Flavoured Breads
By: Anonymous
Published: Friday, February 12, 2010 - 2:01am

Ingredients




675 grams strong white flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
25 grams fresh yeast or 1 sachet easy blend yeast
about 350ml warm water
1 egg to glaze

Preparation

1 Put the flour salt and oil in a large bowl. Add the easy blend yeast or blend fresh yeast with half the water. 2 Add to the flour mixture. 3 Stir well adding more water to make a smooth pliable dough. 4 If making by hand transfer to a floured worktop and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and pliable. If using a machine 45 minutes kneading is sufficient. Cover with a cloth stand on top of a folded teatowel placed on top of the simmering plate lid. 5 Leave to rise until doubled in size about 30 minutes. 6 On a floured worktop divide the dough in half knead in the chosen flavourings for each loaf. 7 Grease and flour two450g loaf tins or large baking trays. 8 Shape the loaves and put them in the tins. Put to rise again on the simmering plate lid until doubled in size again (about 30 minutes). 9 Brush the tops with beaten egg. 10 To bake have the ovenshelf on the third or fourth set of runners from the top of the roasting ovento allow some rising this will depend upon the type of tin used. Bake for 30 minutes remove from the tins or turn upside down if using a baking tray return to the ovenfor 10 minutes until the bread is crisp and sounds hollow when knocked. 11 Cool on wire rack. 12 Flavourings:75g stoned olives4 tbsp freshly chopped mixed herbs2 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes (the olive oil in the recipe can be replaced with the tomato oil) 13 75g freshly grated gruyere or sbrinz75g finely chopped walnuts 14 The range of breads available today can be mind boggling. I love to see what is new in the shops but I do draw breath at the cost of some of the more exotic or interesting breads. They are easy to make cost a fraction of the commercial variety and very often taste better. I like to make a mixed variety of breads sometimes loaves or sometimes a ring of rolls taken from the variety made. Grease a 230mm round cake tin shape 8 rolls place 7 round the outside of the tin and one in the middle. Rise and bake in the usual way. This quantity will make two small loaves. The quantity of flavourings given is enough for one loaf.