Baking British Breads... ..

Happy Weekend everyone.. 

Hope you all doing well. 

We have a bit of snow here once again.. 

It is truly beautiful on a nice sunny day.. 

We took a day this week and went across the border into the U. S. 

For the first time ever they took us inside and told us to leave purse, cell phone and everything in the car while they searched it.. 

We had nothing to hide so I was not nervous but I wondered what they were looking for.. 

I told them we had cabin fever.. smile.. 

They were amazed that we would drive so far just to shop for a few hours, I guess.. 

We had a lovely day, though.. 

On the drive down we drank coffee and ate sandwiches we had brought and I read a book written about a family in the UK during the war years.. 

I love reading how that little country made do during those terrible years.. 

They were way ahead of their time as far as recycle, reuse and reduce goes.. 

We think that this is a new concept but as far as I am concerned it has been a basic for a lot of people for many years..

Anyway.. back to the story.. 

It was very interesting and the father was a baker.. 

The writer described the breads he made.. 

He would make a huge batch and shape it into cottage loaves, bloomers and coburgs..

It inspired me to try making the loaves today.. 

I looked it all up on Google and found these links.. 

Coburg bread....HERE

Cottage loaf  .....HERE

Bloomers....HERE

These were among many links but I found that for the most the  recipes were almost the same.. 

So I picked this one.. 

HOMEMADE BRITISH BREAD

500 grams (4 1/2 cups) strong flour.. 

I used white unbleached.. 

2 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. sugar 

2 tsp. instant yeast

325 ml. (1 1/3 cups) tepid water.. 

I doubled this recipe so I could make 2 kinds of bread.. 

Stir the sugar into the warm water. 

Add yeast and let prove for 10 minutes.. 

Add the flour 2 cups at a time along with the salt and stir well.. 

Turn out onto a pastry board which is lightly floured.. 

Knead for 10 - 15 minutes.. 

Cover with greased saran wrap and place in a warm spot.. 

I used my oven.. 

Let rise until doubled which is a couple of hours.. 

So since I doubled  the recipe I separated the dough into 2 parts..

For the Cottage Loaf I divided it into 2/3 and 1/3.. 

Make the bigger amount into a roll and then add the smaller amount onto the top.. 

With a floured wood spoon handle I pushed it through the top loaf into the bottom . 

Sprinkle some flour over the loaf.. 

For the Bloomer Loaf  flatten the bread into a rectangle .. 

Pull each side over towards the middle and then fold over once more.. 

Put the seam side down and make several cuts onto the top.. 

Place each loaf onto a parchment lined cookie tray and let rise until doubled... About another hour.. 

On the Bloomer Loaf brush on water with a pastry brush on the top and in the slits.. 

Sprinkle on sesame seeds or poppy seeds.. 

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  and place a heavy baking pan on the bottom shelf.. 

Let the pan heat for 20 minutes and then add a quart of cold water to the pan and place the bread on the rack above.. 

The water will steam and this helps make a nice crust.. 

Bake for 35 minutes.. 

Perhaps you would just want to make one loaf then don't double the recipe.. 

The breads turned out wonderfully and light.. 

Terry loved them, too.. 

I wonder what the British baker would think of them.. smile.. 

I love gleaning inspiration from books that I read and I have this wonderful  affinity for anything British.. 

I don't why because I am mostly of Scot descent with a bit of Irish and German.. 

We are a mixed bunch here in North America as you know.. 

Thank you so much for your time and I so love your little notes that you leave me.. 

I want to welcome the new followers.. 

So glad to have you join the blog.. 

Tomorrow we are having some family over and planning on cooking up a bunch of calamari ... 

The bread will go lovely with it along with a big salad and of course the rice has been requested again.. smile.. 

Let me know if you try making the bread and how you make out... 

Take care, dear hearts and God bless..