Saturday 11 July 2009

Dough and, um, dough.

I started making my own bread just before last Christmas. Bit daft considering we run a shop that sells the stuff ready baked but I like being able to bake a fresh loaf when I please. When I say 'I bake', what I mean is I buy the packet mix that has the yeast already in it. I just add tepid water and any flavourings I want.

My favourite is a focaccia mix to which I add rosemary (from the garden), loads of olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and/or black olives...and more olive oil! Goes down well at BBQs. Plus, it freezes well, too.

Going off at a tangent...What I was saying in my other post about emptying the suitcases, I see we have some Egyptian pounds left over from our spends. I think 100 Egyptian is around 10 quid sterling. We didn't realise till we got to Egypt that they don't like their own currency (something to do with exchange rates). No, they prefer the Euro or US dollars which can be a bit confusing when you pay for something in EGP that is marked in USD or EURO and you get back change in sterling.

Oh and while I'm on the subject, Himself bought an English newspaper while we were out there and it wasn't till he was putting the change back in his wallet that he realised he'd been 'had'! His own fault really, he'd given the man USD instead of EGP and we worked out that copy of the Daily Express cost us around £10!

Anyway, I digress. The reason I mention the left-over spending money and moreover what that has to do with baking bread...I've been out this morning and bought an automatic bread maker with the left-over spends - Netto £49.99. I've got a whole grain loaf in at the moment. Smells delicious, takes half the time of kneading by hand but to be honest not nearly as satisfying. The kitchen worktop (and me for that matter) doesn't have a spot of flour on it and there aren't jugs and spatulas to wash up but now I realise that was half the fun. Ah well, at least I can set the timer to prepare the dough while we're asleep so we wake up to fresh baked bread of a morning. That def beats getting up at 6 to do it...not that I ever did!

PS Baked this on Sunday

4 comments:

Paula Williams said...

I've often been tempted by a bread maker, Sue but already struggle with my weight. If I woke up to the smell of freshly baked bread every morning, I'd be the size of a house in no time.
Your holiday sounds great - apart from the £10 Express, of course.

Sue Houghton said...

Hmm, yes you do have to limit yourself to a slice at a time! Thing is, the kids come round and it's gone before I get a look in!

Honeysuckle said...

I love those packet mixes, Sue - the bread's really delicious. They're steering me in a different direction tho' - I was thinking I might try making some bread from scratch. I'm convinced it can't be as tricky as I've always assumed...

Sue Houghton said...

Yes, I know what you mean, but it's a bit like making your own pasta from scratch...not worth the trouble! I overheard a woman in the supermarket laughing as I picked up the packet bread mix 'That's mad. You can by a no frills sliced for 60p.' Well, I know that, but I sometimes feel I have to justify spending time on the PC and the smell of fresh baked bread makes it seem to visitors that I slave in the kitchen all day!