Friday, July 20, 2012

I baked: Cranberry, honey and walnut loaf

When I became a mother, I told myself that I was going to make all these delicious food for my children, including making my own bread. Making bread is not difficult, but it is a long waiting game. You measure, you sift, you mix and you knead... and then you wait and wait for it to rise and bake.

But it is all worth it, as my children get to wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread. And eat them. Soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. Just how a good loaf of bread should be.


Cranberry, honey and walnut loaf

I am sharing the recipe for a basic white loaf, and to that you can add whatever fillings that you like. I love fruit/currant fillings as well as nuts. This time, I went for cranberry, walnuts, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. My children especially loved the cranberry and walnuts.



I like to mix my dough in the evening, and then let it rise overnight. Then I bake it first thing in the morning so that I can serve it warm. Eat it on its own or with a slathering of butter and jam. So, tell me what do you like in/on your bread? And if you can find the time, make a loaf of bread this weekend for your family.




Cranberry, honey and walnut loaf
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Makes 1 loaf

For basic plain white loaf
350g bread flour
1 tsp dried yeast
105ml warm water
105ml warm milk
15g butter
10g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the filling
50g cranberries
1 tbsp honey
30g walnut, chopped roughly


1. Cream the yeast with a little milk, then blend in the remaining milk.

2. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add cinnamon and mix well. Rub in softened butter into the flour. Make a well in the centre, and add the liquids as well as the yeast to the centre. Mix until the dough forms a ball.

3. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with an oiled clear film and leave to rise, in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

4.  Knock the air out (ie gently punch the centre of the dough with your fist to deflate it and fold the edges to the centre) and knead again for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

5. Now is the time to add the filling to the dough. Firstly, divide the dough in half, then place the ingredients on one side of the dough then fold the other end on top and shape into a loaf. Put into a lightly greased 450g loaf tin , cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (I usually make it in the evening and leave it to rise through the night so that I can have freshly baked bread first thing in the morning).

6. Bake in the centre of  a preheated oven (230°C) for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden brown. To test whether it is done, tip the loaf out of the tin and tap the base with your knuckle. If it sounds hollow like a drum, then it is fully cooked. Transfer to wire rack to cool.




Even my bread is smiling at me!


Full set of photos can be viewed here.

21 comments:

  1. Nutella + crushed nuts + raisins/on bread = awesome!!!

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    Replies
    1. I just made raisin with orange rind bread today. :P

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  2. My mom used to bake a lot when i was younger too. It felt really good to wake up to fresh homemade bread. but the best part was stealing all the CURRY filling before she filled the bread with it . LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooo was it like the soft buns with curry filling? Like those oyaki from The Loaf?

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  3. Hi this looks like a great bread recipe, I am very into bread making as I don't want my kids to eat too much outside breads with preservatives and all. If I leave it to proof from 11pm to 7am will it overflow the pan? Once I left the bread for too long and it was all over the table but it could just be that recipe. Think I will add choc chips to this bread!

    If you do come down to Singapore, would love to have coffee. Let me know when you come again! Would be lovely to meet you in person. Mich@Piece of Cake

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never have the overflowing problem. Maybe my kitchen is not warm enough, sometimes it takes longer than overnight for the bread to rise nicely.

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  4. you should try to make wholewheat bread. :D

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  5. this could be a really nice childhood memory for your kids, the memory of eating mom's homemade bread. and when they're adults and they're eating bread elsewhere, they'll mutter, 'this isn't as good as my mom's bread!' :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha it would be nice if they had fond memories of their mum's cooking.

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  6. It looks so pretty, I think I will eat it as it is, or maybe some peanut butter? heheheh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe always leave a jar of peanut butter out for CK!

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  7. You are a good mom, making own bread for your family. They are lucky to have you .

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  8. Nice bread that you've baked! M&M with bread, your princess is so creative! I like her Hello Kitty toaster, hehe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hheehehe you got very sharp eyes, you notice the M&M's on my daughter's bread.

      She has lots of cute Hello Kitty toys.. good as my photo props sometimes :D

      Delete
  9. Your 1st photo - nice presentation! Mmm mm ~~

    ReplyDelete
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