June snapshot

It's the middle of winter. Matariki is here and we've passed the winter solstice. I like to imagine that it's a teeny tiny bit lighter each evening, but suspect it's more likely wishful thinking at this early stage. It's just six months til Christmas, if you're into that sort of countdown. Whichever way I look at it, the year is racing by.

Here's a snapshot of June 2018 in the Weka household.

June snapshot

• Working four days a week is the BEST THING EVER! Three day weekends mean I get ALL the things done at home and productivity during my working week is also supercharged. Why didn't I know about this years ago?? #worklifebalance
• I've adopted my annual mix and match wardrobe of merino clothing. Layers and layers of warmth.
• Commuting by train is vastly different to bus travel. I'm still getting used to it.
• My sourdough starter is hibernating during these cold days. I've revisited some favourite bread recipes instead and have 7 grain loaf whirring in the breadmaker for dinner with leftovers tonight.
• My Welly on a Plate events are locked and loaded. Roll on August!
• I love reading but am not managing to read many (any) books these days. I'm enjoying binging on podcasts instead. Here's what on my current playlist:
• No Filter by Mia Freedman
• Modern Love: The Podcast
• BrainStuff from How Stuff Works
• Desert Island Discs
• We're binge watching Suits. There are eight seasons and 109 episodes to keep us occupied during winter. At this rate, I might not leave the house until spring arrives.

Potato bread

As autumn sets in, the season for comfort food has begun. Soups, stews and slow cooked meals and freshly baked bread. It's even better when you can combine a couple of these meals.

This breadmaker recipe for potato bread is super easy and a great way to use up left over mashed potatoes. The original recipe calls for mashed kumara but I prefer potatoes so always make sure I mash extra potatoes on slow cooker or casserole nights. I sometimes substitute 100 g of the high grade flour for wholemeal flour for a slightly more dense loaf.

Just add all the ingredients in the order you would normally put them into your breadmaker, then set it onto the basic bake setting (4 hours) for an extra large loaf and press start. It's also a good timed bread if you want to bake it overnight and wake up to the smell of fresh potato bread.

Potato bread

Ingredients

• 3 t Surebake yeast
• 600 g high grade flour
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2 T milk powder
• 30 g butter
• 2/3 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 T honey
• 380 ml water

Breadmaker settings
for Panasonic breadmakers

• Basic bread
• Size: XL
• Medium colour crust

Potato bread

How to feed a sourdough starter

I've really come to love baking all types of bread. The only bread I regularly buy nowadays is two loaves of everyday sliced bread for sandwiches and toast each week. I bake everything else, either by hand or with the help of my trusty Panasonic breadmaker.

Sourdough has always been one of my ultimate bread making goals. I've been on a sourdough baking binge these past few months after acquiring a cup of starter and accepting the challenge of keeping it alive. After much experimenting, I think I've found a stress-free way to make it work.

You'll need to find a recipe and make your own starter. It's probably easier and more reliable to ask a regular sourdough baker for a cup of their starter that you can maintain. My starter came from a bread making class I took late last year. I scrawled copious amounts of notes on my recipe sheet, putting instructions in order then crossing them out or reordering them as someone remembered another vital step. I got dreadfully confused so ended up just jumping in the deep end and trying it a few times for myself at home.

I'm pleased to report that, after successfully maintaining my original starter for about three months now, it's not too hard after all - even though I'm yet to find a name for it. (The theory is that you're more likely to look after something that has a name - but seriously, what do you call flour and water??)

I use a one litre glass jar with a hinged lid to store my starter. The jar easily stands upright to hibernate in the fridge. It's possibly too big for one cup of starter but the extra space is handy if you decide to 'grow' your starter to nearly double its size (like I did). You grow your starter by feeding it twice (a half measure at a time) without using any of it.

Sourdough starter, freshly fed

After just a few hours at room temperature, or even quicker on a warm day, you'll see your starter grow and begin to activate. You'll know it's been activated when it expands in size and bubbles. It'll also smell like it's starting to ferment. The more the starter activates, the more sourdough flavour your bread will have.

