Soda Bread Recipe

 Classic Soda Bread
  I frequently turn to soda bread when the bread bin is bare. If there’s nothing for lunch or to serve with soup for supper, it's a quick and simple answer - and sustaining, too. This classic recipe lends itself to endless tweaking and variation. Slot it into your repertoire and you'll never regret it. Rate this recipe: Prep time 15 minutes Cook Time 40-45 minutes Servings Makes 1 medium loaf Ingredients * 500g plain flour * 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda * 1 tsp fine sea salt * Approx. 400ml buttermilk or live yoghurt * A little milk, if necessary bake, Flour, dough, soda bread, bread,
 Loaf Directions
 1. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, stirring as you go. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of milk to bring the mixture together; it should form a soft dough, just this side of sticky.
 2. Tip it out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long enough to pull it together into a loose ball but no longer – you need to get it into the oven while the bicarb is still doing its stuff. You're not looking for the kind of smooth, elastic dough you’d get with a yeast-based bread.
 3. Put the round of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and dust generously with flour. Mark a deep cross in it with a sharp, serrated knife, cutting about two-thirds of the way through the loaf. Put it in an oven preheated to 200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
 4. Cool on a wire rack if you like a crunchy crust, or wrap in a clean tea towel if you prefer a soft crust. Soda bread is best eaten while still warm, spread with salty butter and/or a dollop of your favourite jam. But if you have some left over the next day, it makes great toast. Variation: For six-seed soda bread, mix together 2 tablespoons each of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, poppy and linseeds, plus 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds; set aside. Follow the main recipe but use half white flour and half wholemeal flour. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the seeds to the dry ingredients before proceeding as above. After cutting a cross in the top of the loaf, brush it with a little buttermilk or ordinary milk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Bake at 200°C/gas mark 6 for 40–45 minutes.

Brown Bread   

Ingredients: 1 cup sifted flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup molasses
2 cups buttermilk or soured milk
1 cup seedless raisins, if desired
Directions:
Sift flour once, measure, add soda and salt and sift again. Add corn meal and whole wheat flour and blend. Add molasses and buttermilk and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the raisins and pour into well-greased molds, filling them not more than 2/3 full (Use No. 2 cans for a well-proportioned slice.) Cover with 2 thicknesses of heavy waxed paper or metal foil and steam for 2 hours. Serve piping hot. For larger molds, allow 3 full hours for steaming.
Makes 4 to 5 small molds
Bread may be wrapped in moisture-vapor-proof wrapping, stored in the freezer, reheated in a double boiler, if desired. If no steamer is available, set molds in a shallow pan of hot water and bake in a 275-degree F. oven for thee required length of time.

French Country Bread

 French Country Bread

Ingredients:                                        

Yield:

1

loaf

Units: US | Metric
Starter

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm mineral water
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Dough

1 1/2 cups lukewarm mineral water
4 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, approximately

Other

cornmeal, for the baking sheet

Directions:

1
One to two days before you plan on serving the bread, make the starter; in a medium-size bow. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it proof until foamy. Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature.
2
On bread-baking day; make the dough: Transfer the starter (don’t worry if it has separated) to the large bowl. Add the lukewarm water and the fine sea salt and stir well to combine. Begin adding the flour one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure each cup is absorbed before you add the next. If the dough is tacky after all of the flour has been added, add an additional one or 2 tablespoons of flour.
3
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. This will take 20 minutes by hand; if you have a mixer with dough hook, 8 to 10 minutes will do the trick. If you use a dough hook, do give the dough a few last turns by hand. You want a consistency that is smooth elastic and somewhat soft.
4
Flour the inside of a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Punch down the dough, and knead it quickly – 15 or 20 turns – then return it to the bowl and let it rise until doubled in bulk a second time. The second rising is usually a little quicker, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. Punch down again, reflour the rising bowl, add the dough, and let rise a third time.
5
As the bread is one its third rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and have at hand a plastic mister, such as you use for plants, filled with spring water. Place a baking sheet as close in size as possible to that of an oven rack on the middle rack. The sheet mimics an oven floor. Sprinkle a second, smaller baking sheet well with cornmeal.
6
When the dough has risen the third time, invert it carefully out of the bowl onto the cornmeal-sprinkled sheet, and using a razor, slash the top with two or three Xs, 1/16 or 1/8 inch deep. Lower the oven heat to 400, spritz the interior of the oven 3 or 4 times with the mister and immediately slide the bread in, on its baking sheet, across the baking sheet already in the oven. Bake the bread 40 to 60 minutes, opening the oven and spritzing the inside once more, halfway through the baking. The bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped on its bottom. Cool the bread on a wire rack.

