Ever since lockdown started and we were all told to stay in our homes, my family and I have been making bread. In fact, it has become one of our new found joys of being at home. Before lockdown, we were making bread but it wasn’t as frequent as it is now. Personally, I don’t think that you can beat homemade bread.
I have never been someone to get up and spontaneously make a loaf of bread. It never occurred to me to do so. Bread is all about experimenting with different flavours and each combination will help you to know what are your likes and dislikes. For example, I have made chive, chilli flakes, garlic oil, pumpkin seed and a number of plain white breads.
My Dad and I have also attempted to make a sourdough starter but annoyingly it didn’t work and the mix had to be thrown away. We both love sourdough bread but we’ll definitely try it another time.
Making bread is not a difficult process at all. There are many recipes on the internet which will guide you to making your loaf. I have switched between Jamie Oliver and Paul Hollywood but any method will do.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_bloomer_84636
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/easy-homemade-bread/
These recipes both helped me to produce well risen and tasty loaves. I hope you try them. Seeing as most of us do not have a lot on our hands at the moment, this is one way to pass the time during a slow day. Plus, making a loaf of bread will give you something to share with your family.
My recent bread (see photos above) is a platted bread with strands of chilli flakes and fennel seeds (and a plain strand). I also drizzled olive oil over the top, sprinkled over some flour and a dash of ground black pepper.
There is a feeling of accomplishment when you take your loaf out of the oven. It symbolises the end of the process. Let it cool down on a cooling rack and then enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If you feel like it, make a loaf every day. It will keep you and your mind busy, which is extremely important during this difficult time.
All photos taken with my Olympus Pen E-PL8. No filter.
RGE
Many wonders 