Activated sourdough

Remember that I'm not a professional baker and these instructions are based on my entirely unscientific sample size of one.

How to feed a sourdough starter

1. Remove jar from refrigerator and leave to activate at room temperature for at least six hours, or overnight.
2. Use however much you need. Most recipes require 1 - 1 1/2 cups of starter.
3. Pour remaining starter in a large bowl. Feed it with equal portions of high grade (bread) flour and warm water and whisk until smooth. (To replace one cup of starter, feed with approximately 125 grams each of flour and water.)
4. Wash and thoroughly dry your glass jar. Use a spatula to refill the jar with your starter.
5. Put the lid on and leave to grow for at least six hours, then refrigerate to hibernate.

You should aim to use or feed your sourdough every 10-14 days. Mine has survived being accidentally frozen in the fridge, then revived at room temperature. Most importantly, it's still alive and well.

Brunch bagels

Happy new year! I've been meaning to bake bagels at home since my bread making class a couple of months ago and the new year seemed like a good time to get to it. Homemade bagels filled with salmon and cream cheese or Christmas ham are nothing like the hard store bought bagels I'm used to. They're also easy to make by hand at home.

This recipe is a mash up of two different bagel recipes. It was an experiment that seemed to work and makes eight bagels. Make the dough in advance and leave it in the fridge overnight to proof. This cuts down the amount of time you need to spend working on it the next morning and means you can actually have fresh bagels ready in time for a lazy brunch instead of lunch!

Brunch bagels

Ingredients

• 2 t active dried yeast
• 1 t sugar
• 1 T honey
• 375 ml warm water
• 500 g high grade flour
• 2 t salt
• cornmeal or polenta to dust

Method

1. Put the yeast, sugar, honey and warm water in a bowl and stir until dissolved. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Bubbles should appear on the surface and the mixture should be frothy.
2. Put half the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add salt and the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden paddle, adding the rest of the flour until the dough is stiff.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until smooth and stiff. Add more flour if the dough is too soft or sticky.
4. Divide the dough into eight portions and roll them into smooth balls. (I weigh my portions so they cook evenly.) Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper and dust with polenta or cornmeal. Set aside.
6. Roll each ball into a long rope approximately 28 cm long. Dampen the ends slightly but do not taper them. Wrap the dough rope around the base of your fingers to form a circle and seal the seam by overlapping the dough ends by about 4 cm. It should be the same thickness all around with a hole in the middle. Place on the prepared baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and refrigerate overnight (12 hours).
7. Remove bagels from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking and allow to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 210°C.
8. Bring a medium sized pot of salted water to the boil. Using a slotted spoon to pick up and turn the bagels, poach each bagel for 1 minute then turn over and poach for another 30 seconds. (I use the timer on my phone to make sure I don't overcook them.) Drain and place on two lined baking trays.
9. Brush boiled bagels with egg wash all over and add toppings of your choice. I used sesame seeds to top these.
10. Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Brunch bagels

Bread making class

Bread making is something I've come to enjoy this past year or two. I never thought I had the patience for bread making; bread is not usually something you can whip up in an hour or on a whim. It requires planning in advance but the result is entirely worth it. With or without a bread maker and armed with a few simple recipes, bread making is actually quite achievable. Besides, it's practically impossible to resist freshly baked bread!

We were back at Crave Cooking School this week for a bread making class with chef Zoe Lloyd. Bagels, corn bread and sourdough were on the menu.

I love sourdough. One thing I've always wanted to do is start a sourdough starter - and keep it alive. This is not as easy as it sounds. We looked at the instructions and talked through the steps several times. Although I took detailed notes I'm still not entirely convinced that it's going to work for me, but I'm now ready to transfer my starter into a glass jar in preparation for feeding it this weekend. I guess I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best!

The mixing and baking process itself for sourdough is similar to most other breads. We began combining the mixture into dough form and kneading it by hand before finishing it off in this super duper dough mixer. The dough hook on my Kenwood mixer will come in handy when I make sourdough at home.

Is there room for one of these mixers in my kitchen?