Tortilla Wraps Recipe

Tortilla Wraps

 

Ingredients                                  

• 500 g plain flour, sieved
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinches salt
• 100 g lard
• 120 ml warm water

Method

1. Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, rub in the lard.

2. Add the water in a steady stream, and combine, until the mixture becomes a stiff but pliable dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces and roll each piece out to form a 30cm circle. Cover with cling film to prevent them drying out.

5. Warm a heavy frying pan or griddle and cook each tortilla for 1 minute on each side, until the surface bubbles and has turned a light golden colour.

6. Wrap the tortillas in a clean tea towel to keep them warm and pliable until you have cooked them all and are ready to use them. Fill as desired.

How to make wholemeal bread using fresh baker’s yeast.

Ingredients
8 oz strong brown flour
8 oz strong white flour
4  oz stoneground wholewheat flour
14 fl oz warm water
1 oz baker’s yeast
1 tbsp sugar or honey or molasses
1 tsp salt

Method
Place the yeast in the warm water with the sugar. When it has dissolved either knead it into the flour (with the salt added to it) by hand or – and this is that cheat I was telling you about - stick it in the bread machine to knead or do it with the dough hook on a food processor. When the dough is thoroughly smooth and does not stick to your hands place it in a bowl and put it somewhere warm covered with cling film for a tea towel. OR (and this is the second cheat) put it in the fridge to rise overnight or while you’re out at work. The cold temperature in the fridge won’t stop the yeast doing it’s thing, it will merely slow it down. The next stage – whether you’re doing it after one hour of normal rising or 8 or so hours of fridge rising – it to knock the dough back, shape it into a loaf or rolls and allow it to rise again for another 20 mins, again somewhere nice and warm. Bake at gas mark 4 for 40 mins for a loaf and 25 mins for rolls. I always like to turn them halfway through cooking so they get a nice undercrust. It may seem like a hassle but good artisan bread costs a bomb and it really is not that hard to make your own.

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East African Chapati Recipe – Flat bread

Chapati is a flat, soft and thin bread. It is enjoyed all over East Africa but the recipe is originated from India and bought to East Africa by the Indian traders centuries ago. It can be served with stews for lunches or dinner or with butter for breakfast. It can be made with whole wheat flour, All-purpose flour or mixture of both.

Make 5 chapatis
Prep time: 30 minutes         Cooking time: 90 second each Chapati
Ingredients
500g   All-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
200 ml of warm water or as needed
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ tsp of salt or to taste
Direction
Step1:  In a large bowl add the half of the water  and the salt. Stir until the salt dissolve
Step2: Add the flour in the salted water and use your hand to mix well. Then add the vegetable oil and mix well.
Step3:  Gradually pour the remaining water on flour mixture while mixing until the dough form a ball and is soft. You dough should not be sticking to your hand at all. If the dough is sticking add a little more flour or if it is too dry add a bit of water.

Step4: Transfer the dough on your kitchen counter and knead it for 10 minutes. You movement should be fast and energetic. When you finish kneading your dough, it should be smooth, soft and elastic if it is not knead again.
Kneading the dough is very important if you don’t want the chapati to become hard.

Step5: Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil on your hand and divide the dough into 5 small balls. Then cover with a napkin and let them rest for 15to 20 minutes.

Step6: Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough balls into a round shape until quite thin. if the dough is sticking to the rolling pin sprinkle  with a little bit of  flour.

Step7: Heat a non stick pan on medium high heat and add the chapati. Wait for 45 second or till you see bubbles over the top, then flip  and cook the other side. You can brush the chapattis with vegetable oil on top. The cooking time should not exceed 2 minutes. Remove and cook the remaining until done.

You can serve your Chapati immediately with a nice stew or you can store it for later. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

Pizza Bread Dough Base

Pizza dough base

Make your own pizza with this authentic Italian recipe - it uses '00' flour to give the base a lighter, crisper texture.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 650g/1lb 5oz Italian 00 flour (strong white flour)
• 7g sachet of easy-blend yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 25ml/1fl oz olive oil
• 50ml/2fl oz warm milk
• 325ml/11fl oz warm water

Preparation method

1. Make the dough: mix the flour, yeast and salt together in a large mixing bowl and stir in the olive oil and milk. Gradually add the water, mixing well to form a soft dough.
   
2. Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and knead for about five minutes, until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for about 1½ hours, until doubled in size.
   
   Technique: Kneading bread
   
3. When the dough has risen, knock it back, then knead again until smooth, roll into a ball and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour until risen again.
   
   Technique: Knocking back
   
4. Preheat the oven to its highest setting.
   
5. Divide the dough into six balls and roll each out onto a lightly floured work surface until 20cm/8in in diameter.
   
6. Spread a little passata (or homemade tomato sauce) over each pizza base and top with your favourite toppings.
   
7. Bake the pizzas in the oven until the bases are crisp and golden-brown around the edges and any cheese on the topping has melted.
   

Top recipe tip

You can freeze the dough after step 3. Divide into 6 balls and wrap each one in cling film. Defrost overnight in the freezer before proceeding with the recipe.

Pitta Bread Recipe

Pita bread is served at just about every meal in the Middle East. It can be used for dipping, or to make delicious sandwiches in the pocket. In the Middle East, pita is made in brick ovens, where very high heat can be achieved. It is very hard to duplicate in a home kitchen, but this recipe, combined with high heat, comes very close.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast              
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water

Preparation:

Dissolve yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Storing Pita Bread

Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry or bread box, and up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing in the freezer.

 

Mexican Fry Bread

Ingredients

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
4. 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
5. 2/3 cup water or 2/3 cup milk
6. 1/4 cup oil ( for frying)

Directions

1. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and shortening; mix until shortening is blended. Add water; mix well.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Roll dough into a ball; place into a plastic bag.
4. Separate and roll out enough dough to make six 4- to 6-inch thin, flat rounds.
5. In a cast iron skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees F.
6. Place rounds in oil; cook each side 20 to 30 seconds or until light golden brown.
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove rounds from skillet; drain on paper towel.
8. Fill with prepared fillings as desired.
9.  
10.                                                   
    
    Total Time:   30 mins
    
    Prep Time:   20 mins
    
    Cook Time:   10 mins                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Cooks4_6's Note:
    
    This is a Mexican Chef's recipe that is a quick and fabulous alternative for purchased tortillas or shells. Well worth the effort ...
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Naan bread

 Simple naan breads, flavoured with garlic and fresh coriander, are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 250g/9oz plain flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 110-130ml/3½-4½fl oz milk
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

For the topping

• nigella seeds, poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or chopped garlic and fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp butter, melted, to serve

Preparation method

1. For the dough, sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the milk and oil.
   
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Slowly mix together the dough by working from the centre and incorporating the flour from the edges of the 'well', to make a smooth, soft dough. Knead well for 8-10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky.
   
   Technique: Kneading bread
    

   Watch technique2:35 mins
3. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. Form the dough into five balls.
   
4. Preheat the grill to medium and place a heavy baking sheet on the upper shelf of the grill to heat.
   
5. Roll the dough balls out quite thinly, ideally in a teardrop shape, but really this is just aesthetic. Sprinkle over your chosen topping and press into the surface of the dough. Place the naans onto the hot baking sheet and grill for just 1-2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with butter and serve hot.
   

Malted Grain Loaf

Malted grain loaf

Servings                                                                           

• Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 500g malted grain (‘Granary’) flour
• 5g dried yeast
• 10g fine sea salt
• 300ml warm water
• about 1 tbsp melted butter, or rapeseed or olive oil
• rye flour, for coating (optional)
•  

