Warm, crusty, hot-from-the-oven loaf. Yep, it sounds amazing and in real life it was rather darn good too. Here is Wendyl's recipe that I tried:
25g butter
1 tblspn salt
1 tblspn sugar
400ml boiling water
1 tblspn active dried yeast granules (not Surebake)
100ml water - blood temperature
6 cups white flour
Put butter, salt and sugar in a large bowl and pour over boiling water.
Stir in the butter until it has melted and leave to the side to cool down.
Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water and whisk with a fork. Set aside for 10 mins until the yeast goes frothy.
Stir yeast mixture into the butter mixture and stir in nearly all of the flour (the rest goes on the bench). Your dough should be able to be kneaded easily and leaves the bowl clean.
Knead for 10 mins by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand and then rolling back towards you.
Rinse your bowl out with hot water so that it heats up, dry and coat with oil then put the dough into the bowl and pop it in a warm place for around an hour until it has doubled in size.
Push the dough down gently (don't punch!) then cut it in half and mould it into two oval shapes.
Put your loaves side by side on a greased tray and leave to rise for 5 mins.
Slash the tops with five deep cuts and put on the middle rung of the oven. Boil a jug of water and fill a roasting pan and put this on the rung directly under the loaves. Close the oven door and set the temp to 200 celcius. Bake for 40 - 45mins. Eat with butter and honey straight from the oven.
Next post I'm going to rave about my new Yoga classes. Be prepared.