We then shaped our dough, slit the top and left it to proof before baking. This is what they looked like straight out of the oven. You'll have to imagine the incredible smell for yourself.

Sourdough fresh from the oven

Next up, bagels. I can usually take or leave bagels; eating something with the texture of cardboard really doesn't appeal to me. Making my own bagels, however, opened my eyes to how good they can be - and no hint of cardboard whatsoever. Using basically the same ingredients as pizza (flour, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and water), these bagels were a really pleasant surprise in both flavour and texture. They're also easy enough to make and shape by hand. After they've proofed, they are boiled then baked.

I like the idea of everything bagels, where you top them with everything you can get your hands on (think poppy seeds, sesame seeds, flaky salt, peppercorns, fresh garlic, onion flakes ...) and fill them with even more yummy stuff. Here's my everything bagel filled with salmon and cream cheese.

Everything bagel filled with salmon and cream cheese

In between the sourdough and bagels proofing, we also made loaves of cornbread, a type of quick bread using cornmeal and with a teaspoon each of paprika and cayenne pepper to give it a little kick. This was my favourite freshly baked bread of the night and one that I went back for seconds. No pics for this one - I was distracted by the amazing taste and smell.

As a result of Tuesday's class, it's been a bread-filled week. The cornbread is in the freezer and will be defrosted this weekend. The sour dough was devoured at a family birthday tomorrow night and the bagels became lunch each day.

Thanks once again to the Crave Cooking School team (Zoe, Lucy and Marco) for a fun baking class. I've now got a few more skills to add to my breadmaking arsenal and a sourdough starter that I'm determined not to kill.

Hot cross buns

Mmmm, hot cross buns. Baking and eating hot cross buns is one of my favourite Easter activities. I have experimented with a few different recipes for hot cross buns and keep coming back to the original one in my Panasonic breadmaker book with a few variations.

I don't usually bother with glazing the buns (we certainly don't need more sugar in our diets) but this is easily made by boiling together 3 T each of milk and caster sugar until syrupy, then brushing over the cooked buns as soon as they are removed from the oven. I also use sultanas instead of currants and leave out the citrus peel.

Hot cross buns

Ingredients

• 3 t Surebake yeast
• 450 g high grade flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T milk powder
• 6 T (90 g) butter
• 3 T brown sugar
• 4 t spices (see below)
• 200 ml water
• 1 medium egg
• 3/4 c sultanas

Spices
Any combination of spices that adds up to 3-4 teaspoons will work. Here's my favourite combination:

• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t allspice
• 1 t cloves
• 1/2 t mixed spice
• 1/2 t nutmeg

Crosses

• 3 T flour
• 1 T canola oil
• water to mix

Method

1. Add ingredients to the pan in the order specified by your breadmaker instructions. Set to BASIC - DOUGH RAISIN (2 hours 20 minutes). Remove dough from pan when finished and leave to rest for another 20 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. [I weigh mine into ~80 g balls to ensure they rise evenly.] Roll each portion into a smooth ball and place onto an oven tray lined with baking paper. Space each ball with a 1 cm gap in between.
3. Lightly spray with canola spray and cover loosely with cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place (30-35°C) for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. [I use the proof dough setting on my oven.]
4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Prepare the crosses by mixing together flour and oil then adding water to make a thick paste. Thin with more water until smooth. Spoon mixture into a piping bag and pipe crosses over the buns. [I do this in long lines across the whole mixture, firstly horizontal then vertical.]
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Brush with glaze while still hot, if desired.

Hot cross buns

7 grain loaf

One of my baking goals for this year is to reduce the amount of bread I buy and make as much as possible myself. I am having lots of fun (and success) and am proud to report that I haven't bought a single 'fancy' loaf all year - including baked goods like bread rolls, hot cross buns, focaccia and treats like cinnamon swirls. I have also experimented with some everyday bread recipes.

