Category Archives: Baking

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Bacon and Cheddar Loaves

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What is better than the aroma of freshly baked bread? Freshly baked bread coming from your own oven.

Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with baking bread.  More specifically, Paul Hollywood‘s bread.  I’ve baked a few.  Some successful, some not so :(  However, I have found one that was (extremely) successful and better still, damn delicious.  There are a lot of bread recipes out there. Some are complicated and some are easy.  I think this recipe falls in between.  There are also some no-knead recipes out there.  Check out my instagram feed for one I baked for our ANZAC day picnic or check out #ggbreadrevolution on instagram and twitter for more pics of yummy bread.

These loaves are baked with bacon pieces and cheddar cheese.  These two ingredients lifts the flavour profile through the roof.  It was a hit with hubby and the kiddies so it is definitely a recipe I will use again and again.

 

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400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
100g strong wholemeal bread flour
10g salt
10g instant yeast
30g unsalted butter, softened
330ml cool water

For the filling
8 rashers of smoked bacon, rind removed, cooked and chopped into small pieces
150g cheddar, grated

 

1. Tip the flours into a large bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter and 3/4 of the water and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add the remaining water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more. You want dough that is soft, but not soggy. Use he mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.

2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5 to 10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin.

3. When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a the towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size (at least 1 hour but can be left for 2 or 3 hours)

4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

5. Once the dough is risen, add the bacon and cheese to it and knead it until well distributed. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, pushing any pieces of bacon or cheese that bounce out back in.

6. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape into ovals, tapering the ends of the loaves into points. Place the dough ovals onto trays, spacing them apart. Dust the loaves with flour and deeply slash the tops lengthways.

7. Put each tray inside a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for 1 hour or until the dough is at least doubled in size and springs back quickly if you prod it lightly with your finger. Preheat your oven to 220degC.

8. Sprinkle the loaves with a little olive oil and bake for 20mins until golden brown. Eat warm.

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No matter how you bake and which recipe you use, home baked bread will always be better and more satisfying than bought bread.

Bon Appetite,

Cherrie

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Easter Simnel Cake

The Simnel cake is a cake traditionally baked during Easter in the UK. It's a light fruit cake that has two layers of marzipan, one in the middle and the other on top. The eleven balls of marzipan on top represent the 12 apostles minus Judas (for obvious reasons).

This fruit cake is lighter than the Christmas cake and the marzipan layer in the middle of the cake gives it a unique taste.

My Hubby loves fruit cakes and he has been bugging me for years to bake it for him. I finally caved in and made it for him this year. It got the thumbs up :)

The recipe, I used was Mary Berry's though I did change the number of lemons. I also changed the ratio of the dried fruits though the combined weight is still the same.
  • recipe:
  • 100g glacé cherries, cut into quarters
  • 225g softened butter
  • 225g brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 375 mixed dried fruit (sultanas, currants, fruit peel)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 500g marzipan/almond paste
  • 2 tbs apricot jam, warmed in the microwave
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze
  1. Preheat oven to 130degC Fan forced. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, to prevent them from curdling. Sift the flour and mix it in a little at a time.
  3. Add the cherries, mixed fruit, mixed spice and the zest and mix until well combined.
  4. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
  5. Take one third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the same size as the tin. Place it on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top of the marzipan and level the surface.
  6. Bake for 2- 2/12 hours until well risen and equally browned on top. Check after 2 hours. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10mins before turning out onto a cake rack.
  7. When cooled, brush the warm apricot jam over the top of cake and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top of the cake. Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges. Lightly brush with the beaten egg.
  8. With the remaining marzipan, form eleven balls and arrange the balls around the edge of the cake. Brush the balls with the beaten egg.
  9. Place the cake under a hot grill to turn the marzipan golden-brown. Alternatively, you can use a blow torch,

Happy Easter and Bon Appetite,

Cherrie