Since my first real success in the world of bread, I have enjoyed several more forays into Paul Hollywood's recipes. It's become something of a weekend ritual - often in my PJ's straight after breakfast!
My second project was pitta bread. Making the dough was very simple enough, then it was time to roll out the springy dough into little flat ovals.
Yup - they looked about right. Slapped them on the hot tray and threw them into the very hot oven...
Then it was time to sit on the floor in front of the oven and stalk my pittas.
Then a miracle occurred - they started to rise! This one at the front puffed right up!
Within moments, they were all at it! I was fair squealing with delight, I can tell you!
Look at that! Six beautifully hollowed out pittas.
As instructed, I tucked them up safely in a tea towel to keep them moist.
Meanwhile, Rachel was preparing a colourful feast to pop inside these beautiful pittas.
All kinds of delicious chopped vegetables, with houmous (for Rachel), a vinegar dressing (for me) and a sprinkling of seeds. They were just perfect. A second success!
My next project was some naan bread. This was slightly less successful, I have to confess. With the spice and raisins, they had the smell of hot cross buns.
We fried them up...
... and ate them with our curry. But somehow the hot curry didn't quite work with the spice and raisins, and having not risen very well, they were a bit stodgy.
Never mind - you can't win them all! Onto the next bake!
Another bloomer loaf, yesterday, but this time I used 150g wholemeal flour and 350g white. Rachel and I took it in turns to kneed, and kept it up for around 25 minutes, until we were convinced the gluten strings were stretchy enough.
And boy, were we proud when we saw how well it had risen!
I shaped it into a neat loaf...
... floured and slashed the top and popped it into the oven.
Et voila! One crispy, wholesome, wholemeal loaf! (And, by the way, how marvellous are my amaryllis looking?)
What a beauty!
This one we scoffed topped with houmous and oven roasted vegetables. It was divine.
And finally onto my latest project, which was today. Teacakes! I'd helped Mum to make some last weekend, but between the aged yeast and her ice-box of a kitchen, they barely rose and therefore, although delicious, were a little dense.
I made the dough this morning, left it to rise for an hour or so, then shaped it into balls, which I left on the kitchen table while we went to a birthday party in Essex. So they had a good three-four hours to rise, by the time we got home. They were HUGE! Behemoths!
I whacked them in the oven and whipped them out fifteen minutes later, beautifully golden on top, splendidly golden on the bottom, and soft and squidgy in between.
I don't think they'd win any stars on GBBO, since they are certainly not uniform in size, shape and colour...
... but they looked wholesome and smelt amazing.
I had to try one right away, so I sliced it open, , smeared it with butter and we shared it out between the three of us. Scrum-didli-umptious.
Four bakes, three of which were greatly successful. I'd say I'm making progress!