Delicious bread with crispy crust

I had taken this recipe from Kwestia Smaku website and from the start I felt in love! I just love easy to make and at the same time delicious recipes! I’ve already baked this bread with wholemeal flour, rye flour, with olives and with sun dried tomatoes – each time the effect/result is more than satisfactory! Besides, it is the first bread I baked since last year – from the time when we welcomed my son in this World. When you have a child, planning your day is a challenge and finding time for kneading dough is almost impossible.

Ingredients
3 cups flour ( wheat or 2 cups wheat flour + 1 cup rye flour)
about 1 cup water (depends on how thick the dough will be)
1 teaspoon salt
½ dried yeast
Optional: olives, sun dried tomatoes, cheese, cumin ( total 1 cup)


Method
In a large bowl mix: sifted flour, yeast and optional ingredients (i.e. olives, sun dried tomatoes). Pour the water into the mixture and stir for about 30 sec, (dough should be sticky). Cover the bowl with the plate or plastic foil and allow to rise in a room temperature approximately for about 12-18 hours ( could be for a night).
After this time gently put dough on a very lightly floured work surface. Stretch the dough, than fold one edge into the centre and than the others – forming a ball. Prepare clean and floured tea towel and gently place the dough on it – placing the side where the edges are joined on the bottom, Leave the dough covered with tea towel until it double in size, for approx. 1-2 hours. 30 minutes before this time finish, preheat the oven with the oblong dish or the cast iron baking dish inside (placing the baking sheet on the lowest rack) to 500F/ 250 oC.
Carefully, using oven gloves remove baking dish from the oven and place the dough inside it (“joined side” of dough to the top). Cover the dish, bake. After 30 min. remove the cover from the dish and bake for another 15-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Remove the bread from the oven, and allow to cool down firstly in the dish and after place it on the cooling rack. Cut it only after cooled.

Pita breads

PIT has such a bad connotation as it is a Polish form of reclaiming taxes. But pita bread is a totally different pair of shoes…..

Ingredients
dough:
17 oz (450 g) wheat flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 tbsp oil
1 cup warm water (in my case it was too much, so I suggest you to add it gradually)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
stuffing:
2 cut in stripes chicken breasts
lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomatoes
garlic sauce and 1000 Island dressing


Method
Mix and knead all the dough ingredients until smooth and elastic. Place it in a warm spot and leave for 1 hour to rise. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, again leave in a warm spot to rise (about 20 min.). Roll out each dough ball (1/4 inch/ 5 mm thick). Bake in a preheated oven to 460F/ 230 oC on a warmed baking tray, until golden and raised. Cut them forming a pocket, stuff with favourite stuffing.

Bagels

In theory: bagels were invented in the Middle Europe, probably in Cracov, according to the documents from 1610 which stated that the item was given as a gift to women in childbirth. About 1900 Bagels were brought to the United States by immigrant Polish-Jews, with a thriving business development in New York City. Until 1950s bakers prepared bagels in hands, later with an automated production bagels l came into more general use throughout North America. In 1927 Polish baker Harry Lender came to the New Heaven and pioneered automated production and distribution of frozen bagels in the 1960s.
Today for you : the bagel

Ingredients
18 oz (500 g) wheat flour
1 teaspoon + 2 tbsp sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
whisked egg to brush bagels
poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds….


Method
From all ingredients knead the dough until elastic. Place in a warm spot and leave for 1 hour to rise. After 1 hour knead once again and divide the dough into 10 pieces. Each piece shape into a ball, slightly flat them and using a glass cut a hole in the middle, let them rise again for about 30 min. Meanwhile in a big pot bring the water with salt and sugar to boil, dip the bagels into the water and let them cook for a minute on each side. Scoop them out and let them drain on a towel, then move over to a greased baking tray. Brush each bagel with whisked egg, sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 460F/ 230 oC for first 5 min., after 5 min decrease the temperature to 420F/ 210 oC and bake for another 10 min. Cool down on a cooling rack.

French sourdough bread

Crispy crust, soft inside. Baking such a bread is not too difficult but the waiting, kneading makes it a rare speciality, you can make when you have a day off and you are not in a hurry! This is a bread you would love to eat every day!


ingredients
sourdough starter (200 g)
1,5 oz (40 g) active whole wheat sour water
3 oz (80 g) water
3 oz (80 g) bread wheat flour
(Mix all ingredients in the evening the night before baking the bread, leave in a room temperature for about 12 hours)
Next day we also need
10 oz (300 g) warm water
2 cups bread wheat flour
3 oz (80 g) bread rye flour
6 tbs whole wheat flour
¼ - 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast ( or 1-2 bean size fresh yeast)
1,5 teaspoon salt (originally a little bit more- you can add full 1,5 teaspoon)


Method
In one bowl mix the sourdough starter with 10 oz/ 300 g water. In another bowl mix three kinds of flour with yeast. Mix the dry ingredients with sourdough. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave for 20 min. in a warm spot. After 20 min. add salt and knead the dough for about 10 min. in a food processor or with your hands. The dough will be sticky and elastic. If yours won’t be sticky add some extra water.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a cling film and leave until doubled size for about 1 ½ - 2 hours (attention: when amount of yeast is decreased rising can last longer almost 2 ½-3 hours, it’s worth to punch the dough twice during this time). When the dough doubled its size place it on a floured surface punch down and again place it in the bowl. Leave again for another 1 hour to rise. The dough will be still sticky but you will be able to shape it in a loaf. Place the dough in a rising basket, cover and again leave to rise for another 1 hour.

