on the point of burn, the next time turn your oven down a bit. You will soon find what is best for you and your oven.
Place the loaf on a cooling rack and leave it until cool completely before cutting. Cutting it warm just gives a doughiness which spoils the bread.

















You could also check out Yeast Spotting for some great recipes and information on bread