rye flour, granary flour, dried yeast, Butter

Directions

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix to a rough dough. Add the butter or oil and mix well. Adjust the consistency if you need to with a little more flour or water to make a soft, easily kneadable, sticky dough. Turn the dough out on to a work surface and knead until smooth and satiny – roughly 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a round then lightly oil or flour the surface and return to the cleaned-out mixing bowl. Put the bowl inside a clean bin bag and leave until doubled in size – anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, possibly even longer. Deflate (‘knock back’) the dough by tipping it on to the work surface and pressing all over with your fingertips. Then shape the dough into a loaf, dusting it with a little rye flour if you have some. Transfer to a well-floured board, linen cloth or proving basket, lay a plastic bag over it and leave to prove, until almost doubled in size again. Preheat the oven to 250˚C/Gas Mark 9 (or at least 220C/gas 7, if that’s your top limit), then put a baking tray in to heat up. Have ready, if possible, a clean gardener’s spray bottle full of water – you’ll be using this to create a steamy atmosphere in the oven, which helps the bread to rise and develop a good crust. (You can achieve the same effect with a roasting tin of boiling water placed on the bottom of the oven just before you put the loaf in – but the spray bottle is easier.) Transfer the loaf to the hot tray, removed from the oven. Slash the top, if you wish, with a serrated knife. Put the loaf into the hot oven and give a few squirts from the spray bottle over and around it before closing the door as quickly as you can. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200C/gas 6 and continue baking until well browned and hollow-sounding when tapped – around 30 minutes. Leave to cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Apple, Guinness And Cheese Soda Bread

Apple, Guinness & Cheese Soda Bread

• 
  

Prep time

• 10-15 minutes

Cook Time

• 35-40 minutes

Servings

• Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients

• * 250g strong white bread flour
• * 200g spelt flour
• * 50g oats
• * 10g fine salt
• * 20g baking powder
• * 100g roughly chopped dessert apple, such as Dorset Russet
• * 75g grated Cheddar
• * 100ml sunflower or rapeseed oil
• * 250ml buttermilk
• * 250ml Guinness

Flour, dough, soda bread, Cheese, apple, bread, Loaf

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/gas mark 8. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the flours, oats, salt and baking powder. Add the chopped apple and 50g of the cheese and mix in. Make a well in the centre.
3. Combine the oil, buttermilk and Guinness and pour into the dry ingredients. The next stage is the most important part of making good soda bread: the less you handle the mixture, the lighter and tastier the loaf will be. ‘Feather’ your hand out like a giant fork and gently combine the ingredients. This should take no more than a minute and the mixture should only just be combined.
4. Put plenty of flour on your work surface and tip your mixture out on to it. Shape the dough into a round (don’t knead it, just pat it into shape). Transfer it to the baking sheet and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and well risen.

Ħobż Malti (Maltese Bread)

Ħobż Malti (Maltese Bread)

The stable part of the maltese diet and totally the best bread in the world! Easy to make and very yummy

• 
  

Prep time

• 10 Minutes ( 1 hour proving)

Cook Time

• 1 hour or until Cooked

Servings

• 4

Ingredients

• 3 Cups of Strong flour
• 10g salt
• 10g sugar
• 1 Table Spoon Olive Oil
• 15g yeast
• 3/4 cup of luke warm water
• 1/4 Cup of Milk

maltese bread

Directions

Mix the flour, salt and Olive Oil then yeast.

add the luke warm water, sugar and the milk.

knead the mixture well until the dough is white and elasticated.

Flour baking tray put dough direct on tray in a loaf shape (score if desired) cover with damp cloth, place   in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Once Proven heavily dust with more flour Cook in oven  at 150 oC for 40 Minutes then turn up to 230 oC for last 10 minutes making 50 minutes total.

Bacon, Cheese and Cider Soda Bread.

Bacon, Cheese and Cider Soda Bread.                       

Prep time

• 10 - 15 mins.

Cook Time

• 40 mins.

Servings

• Plenty

Ingredients

• 400g Self raising Flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 level teaspoon of bicarb soda
• A handfull of Bacon Lardons, fried crisp and drained of excess oil.
• a good sized hanfull of not to big cheese lumps (I used Lancashire)
• A large glug of cider
• 1 290ml tub of buttermilk.

Directions

My first recipe, excuse the vague measurements . Anyone who has made soda bread will work round these. If you have never made it, please it try it. Trust me, your taste buds will love you for ever!
Set Oven to 200 degrees  or 180 degrees  if you have a fan oven.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the wet ingredients. Use a folding spatula to quickly mix. The cutting action of a folding spatula, is good for soda bread. Aim for no more than one min  mixing. No kneading, it should NOT look like smooth a loaf of bread. Put in two mounds (rough loaves)on tray, greaseproof paper underneath the loaves.

Bake for 40 minutes, the bottom should give a hollow sound when knocked. It should look golden. Put on a rack to cool. 30 minutes.

This is very nice fresh with butter. It is also  beautiful sliced and fried, next day with breakfast. Toast it for the next few days, topped with cheese or butter.