Out of the Loop

 

Hello from my new P.C.
I've been using my old (and I mean OLD!) laptop since about a week before Xmas, as the other machine I had collapsed in grand style.  Fortunately I found that the fault was in the motherboard and the information on the Hard Drive was not lost.
Ultimately the board was old and I was unable to get a replacement, so I opted for a new machine, well it is the first since 2007 and took delivery a couple of days ago. Now I'm just setting it up and transferring all my files and settings from the salvaged drive, so normal service will be resumed shortly.

I managed to find a second hand copy of 'Do Sourdough'

and have been trying the methods in it, my first attempt was made in a tin as it seemed a bit loose for a freeform loaf. I can adjust the amounts to fine tune the recipe. For all that it tasted and looked good.

We're both just about over our Xmas colds although in Yvonne's case it got a bit more serious and she needed a doctors appointment and some drugs, but she will soon be fighting fit, then the years entertainment can start.

Whey to Go!

I got one of these and its amazing, it turned a really cheap plain yogurt into a soft cheese which went really well on bread for lunch, with a few tomatoes.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/18334/Cuisipro-Yoghurt-Cheese-Maker

Of course it left a bit of Whey and as I don't like to waste much I wondered if I could use it in Bread making. A quick internet search said that I could but that I shouldn't use salt in the recipe. I measured it out and it was just over half of the liquid that I needed, so I used half the salt I would normally.

Combined liquid 350ml (190 Whey and 160 water)
Flour, 400g Wholemeal and 100g White,
Yeast 10g (Instant)
Salt 5g.

I mixed for 6 minutes in the Kenwood, then proved it for 90 minutes in my oven.

Knocked back and shaped, I let it rise for 40 minutes,

then lightly slashed and baked with steam for 40 minutes at 220 degrees.

After cooling I cut a slice and the crumb was perfect for a sandwich loaf, I do like big holes in some breads but not in a sandwich, all the filling falls out!

The taste was a bit different too, sweeter and milky. The steam gave it a good crunchy crust.

Post Christmas Slump

Well that's over for another year then.

We had a great time at Amy and Harry's over the holiday, and managed to leave Nottingham just before it started snowing.

 

 

We had so much good food, Harry's Parents brought cake, we took a cheesecake, Saffron Buns and bread,

and Amy provided Turkey, Gammon and a superb Beef Wellington, washed down with plenty of Xmas cheer and all the trimmings.

Elsa was the star of the show, naturally,

Not only that we got to talk to George on Christmas Day as we opened our presents, she had cooked a feast for the staff and customers at the roadhouse, and enjoyed a swim with her pet cow Rachel,

I was given a pasta machine so I'm looking forward to using that in the coming months.

Back home, we wanted a simple meal, I found a half price leg of lamb and decided to slow cook it with garlic.

Basically you heat the oven to max and rub the lamb with olive oil and garlic,

than put it in a casserole and place it in the centre of the oven.Immediately turn the oven down to 160 degrees.
Baste every hour, after five its probably done but check that it falls apart before you stop cooking.

Pull the meat off the bones with a couple of forks and use the juices in your gravy.

I also made some Sourdough, using my Wholemeal starter and White flour, I started them on Saturday evening and baked on Sunday after the Lamb was finished. Maybe not as aerated as the purists would like, but these are for sandwiches so a closer crumb is preferable.

After the Roast Lamb yesterday, we will be having pulled Lamb with Apricots, Almonds and Cous-Cous today, as normality returns.

Festive Products

Amy had asked me to do some festive breads for the Xmas table, I chose Saffron Fruited Teacakes and a Walnut, Cranberry and Pistachio Bread.

So after a five am start, this is what I produced,

Saffron Teacakes

Walnut, Cranberry and Pistachio Bread.

While the oven was warming up I roasted some mixed nuts in Icing sugar and Paprika for a snack nibble.

I also strained my Blackberry infused Vodka,

and started some Rose Petal Infusion with  some more Vodka, that will take a couple of months to get the flavour in it.

It only remains to wish you all a very happy Christmas and good fortune for 2015.

Shortbread.

Yvonne has been saying that it's not Christmas without Shortbread, so I just made some.

I use Yvonne's Grandmothers recipe, which substitutes 1oz of the flour for 1oz Semolina, I used coarse ground.

Here it is rolled and ready to go into the oven, 15 minutes later it was done and I re-scored it while it was still warm and flexible.

Now we just need to get the kettle on. Serves 2!!!!

Ciabatta in an Hour

They said that it couldn't be done, and I was one of them. But I'm a convert to the idea now.
We ran out of bread yesterday, and I didn't want  to make a lot more as we would not be here to eat it.
I did have a recipe for quick bread so I thought I would give it a go.

First put the oven on to Max with a dish in the bottom.

Basically its 450g warm water, 500g flour 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons yeast and 1.5 teaspoons salt.

Mix really well, (its very runny) I used my stand mixer for 6 minutes.

Then turn it out onto a well floured board, stretch and fold it for a couple of minutes, it will be a struggle at first but after a few folds it will start to feel stronger and tighter. When it does roughly shape it into two loaves and put them onto silicon paper.

Leave them for 15 minutes, boil the kettle and pour some of the hot water into the dish in the oven. Then put your loaves into the oven for 15-18 minutes until risen and golden.

 

Job done.

The reason I wanted the bread was to make Garlic Bread to go with our supper.
A couple of cross cut slices were spread with Garlic Paste then butter,

into the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Not a bad afternoons work.

Yvonne makes a Crumble

I have been a bit remiss in posting to this blog, sorry about that. Things have been a trifle hectic here, I have had two more injections in my shoulder, under live xray and ultrasound to get them in the right place, and with that and all the other seasonal things, posing has taken a bit of a back seat.
 
To add to the mix, my computer had given up the ghost, so I have had to resurrect my old laptop, which like me is showing it's age. I thought that I had lost my more recent files, (although some are backed up on Dropbox there are some that are not) but I have taken the hard drive out of the computer and it is undamaged. Relief!!

I do back up weekly (or when I remember), but of course it was the day before it was due and I had just been thinking "I must do that."

So now it's a case of waiting for the sales to get a new one, and the exciting bit of anticipation. I was wondering what to fritter my CPD refund on!! Something for ME.

As the title suggests, Yvonne made a mixed fruit crumble yesterday to go with our Roast Gammon, it had Cherries, Apple and Peaches, and the topping contained Oats, Seeds and Brown Sugar. I made the custard.

Other than that it's been quiet food wise, we are starving ourselves in readiness for the Yule celebrations. (Actually we are not but it sounds better.) I have just been making ordinary White bread,

and trying to cope with not being able to move my shoulder, it's been keeping me awake a lot. And with the central heating breaking down. and all of lifes little troubles in the season of goodwill.