This recipe for 7 grain bread came from a colleague who frequently bakes his own bread. We swapped success stories; I passed on the busy people's bread recipe in exchange for his one below. It is made in a breadmaker and baked on the medium size whole wheat setting (5 hours in total for Panasonic breadmakers). It has a few less conventional ingredients that you can buy from places like Bin Inn or in some supermarket bulk bins. They combine well to add to the overall taste and texture.

7 grain bread

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 t Surebake yeast
• 210 g high grade flour
• 105 g wholemeal flour
• 45 g 7 grain (or 5 grain) mix
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t salt
• 2 T cornmeal (fine or medium grade)
• 1 T gluten flour
• 1 T milk powder
• 1 T sunflower seeds
• 1 T pumpkin seeds
• 1 T Canola or sunflower oil
• 220 ml tepid water

Method

1. Add ingredients in the order listed above (or following manufacturer's instructions) to breadmaker pan.
2. Set to whole wheat > bake > medium loaf size. Cycle will take 5 hours.
3. Leave in bread pan for 5 mins once cooked then turn out onto wire rack to cool.

7 grain medium sized loaf

Nothing smells or tastes better than freshly baked bread

Busy people's bread

A colleague passed on this recipe by Annabel Langbein for busy people's bread. It is quick and easy to make (just 15 minutes to prepare - 10 of those minutes are 'standing' time!) and the yeast mixture smells amazing when set aside to ferment. You don't need to leave it to proof as it rises in the oven during the first stage of cooking and there is no kneading. It really couldn't be simpler to make, especially on a weeknight.

Busy people's bread has a delicious nutty flavour and a slightly crunchy texture that you could vary by experimenting with different seeds or by substituting some of the wholemeal flour for cornmeal. It is fast becoming my new favourite everyday bread.

This recipe makes a decent sized loaf of bread that stays fresh for several days and toasts well. It can also be frozen. I've rewritten the recipe here because I prefer to weigh rather than measure ingredients. Also, I usually halve the original recipe to make just one loaf so this saves recalculating each time. You can find the full twin-loaf recipe here.

Busy people's bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
• 15 g honey
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast granules
• 205 g high grade white flour
• 205 g wholemeal flour
• 8 g salt
• 150 g sunflower seeds
• 25 g pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 80ºC. Grease and line a ~25 x 10 cm loaf tin.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in the boiling water. Add the cold water and yeast and set aside for 10 minutes. 
3. Whisk the yeast mixture then add in the white and wholemeal flours, salt and sunflower seeds. Mix with a large spoon until evenly combined. It will be a loose, wet batter.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top and gently press them in to the mixture. Run a sharp knife diagonally through the top of the loaf in 4-5 places so that it rises evenly without splitting.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 80ºC, then turn the oven up to 210ºC and bake for a further 30-40 minutes. (Leave the loaf in the oven as it heats up to the second temperature.) The cooked loaf will sound hollow when tapped. Turn out of the tin while still hot and leave to cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 slices.

Busy people's bread

The New Zealand Bread Book - Simon & Alison Holst

I have been baking lots of bread lately. My goal for this year is to reduce the amount of 'everyday' bread I buy and make as much as possible myself. Not only is it (arguably) healthier and cheaper, but I find it very satisfying to make something from scratch these days.

I recently bought The New Zealand Bread Book by Simon and Alison Holst. This book has almost instantly become one of my favourite things. What I love about the recipes is that they are not only simple to follow, but most can be made either using a breadmaker or by hand. They are specially designed for New Zealand conditions and ingredients. (I understand we have different yeast and flour to overseas, even Australia, meaning that many international recipes don't work so well here.) Some are labelled as good 'timer' breads, meaning they go well in the breadmaker on a delayed timed setting. These are the recipes that I might make during the week, especially in winter so I can look forward to coming home to a the smell of freshly baked bread. Mmmm.

There are tips and photo guides on shaping bread in various ways. I'm planning on baking these recipes during weekends and holidays when I have more time to wait for the whole rising process and can experiment with shaping at a more leisurely pace. The proof dough setting on my oven will be busy this year! There are also 'no knead' recipes and ones that use baking powder (or baking soda) as the rising ingredient - good for weeknights as they require less proofing time, such as Irish soda bread.

