Cakes & Bakes: Bottle of beer bread

A friend of ours has a micro-bar that sells an ever-changing selection of beers produced by micro-breweries all over the world. Doesn’t everyone want a friend like that?

Anyhow, we looked after their dog for them on occasion, and they thanked us with a few different bottles of beer. One of the bottles, a Buxton Brewery IPA, didn’t get drunk for ages, so I decided to use it to make a bottle of beer bread loaf.

I used my usual liquid to starter to flour ratio, but I felt the resultant dough was a little too wet, so I’ve upped the flour content by 50 grams in my recipe below. Perhaps I needed to weigh how much 330cl of beer weighs compared to 330cl of water!

The time this loaf takes to prepare can vary widely depending on the temperature of your kitchen (ours rarely gets above 15ºC… in the summer), and whether you refrigerate your dough whilst it bulk ferments. Sometimes, if it’s really cold, I shut the covered dough in the microwave (pre-warmed by leaving a mug of boiling water in there).

It is helpful to know when estimating rising time according to room temperature that the rate of fermentation, or rising, is about double for every 15°F [8°C] increase in temperature. The Bread Bible

The resultant loaf was hoppy, tangy and flavoursome. It was delicious with a bit of mature cheddar or just with butter and gorgeous a few days later toasted.

Click here or on the image below to save my bottle of beer bread recipe to Pinterest

Bottle of beer bread

2020-07-23 11:05:05

Yields 1

Cook Time

30 min

Cook Time

30 min

Ingredients

330ml bottle of beer
115g/4oz starter @ 100% hydration
175g/6oz wholemeal flour
375g/13oz white flour
8g/¼oz salt

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Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the beer and the starter, getting rid of a lot of the fizz from the beer
Mix in the flours and salt, then turn out on to a work surface (I like to use a large marble board as it's very non-stick) and knead for 5 minutes
Form the dough into a ball, put it back into the mixing bowl, cover and leave to prove until double in size (the warmer your kitchen, the quicker this will happen)
Scrape the dough out of the bowl back on to the work surface, fold and shape the dough into a round and place it in a well-floured, circular banneton (smooth-side down). Prove again until double in size
Preheat the oven to 250ºC/475ºF/Gas mark 9 (put your cloche or stone [if using] in the oven to preheat as well, at this point)
Once the oven has reached the correct temperature, carefully remove the dough from the banneton, score and bake for 30 minutes (you can take the lid off the cloche for the final 10 minutes to get a lovely brown crust)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to slice

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Cakes & Bakes: Buckfastleigh sourdough loaf

I have found my new ‘go to’ sourdough loaf recipe; a run-of-the-mill, no frills method that has worked for me perfectly every time. I give you… **loud trumpeting sound** the Buckfastleigh sourdough loaf!

It’s the unfussiest sourdough loaf recipe I’ve come across, and it’s also the best tasting. With the scarcity of strong bread flour (all flour, to be fair) because of the Covid lockdown, I bought a few kilos direct from Shipton Mill and boy, did their Extra Course Organic Wholemeal Flour make a difference to the finished loaf. The flavour was incredible; I won’t be going back to the common or garden supermarket own brand version.

The recipe came from Gordon, a small-scale baker who bakes 5 times per week, selling his loaves locally. I’m not sure if he’s based in the Devon town of Buckfastleigh – which I think may be the origin of the bread’s title.

The recipe directions are very spare; perhaps not the best to give a go if you’re a complete newbie. However, he gives a more detailed breakdown of the method (broken down into two separate posts) – complete with photographs – on the Fresh Loaf blog.

