Rustic Flower Pot Bread Loaves Or Bread Rolls Food

TRADITIONAL COTTAGE LOAF - OLD FASHIONED RUSTIC ENGLISH BREAD

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a bowl, stir in sugar and yeast. Make a well in the centre, stir in the tepid milk and water to make the dough. (If using fresh yeast - put the yeast in a jug with a little of the milk and water mixture, and allow it to dissolve and become frothy - mixing thoroughly, then add it to the flour.).
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Put the dough in a large, clean, oiled bowl. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size.Then knead the dough for 1 minute and divide it into two-thirds and a third. Shape the pieces into rounds. Cover them and leave for 5 minutes.
• Put the smaller round on top of the larger one. Push a floured wooden spoon (or your fingers) through the centre of both rounds, to join them together. Take a very sharp knife and make cuts all around the top round and the bottom round - see my photos. Put the cottage loaf on a lightly floured baking tray, cover and leave for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/440F/Gas 7.
• Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush the glaze over the cottage loaf and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until dark golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped beneath.
• Cool before slicing. Delicious served with butter, jam, cheese, cold meats or make sandwiches or toast for picnics and breakfast!

MOM'S HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD ROLLS (OR LOAVES)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 2 Tablespoons sugar in 1/4 cup warm water, set aside.
• Microwave 2 cups water, shortening and salt, until the shortening melts.
• Stir this mixture until it completely dissolves.
• Start adding flour about 2 cups to start to this mixture, just a little at a time so that it stays smooth and doesn't get lumpy.
• Then add yeast mixture, mix well.
• Continue adding flour and then turn out on floured surface and knead in remaining flour, until no longer tacky.
• Grease a large bowl or pan with vegetable oil.
• Put the bread in this bowl cover and let it rise.
• If you use a fast acting yeast it should take about 45 minutes.
• Turn out on the counter and fold in sides, put back in bowl and let rise again.
• After the second rising it is time to turn it out and make the rolls or bread and place it in a pan.
• Make sure the pan is well oiled with vegetable oil.
• Place them in the pan (pans) and let rise one last time and then bake them at 375°F oven until done, about 20 minutes or so.

RUSTIC FLOWER POT BREAD LOAVES OR BREAD ROLLS

Steps:

• To prepare the flower pots:.
• Take two to six earthenware flower pots (3 to 6 inches in size). Wash thoroughly and grease them inside and outside, with lard, butter or oil. (Please use NEW plant pots, of course!).
• Heat in a pre-heated oven at 190°C; 375°F: Gas 5, for 25-30 minutes.
• Repeat the process two or three times for a good "seasoning" and non-stick surface on your flower pots.
• Before baking with them, line the base with greaseproof paper or baking parchment - especially if there is a hole in the bottom of the flower pot!
• To make the Bread:.
• If you are using dried yeast. Dissolve one teaspoon of sugar in the warm water then add the dried yeast. Leave until frothy, about ten minutes. If you are using fresh yeast, blend it into the warm water.
• Place the flours, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter.
• (Add any extras you might be using here.).
• Add the yeast liquid to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough.
• Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough by folding towards you, then pushing down and away from you with the heel of your hand. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the action. Knead until smooth and no longer sticky.
• Cut the dough in to even sized pieces and place in the prepared and well oiled/buttered flower pots, which should be placed on a baking tray. Glaze with milk or salted water and sprinkle with mixed seeds.
• Place the pots inside a large oiled polythene bag and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles its size, about 45 - 60 minutes.
• Remove the polythene bag and bake on the middle shelf of a hot oven at 230°C (450°F) or Gas 8 for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your flower pots, or until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
• Remove the bread from the flower pots and cool on a wire rack. You can then replace them in the flower pots to serve, once they have cooled!
• This dough can be proved in a bread maker/machine for ease and with good results. Follow your machine's instructions, I add liquids to my bread maker first and then dry ingredients last.
• Add the extras before adding the liquids to the dry ingredients and if using a bread maker/machine, add them when the "Extras" alert sounds or add them to the "Exras" tray.

FLOWERPOT BREAD

Steps:

• Tip the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Pour in 300ml warm water, the olive oil and honey. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture clumps together, then tip out onto a work surface. Use your hands to stretch and knead the dough for about 10 mins, or until it's smooth and springy. Add a little extra flour if the dough feels too sticky.
• Brush the flowerpots with oil and line the sides with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 5 pieces and shape into smooth balls. Place one ball of dough into each flowerpot and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1 hr to rise.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. When the dough has doubled in size, remove the cling film from the pots and gently brush with a little milk or oil. Sprinkle with your choice of topping.
• Place the pots on a baking tray in the oven and cook for 20-25 mins until risen and golden. The pots will be very hot, so be careful when removing from the oven. Leave to cool for 10 mins before turning out and eating.

RUSTIC POTATO LOAVES

Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes and cube them into large pieces, peel on.
• Toss into a pot, cover with water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and boil until they are completely cooked through.
• Draw off 1/2 cup of the water from cooking the potatoes and set aside; drain the potatoes, and then spread them out flat to dry completely.
• It is a very important to let the potatoes dry and cool for at least 30 minutes prior to mashing. Leave the peel on.
• Once the 1/2 cup water has cooled to tepid, add the yeast and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
• Put the dried, cooled potatoes in the KA with the paddle attachment and mash smooth; yes, the peel is still on. It looks weird, but let it go.
• When the potatoes are mashed completely, add the bloomed yeast/potato water, and the olive oil. Mix until combined.
• Change to dough hook. Add the flour and the remaining 2 tsp.kosher salt all at once and mix for about 3 minute on low speed, then increase to medium speed and mix for 11 minutes more.
• The dough will be firm at first and soft at the finish. It will look very dry to begin with, like pie dough, but do not add more liquid and do not add more flour, even if you are tempted. Just leave it and let it go. The flour will be absorbed.
• The end result will be very nearly the texture of brioche dough, very soft, almost a batter. You should stop the machine a few times and scrape the dough down off the sides and bottom of the bowl, then let it continue to mix.
• Scrape the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic and let rise for 35 minutes. The dough will rise slightly but will not double.
• While the bread is proofing, put your rack in the bottom of the oven and put your pizza stone in.Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Invert a baking sheet and place a piece of parchment on it- this will be the resting place for the bread's final rise. Sprinkle the parchment lightly with flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a torpedo shape, with tapered ends. Place the loaves on the parchment and cover with a towel.
• Let rise at room temperature for about 35 minutes.
• At the end of 35 minutes, slide your loaves onto the pizza stone, and using a spray bottle, spray the oven walls with water and then shut the door quickly to trap the steam.
• Bake the loaves for 50 minutes, spraying the oven with water occasionally.
• When they are done, the breads will be very brown, will sound hollow when thumped, and the interior temperature will be about 200 degrees F.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
• NOTES: The first time I made this bread I thought the recipe just had to be wrong on every count. It is very different from any bread I've ever made. But please, follow the directions faithfully and you will be rewarded! These loaves are gorgeous- beautiful- very crusty and brown and smell soooooo good. When I first made them I couldn't wait until they cooled completely so I cut off an end piece and bit into it. It was fantastic! I was surprised that the potato peel didn't make any distinct difference to the texture. I thought it would.The resulting bread was very distinctly tasting of potato. It was soft, as potato breads are, but yeasty and a little dense(in a good way) and had a wonderful crusty exterior.It was fantastic! I think you are going to love these.
• NOTE 2: If you don't have a pizza stone, just bake them on a sheet pan.It won't be quite the same, but it will be close enough.