BREAD

"I remember growing up with the smell of freshly baked bread all through the house"- this is a phrase I would love to be able to use, but I can't.

I see bread as one of those things that if you make it you are always proud of it, even now. But it is also one of those things that you can always make cheaper yourself at home than if you bought it, even organic. It is fun to make with kids or on your own to relax.

I learnt how to make bread by the chef that trained me Mr Bob Ovington, alongside a good old kitchen kickin Bob also taught me how to cook with my heart, respect and understand ingredients, books aren't always right he would say, any muppet can read a recipe but it takes skill to make it good.

Bread was the first thing I learnt to make and flour can be a tricky beast to understand, depending on how it was milled where,when and so on can all make a difference  in how much liquid it takes.

You need to use all your senses to make bread-    

      Touch-  a dough should be tacky but not sticky
      Sight -  common sense will tell you if the bread is to wet or dry
      Sound- there is a certain sound that dough has while kneading
      Smell - the longer you ferment the starter the better the dough
      Taste - enough salt, proving and baking time will all make the bread taste better

 Here's a recipe I use at Due South:

750ml Water

500g Flour

30g Yeast

Mix together and prove overnight.

2kg Flour

750ml Water

25g Yeast

30g Salt
100ml Olive Oil

Mix all together, work for 10 minutes, put in a bowl cover with clingfilm and prove until it is double in size.  Next cut into loaf shapes or rolls and prove again until it again doubles in size. Bake in a hot oven for 25-45 minutes depending on size.

Photography by Carla Grassy