Buttermilk bread

Do you like my new Christmas tea towel?  It made me feel better that I didn't quite get the shaping and slashing right.  They have never been my strengths when it comes to baking bread.  Yet for all that, the bread was delicious.  It is a Buttermilk Bread that looked gorgeous and professional on Wendy's Wee bit of Cooking blog.  Well at least my tea towel looks gorgeous!

Despite this bread not being perfect and despite my intentions of trying it again, I am posting it as too many of these sort of recipes fall by the wayside and never get posted.  I am planning to make rocky road soon and wished I had posted my disaster batch earlier this year to remember what I did wrong (I probably just used homemade marshmallow - that wont be repeated).

I am also posting this bread because it tasted so amazing when warm out of the oven.  I had to exercise great self control to stop at two pieces of bread.  It was so soft and crusty with a lovely mild flavour.  Wendy compared it to sourdough but I think it had a far softer and delicate crumb than the sturdy texture of sourdough loaves that I love, yet incredibly moreish.  The knead-a-few-minutes-and-rest-five-minutes was a bit of a hassle - especially when Sylvia woke from her nap crying.  In fact I kept forgetting the time and finally set the timer for each rise.

 

I enjoyed having it for breakfast with peanut butter.  So it is only fitting that I send it to Krithi who has chosen Bread as the theme for the Breakfast Club in December.  I am also sending this bread to Susan of Wild Yeast for YeastSpotting.

I have lots more to say but I am feeling terribly behind at the moment with Christmas looming large.  I have presents to wrap, cards to write and a blog index to update and I would really just like to go to bed.  I have some more Christmas posts to share and hope to squeeze them in between a work Christmas party, a birthday party, tree decorating, plus more baking, over the next few days.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Carols, Camels and Pate
This time two years ago: The Last Drop - cosy pub grub
This time three years ago: Lentil Loaf with Chutney
This time four years ago: Unctuous and Silky Silverbeet Gratin

Buttermilk Bread
From A Wee Bit of Cooking

200ml warm water
1 tsp dry active yeast
150 ml buttermilk
500g strong bread flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Olive oil
A little extra flour

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl and set aside until slightly frothy (around 10 minutes).
• Add buttermilk and then stir in flour, salt, and sugar until it comes together into a wet dough.  Let rest for 5 mins.
• Use your hands to smear a little olive oil onto your work surface.  I found I needed a little oil on my hands as well as on the bench.  Knead dough on oiled work surface for a couple of minutes.  Rest dough on work surface for 5 minutes.  Knead again.  Rest 5 minutes.  Knead again.  The kneading and the oiled surface should make it a lovely smooth texture.
• Scrape out mixing bowl and place dough in it.  Cover with a (dry?) teatowel and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in sized.  Knead the dough for a couple of minutes again and place back in the bowl and leave covered for another 30 minutes.
• Dust a baking tray with with cornmeal (or flour if you don’t have cornmeal).  Place dough onto work surface and pull into a flattish rectangular shape.  Roll dough up lengthways and tuck the ends underneath.   (I didn't quite get the hang of this.)  Place seam side down and cover with dry tea towel.  Leave to double in size for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200 C (I did 220 C) with a cake tin of water in the bottom.  The water will steam your oven to help to steam the oven..   When oven reaches the right temperature place a cake tin of hot water in the bottom of the oven.  Leave for 10 mins to let the oven get steamy.
• Dust the risen dough with flour (I tried cornmeal and it just rolled off).  Use a serrated knife to make 3 slits across the top of the loaf.  (I didn't get the hang of this either. - I think I made mine too deep and I sprinkled more cornmeal after sprinkling even though I knew it was a bad idea.)  Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
• Cool on a rack for an hour or so before eating. 

On the stereo:
The Best of Christmas: James Last