Its new years eve and I’m already getting started on my new years resolution, to get back into baking my own bread, I baked a couple of basic white baguette shaped loaves. The house smells amazing, I probably look a bit like a weirdo sitting at my laptop smelling a piece of bread, but there is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread. One of the best memories of my childhood was baking cottage loaves with my dad, even if the bread doesn’t turn out fantastic its a lovely experience to bake it yourself, and even stodgy loafs, when fresh out the oven smell divine!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 Small yellow onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely diced chestnut mushrooms/button mushrooms
1 tin chopped tomato’s
1 tbsp Italian herb mix
1 cup buck wheat, rinsed
2 cups passata
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 half-sized baguette
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2 big cloves of garlic
2 shallots
a good glug of olive oil
Method:
Pre heat the olive oil in a pan on a medium high heat, fry off the onion until softened and add the garlic, fry for a few seconds, then add the mushrooms. Give a good stir round before adding the tinned tomatoes, stock, buckwheat, herb mix and salt. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cook for 15-20 minutes, until the buckwheat is softened. Stir through the passata and tomato puree, poor the mix into and oven proof dish. Pulse the garlic, shallots and parsley with the olive oil in a food processor, then slice the baguette into 3/4 inch slices and spread on side with the parsley mix and place spread side up on top of the buckwheat tomato sauce, then pop under the grill to toast up. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!
Basic White Bread:
Ingredients:
1 tsp active dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups tepid water
4 cups strong white bread flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
extra flour for dusting
Method:
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the tepid water, and set aside for a few minutes, it should froth up slightly, If it doesn’t the yeast isn’t active. Mix the salt into the flour, then add the yeast-sugar-water mix a bit at a time, mixing it in with your hands. Knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes, until springy and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and toss around in the oil so the dough it coated, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Once the dough has doubled in size, slice in half and form into two half baguette sizes and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Leave to rise uncovered for anouther 30 miuntes, then brush with cool water, before baking in a preheated oven at 200c/390f for 30 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack, before slicing.
I had to google passata. We don’t have that here. I love the simple bread recipe and the buck wheat in the bolognaise is such a good idea. 🙂
Woah really, most my views come from america, maybe I should see if i can find something that would be a good replacement. Its sieved purred tomatoes, often Italian tomatoes.
Mexican oregano is something that is impossible to get hold of in this country
I’m also resolving to once again make own bread and am VERY excited to try this yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing and happy 2013!
Your white bread loaves look just so appetizing & stunning, my friend! What a fabulous meal!
georgous pics too!
O…M…G that bread looks amazballs! Have you ever tired to bake a rye bread?
oh my, lloks delicious. I love garlicbread and it looks so yummie. thanks for checking into my blog. 🙂
What gorgeous bread! I am starting to get the urge to bake again…I can mentally see a loaf of delicious white bread being dipped into good extra virgin olive oil, then into some home made dukkah…yup…looks like we will be baking bread in the covered bbq tonight…
This looks amazing! Bookmarked!
thanks!
This is incredible i am so glad I found your blog, I love the recipe for both the bolognaise and the bread. Beautiful photo’s and recipes.
Thank you!
You can’t go wrong with just a basic bread recipe – and no bread machine (for pity sake, talk about selling snow to Eskimos’) I always think the kneading and patience is good for the soul 😀
Good for the arms aswel!
Exaaaactly!
This looks awesome! I tried to bake bread and it was a disaster. Love this. Will try it out one of these days.
Made this tonight (the basic white bread) and it turned out amazing 🙂 Thanks!!
Reblogged this on Buckwheat for your health.
This looks incredible! I must try!
Hey Alex, thanks so much for this recipe, I made it tonight with enough for leftovers & it was deliciously tomato-ey, winner. My only niggle was that stock was missed out of the ingredients list so I had to hurriedly whisk 200ml in a jug when I spotted it in the method, haha…! Otherwise likely to be on regular rotation in my house (:
oh bugger, will correct that. glad you liked it 🙂