Happy Pancake Day!

Since it’s been Shrove Tuesday I thought some pancake inspired bread is in order! This bread contains lots of maple syrup and has a brioche like feel to it. It’s very soft because you need to knead it for at least 10 minutes. I thought maple syrup is key to pancakes and it’s a great substitute in cooking for normal sugar. However you need a fair amount of it in order for the flavour to come through.

This bread is soft and reminds me of the thick American pancakes which I love to have on Pancake Day!

The recipes is as follows:
400g strong white flour
5g salt
7g yeast (1 sachet)
270ml milk
25ml maple syrup
20g butter

This makes 2 smaller loaves. I made mine into plaited letters as I made the bread for two of my friends who have birthdays this week.

Place the flour, salt, yeast, maple syrup and butter into a bowl. Add the milk and begin to knead. I kneaded my bread for nearly 15 minutes until it was silky smooth and elastic. Leave to rise for 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

Once it has risen, knock the bread back by kneading it again. Now you could just place the loaf in a tin for a tin loaf, however I divided mine into strands and plaited them together. When plaiting bread, make sure the ends are really stuck together otherwise they may come apart once cooked. You could use a little egg wash in between the ends to secure them but it’s not necessary.

half way through plaiting

maple syrup bread, plaited and ready to go in the oven!

Now leave to prove for 30 minutes and then place in a oven at 220° for 20 minutes. The bread will be golden on top and sound hollow on the bottom. Enjoy!

My ‘J’ bread for my friend james

A loaf but with a twist

It was my friend’s birthday the other day so I thought I’d make her something. Since I’m into making bread I thought I would make her a little homemade loaf. The only thing is, a loaf is a bit of a boring way to say happy birthday. So I thought I would add a little sweetener to make it a bit more interesting. Since I’m a student I turned to my cupboard to see what interesting things I could put in my loaf and that’s when I found honey.

 

Despite the fact that it’s got honey in it, this loaf is still savoury but the honey adds a little hint of sweetness at the end so it goes great with cheese or just butter. My flatmate and I even had some with some chorizo and it was delicious!

 

This recipe makes to smallish loaves:

 

400g strong white flour

20g butter

7g yeast

1 and ½ table spoons of honey

5g salt

260ml water

 

Mix together the flour, yeast,salt,butter and honey. Gradually pour in the water. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it feels elastic and springy. Leave to prove in an oiled bowl for 1 hour.

Once proved, knock the dough back and divide into 2 pieces. Shape the dough into small baguette type shapes. (Or any shape you want!). Leave on a baking tray to prove for 30 minutes.

Once they have risen a little bit, place in a pre-heated oven at 220° for 20 minutes. They should look golden brown on top and be hollow sounding. Enjoy!