Nothing quite like homemade bread……
People frequently ask me – “really, do you make your own bread?”
– I would never have time for that, they say, but really, it doesn’t take that long to make delicious homemade bread. Once you have gotten into the routine, it’s the easiest thing on earth! Honestly! And fun! And rewarding!
Actually, mixing up the dough takes less than 5 min. And then the secret is to leave it to raise for at least 4 hours, the longer the better – I usually mix it in the evening before going to bed. Put it in the fridge or leave it on the counter with a wet cloth, to do it’s magic overnight.
In the morning I let it rise a second time, while the oven is heating and then I pop it in to bake, which it does while I’m in the shower.
Freshly baked bread in the morning is such a treat for everyone.
Just imagine waking up to the smell of homemade bread – a day starting like that, is bound to be a good one!
Not all bread now-a-days is honest as there are so many additives that go into store-bought bread today. Unless of course you get it from a good baker!
When you make your own bread you know what goes into it.
Walnut Bread
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of raw sugar
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cups of organic unbleached flour
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of extra flour
Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the oil, the salt and the sugar, add the chopped walnuts and add the flour little by little while stirring.
Leave the dough to raise with a wet cloth overnight or at least for 4 hours.
Fold in a little extra flour and sprinkle some on a clean countertop. Place the dough on the flour and gently fold the the sides of the dough underneath – without kneading it.
Allow the dough to raise on the table while you heat the oven to 450 F – place a cast iron pot with the lid in the oven for 1/2 hour to heat it.
Take the cast iron pot out and carefully place the dough in the very hot pot, put the lid back on – please don’t burn yourself! And place the pot back in the hot oven and bake for 30 min.
Take the lid of and bake for another 10 min
Take it out, and try to let it cool a little before cutting it, I know it’s difficult :-).
Enjoy!