If you have a stone – shape a loaf and place it in preheated to 490 F/245 oC oven. When you don’t have one – heat the baking tray first. Slash the bread before placing in an oven. Bake for 5 min. at 490F/ 245 oC with steam, then turn the oven down to 460F/ 230 oC and bake the bread for 20-25 min. until golden brown. Cool it down on a cooling rack.

Milky sourdough bread

It’s my first bread made without any pan or other dish! I could hardly believe it would work out, since the last time I had a sourdough bread bad luck and instead of nice bread I got flat- something reminding a bread! I do hope this bad luck is over now and from today on I’ll only bake bread with crispy crust and soft inside.

The recipe is from Tatter website.

Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter (I used whole wheat one)
2/3 cup milk
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons melted butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
3 ¼ cups wheat flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast ( you can skip it)
Sour cream and whisked egg to brush the top with.


Method
Sourdough starter mix with water and milk. Add salt and sugar to the flour. Pour the sourdough starter mixture into the flour. Combine all ingredients, add butter. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Leave to rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours. After 1 hour stretch and fold the dough.
Shape 1 big oval loaf, place it seam-side-up in a floured kitchen towel. Leave for about 1 hour to rise. Slash with one or two slashes along the long axis loaf, brush with whisked egg and place on a warmed up baking tray. Bake for 10 min at 480F/ 240 oC, decrease the temperature to 380F/ 190 oC and bake the loaf for another 25 min.

The bread

Some time ago I made the sourdough starter all by myself! It was a base for a Saturday and Sunday breads! As I’m just starting with baking bread I have chosen two easy recipes: slightly modified Tatter’s bread and easy sourdough wheat bread.

Ingredients
14 oz (400 g) whole wheat sourdough starter
about 5 fl oz (150 ml) water
3,5 oz (100 g) whole wheat flour
10 oz (300 g) wheat flour
½ teaspoon Demerara sugar
1 teaspoon salt


Method
Mix all ingredients. Put aside and leave to rise for about 1 hour. Knead the dough and transfer to the greased and floured loaf pan. Leave it for few hours until doubled its size. Bake at 400F/ 200 oC for about 60 min (Tatter suggests placing pan inside the cold oven and heat it up with a pan inside, I didn’t do it this way- didn’t read this part of the recipe). The bread raised very well.

Sourdough wheat bread

7 oz (200 g) whole wheat sourdough starter

18 oz (500 g) wheat four

1 full teaspoon salt

about 10 fl oz (275 ml) water


Method
Mix all ingredients. Put aside and leave to rise for about 3 hours. After 3 hours knead the dough and again leave to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour. Bake for 40 min. in preheated oven to 420 F/ 210 oC. I did sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds.
In both recipes the amount of water depends on the flour. You should use it less or more depends of the dough’s consistency.

Pole + Hungarian = bread

We can thanks Hungarians not only for a goulash but also for a delicious bread. Thanks to “ mum of Liska’s daughter friend” I got the chance to bake this amazing (not only in my opinion) bread. It’s one in a kind, quite heavy, perfectly moist, ideal as an addition to any dish with a sauce! You can’t make it without cumin – it fulfil bread’s taste!

The second time I baked this bread I risk and added 2 small chopped caramelized onions. In the opinion the barbeque group this bread was a success!


Ingredients
7 oz (200 g) warm water
3 teaspooons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
16 oz (450 g) whole wheat sourdough starter
3 teaspoons sea salt
5 oz (150 g) cooked and mashed potatoes
1 tbsp carum


Method
Mix yeast with sugar and water. Put aside for 15 min. Gradually add all remaining ingredients: first liquid ones, than dry ones. Knead the dough (in a food processor with a hook). The dough will be watery and sticky. Transfer the dough into a bowl, cover with a plastic foil and let it rest for about 30 min. After 30 min. place the dough in the greased loaf pan and leave it to rise. Bake in preheated oven to 360F/ 180 oC for about 45 min. Baked bread when knocked from the bottom will give a deaf sound. Cool it down before slicing.

Onion yeast bread

For a good start of this week I suggest you simple bread covered with aromatic onion. A great addition to the cheese platter or even dipped in an olive oil. Jamie Oliver recipe was my inspiration.

Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
½ cup wholemeal flour
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoon dry yeast
2 tbsp oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 egg
2 onions
½ teaspoon dry thymes
1 garlic glove
1 tbsp oil
pinch salt
½ teaspoon wine vinegar

Method
Peel and thinly slice onion. Simmer the onion with thyme and garlic on a low heat until onion gets transcendent (not brown!).
Mix yeast with sugar and water, put aside for 15 min. to rise. Sieve the flour, combine with the rest of the ingredients. Knead the dough in a food processor or with hands. Put aside in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours, during this time punch the dough so the air will get out of the dough. Divide the dough and shape the small breads, leave for another 40 min. to rise. Preheat the oven with a baking tray inside to 460 F/ 230 oC. On a lower rack place a baking tray with a bowl with water. Place the breads on a warmed baking tray, put the onion on top of each bread, bake for about 15 min.