In it, he reveals his views on the matter… about which I wholeheartedly agree:

Sourdough – I do not think there is any magic to it… Here’s my take; It’s just bread. Get over it and just do it.
Sure – you can apply rules, you can take far more care with it that I appear to do, you can regiment the process and create rules – if what you’re after is something extra special. The one loaf a week you make and you want to take pride in it and make sure its the best there is. And that’s fine. I’m making basic daily sourdough bread here and for that, there is nothing special. No tricky processes, no strict timings or (within reason) temperatures. Gordon, on the Fresh Loaf blog

Want to give it a try? Click here or on the image below to save the recipe to Pinterest

Buckfastleigh sourdough loaf

Gordon

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Course Bread

Cuisine British

Servings 1 kg loaf

Ingredients

100 g wholemeal
400 g white
150 g starter @ 100% hydration
8 g salt
300 g water

Instructions

Mix, knead, leave overnight, shape into a boule, put in a cloth-lined basket/banneton, leave to prove (maybe 2 hours, do the finger poke test) and into a 250ºC oven with a cup of water splashed on the bottom (in a metal tin) and down to 210ºC after 12 minutes for another 25 minutes.

Buckfastleigh sourdough loaf ingredients

Keyword bread, loaf, sourdough

Can you use kefir for baking? Everything you need to know!

Kefir is a tremendously versatile ingredient, which means it can be used for a wide variety of different foods. One interesting area of cooking that has seen plenty of kefir usage is baking. The opportunity to enjoy the health benefits of kefir while enjoying your favourite baked goods at the same time is an enticing possibility. If you’re interested in learning about combining this amazing ingredient with baking, here’s everything you need to know. The Live Kefir Company can also give you more details about Kefir.

Improve gastrointestinal health

Replacing milk and other diary components of your favourite baking recipe with kefir will improve your gastrointestinal health. Plenty of studies have shown that kefir can successfully replace dairy boosting the capacity and health of your digestive system. Many people with lactose intolerance have decided to make the switch to this special ingredient when it comes to baking and have noticed fabulous results. Everything from simple breads can now give you an important lift in your digestion thanks to kefir.

Boost nutrient content of bread

Compared to other ingredients used in baking, kefir is incredibly dense in nutrients. Capitalising on the immense number of nutrients found in kefir, you can significantly boost the nutrition of your baked foods. Everything from calcium and vitamins to minerals is found within the ingredient, meaning it can improve your body in a variety of different ways. When you think about how easy it is to replace some ingredients in your baking recipes with kefir, it’s well worth the effort.

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Lower your cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is something many people have difficulty controlling, which is worrying considering how detrimental high cholesterol may be for the body. Thankfully, when compared to most other dairy products, kefir has exceptionally low levels of cholesterol. When using kefir as a substitute for many other ingredients used in baking, the end result is bread and cakes that have a much lower level of cholesterol than usual. Making bread and cakes with kefir could have a lasting positive impact on your health.

Detoxifies vital processes

Key active components of kefir are shown to have a detoxifying effect on certain areas of the body. Detoxifying is incredibly important as unhealthy lifestyles and diets can quickly lead to buildup of unhealthy compounds all throughout the body. Adding kefir to your baking recipes can help you fight the buildup of detrimental chemicals, helping you improve your health. Many of the main components of kefir can go to areas such as the liver to improve the metabolism and removal of harmful particles. Simply eating bread made of this amazing compound is all that is required to start the detoxifying process.

Improve bone density and strength

Osteoporosis and other bone issues may severely impede your ability to participate in certain activities. In order to prevent bone problems, eating a diet full of nutrients that specifically build bone density and strength is essential. Kefir is full of nutrients that help bolster bone health. Studies in recent years have compared the bone health of individuals that used kefir over other milk products, showing that those that used kefir had a much better outlook. Instead of drinking kefir for bone improvement, you can simply add it to your baking activities for the same results.

Combats asthma and allergies

An interesting effect of kefir is how it can ease bodily responses to allergies and asthma. Certain studies have showcased the possibility that kefir can reduce the severity of symptoms caused by allergic and asthmatic reactions. Some people with asthma have found that incorporating kefir into their diet has greatly reduced the rate at which they experience symptoms. If you suffer from issues such as seasonal allergies, you may find that the ingredient may work wonders for your issues. Once again, substituting kefir for the dairy ingredients used in your baking recipes may be the perfect way for you to supplement kefir into your diet.

