Smile it's Friday

I love the smell of fresh bread, don't you?

It's a smell that reigns pretty much supreme in this house as I always bake my own bread, can't stand the plastic stuff from the supermarket plus mine has no additives.

I do it properly, no cheating and using a bread maker, I use that for making the cakes.

OK so it takes longer kneading by hand, but the bread is so much better, how can you say you've made your bread if the bread maker does all the work?

First I mix it all up and knead on top of my cooker, it has a ceramic top and over the years has become my preferred food prep area, I then put it into a big glass bowel, cover with a tea-towel and into the airing cupboard it goes for 90 mins.

It has usually more than doubled in size depending on the amount of yeast I've added, every batch is different as I never measure anything, it's the way I was trained.

(oops I forgot to photograph this stage)

I then divide into two, knead again and shape put into greased and floured tins and off to the airing cupboard it goes again for the yeast to work it's magic for another 90 mins.

Ready for second rising in airing cupboard.

Yet again it rises to more than double it's size, if it's not big enough I will leave it in there for another 30 mins.

One time I forgot all about it and left it in the cupboard overnight, it looked ok although a little dry and luckily it didn't grow to triffid proportions.
Not being one to waste food it went into the oven, it cooked up ok, but when you cut into it there were massive air pockets making it useless for sandwiches or toast. 
We had Bread and Butter Pudding every night that week to use one of them up, the other is still in the freezer.

Pretty huge when they come out of the airing cupboard!

I digress, after all that proving into the oven they go for 30ish mins on 170ᵒC, the way to tell if they are properly cooked is to tap on the bottom, if it sounds hollow they're done, if not, stick them back in the oven for approx 5 more mins, that's usually enough time but as I said before every batch is different.

Yummy, now where's that butter **drools**

I can never resist cutting a huge slice off whilst it's still hot and smothering it with Butter.
Complete bliss, with butter running down my chin. 

By the way, that's real butter, none of that so called pretend stuff!
A little of what you fancy won't do you any harm.
Just so long as you eat it in moderation.

I wonder who else is smiling this weekend :o)

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