These cinnamon swirls were my first attempt at baking from the book. They were delicious and so easy to make. I have since followed them up with a cheesy beer loaf, yoghurt rolls and I have the makings of a beer braid dough whirring in the breadmaker right now. Hopefully it will be ready in time (after I have shaped and proofed it) for a late lunch.

Cinnamon swirls

Focaccia

I have made a lot of bread lately. The pizza dough setting on my breadmaker makes it all so easy and, along with ciabatta, focaccia is becoming my party piece. Use fresh herbs if you have them available. Otherwise, dried herbs work just as well - you'll only need about a teaspoon each of basil, rosemary and thyme.

Focaccia

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons Surebake yeast
• 450 grams high-grade flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon milk powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
• 300 ml water

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the breadmaker in the above order. Select the pizza cycle (for Panasonic machines) and start. This is a 45 minute cycle.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured board or bench. Cover with a large bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. [Sometimes I'm lazy and just leave it in the breadmaker for a bit longer once the cycle has finished. It seems to work.]
3. Shape into a flat circle and place on a baking tray. [I line my tray with baking paper, which makes it easier to clean up.] Make holes with the end of a wooden spoon 5 cm apart all over the surface of the dough.
4. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place (30-35°C) for 20-30 minutes or until almost doubled in size. [I use the proof dough setting on my oven, which keeps the temperature at a consistent 30°C.]
5. Brush surface with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed sea salt, basil, rosemary and thyme.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 210°C for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Focaccia fresh out of the oven

Ciabatta

I am really enjoying the pizza dough setting on my breadmaker. I have made focaccia quite a few times and last weekend tried my hand at ciabatta. It took a bit of experimenting to find a suitable recipe, as there isn't one in my breadmaker's recipe book. I managed to adapt this ciabatta recipe from All Recipes Australia for New Zealand Surebake yeast and it works brilliantly. Also, using my breadmaker makes the process more manageable than Jason's famous ciabatta recipe, which I've tried a few times.

The secret to a crispy crust is to spritz the bread with water a couple of times while it is cooking. I've found the easiest way to do this is to use a small spray bottle. Admittedly, the cat looks very nervous every time I take her water spritzer out of the cupboard - she's not convinced that I'm just going to spray the bread as it cooks and not her!

The recipe makes two decent sized loaves.

Ciabatta

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons Surebake yeast
• 450 grams high-grade flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 375 ml water

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the breadmaker in the above order. Select the pizza cycle (for Panasonic machines) and start. This is a 45 minute cycle.
2. The dough will be quite sticky and wet once the cycle is completed - resist the temptation to add more flour. Place dough on a lightly floured board or bench. Cover with a large bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3. Lightly flour or use a baking paper lined oven tray. Divide into two pieces and form each into a 10 x 35 cm oval. Place loaves on prepared trays, dimple the surface and lightly flour. Cover with a paper towel or plastic bag and let rise in a draft-free place for 45-60 minutes or until the loaves have doubled in size. (I use the proof dough setting on my oven, which keeps the temperature at a consistent 30°C.)
4. Preheat oven to 220°C.
5. Dimple dough for a second time and then place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle shelf. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Spritz loaves with water every 5-10 minutes while baking for a crispier crust.

Ciabatta

Irish soda bread

I have been enjoying baking bread at home lately. Being St Patrick's Day, I thought it was appropriate to try making Irish soda bread today. The reaction that occurs between the buttermilk and baking soda means that you do not need to proof this recipe like yeast-based bread, so it takes much less time to prepare. The bread is a lovely, hearty texture that would go well with ... pretty much anything!

This video tutorial of the recipe was really helpful to watch.

Irish soda bread

Ingredients

• 500 g high grade flour
• 50 g sugar
• 5 g baking soda
• 10 g baking powder
• 3 g salt
• 115 g butter, softened
• 235 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 55 g butter, melted
• 60 ml buttermilk (additional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease a large baking tray or cover with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Form dough into a round shape and place on prepared baking tray.
4. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with additional buttermilk. Brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Irish soda bread