Reduces severity of lactose intolerance

Many people that are lactose intolerant have no issues consuming kefir. Lots of scientists and medical professionals theorise that the good gut bacteria found in kefir is the main reason why it doesn’t cause a bad reaction in the lactose intolerant. If you or somebody in your household suffers from a lactose intolerance, it might be a good idea to use kefir in your baking recipes from now on. Using kefir, anyone that may experience issues with lactose will have no problem enjoying all the baked foods you may produce.

Glowing and radiant skin

Reducing the severity of eczema and other skin issues is entirely possible through supplementing kefir. Many have found that the potent enzymes found within kefir help with how the body maintains and manages skin conditions. Some people that have started to drink kefir, or use it in their cooking, have noticed their skin issues such as eczema reduce in severity. If you’re currently suffering from skin conditions, it’s a good idea to start using kefir in all of your baking endeavours.

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Cakes & Bakes: Bara gwyn

We bought this fab farmhouse loaf tin in an antique shop this week; I love it so much, I wanted to make use of it ASAP!

I looked in my new favourite Welsh cook book for a simple, rustic loaf recipe and quickly found one for bara gwyn which translates as, ‘white loaf’. The directions – as I have found previously with this particular book – can be on the sketchy side. It states that you should bake the loaf in a ‘moderately hot’ oven for ‘1 and a half hours’.

I found that my oven cooked my loaf in about 50 minutes. A ‘moderate’ oven to me is around 175ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. I suggest you keep an eye on your loaf and pull it out when it’s a lovely golden brown on the top and the bottom sounds hollow when you give it a tap with your knuckles.

I’ve bought fresh yeast in Morrisons – it’s available in little trays of 4 cubed portions – too much for one baking session, but it can be successfully frozen and defrosted as and when needed. I’ve also seen it for sale on Amazon and eBay. If you can’t get hold of any, I’ve included the amount of dried yeast you should use instead.

I was in two minds if I should score the top of the loaf before putting it into the oven. I decided not to, this time. I really like the natural blow out that occurred.

The notes that accompany the recipe explain:

On bread baking day, some housewives would keep a little dough and bake a small batch on the bakestone or griddle. This batch loaf would be eaten fresh for tea on that day. It was known as bara planc (Cwm Gwuan), bara mân (Bryn, Port Talbot), picen ar y lychwan (Tonyfrefail), adopting the Welsh name used for the bakestone in specific areas. Bara prwmlid was the name given to it in Pen-prysg, near Pen-coed.

Similarly, small batches would be baked on the floor of the oven. Their sizes varied and the Welsh name by which these loaves were known again differed e.g. bara bricen (Pen-gwyn), cwgen (Brynberian), torth gwaelod popty (Rhydymain), torth ar fflat y ffwrn (Ystalyfera), torth ar llawr y ffwrn (Kenfig Hill), sôts (Dowlais) and hogen (Bwlch-llan)

Save this bara gwyn recipe to Pinterest

Bara gwyn

Welsh Fare: A Selection of Traditional Recipes

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Cook Time 1 30

Course Bread

Cuisine Welsh

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

530 g/ 1lb 3oz plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
1½ tsp sugar
285 ml warm water
9½ g/1⅓oz fresh yeast or 3g instant yeast / 4g active dry yeast

Instructions

Put the salt and flour into a warm mixing bowl
Cream the yeast and sugar and pour into a well in the centre of the flour
Cover the yeast mixture with a little of the flour and leave in a warm place until it becomes frothy
Proceed to mix the dough, adding the warm water gradually
Knead well for about 10 minutes until the hands and sides of the bowl are free of dough
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled its original size
Turn it out on to a floured board and mould into a loaf according to the size of the tin
Put the loaf into the warm, greased tin and leave to rise again for another half hour
Bake in a moderately hot oven for approximately 1 and a half hours, according to size

Keyword bread, loaf