Numeracy and literacy in breadmaking

This is a handout I was asked to prepare for a session bringing numeracy into breadmaking. Following this is a handout concentrating on literacy in breadmaking.

Numeracy in breadmaking

(I use mugs to measure how much flour and water to use in breadmaking – and I also use scales and jugs. You’ll find both amounts given in my recipes.)

Ratios in breadmaking:

Flour and water:

3 mugs of flour needs 1 mug of water – a ratio of 3:1

2 mugs of flour needs 2/3 mug of water

1 mug of flour needs 1/3 mug of water

Lukewarm water.

2:1 (2 to 1) cold water to hot will give you lukewarm water – or two parts from the cold tap to one part from the kettle.

Proportions using scales:

200g flour needs 125ml liquid (or 125g) liquid (1g of water is the same weight as 1ml of water, so one litre of water  - 1000ml - weighs one kilogram - 1000g)

400g needs 250ml

800g needs 500ml

Fractions:

Dividing the dough into 8 pieces (to make rolls for instance). This means cutting the dough into two pieces (2 halves), each half into two (4 quarters) and each quarter into two again (8 eighths).

This also applies when cutting Chelsea buns (and it’s perhaps a bit clearer).

1/3^rd or 2/3rds of a mug of water

Multiplying and adding:

Place the rolls on the baking sheet in two rows of four – because we know that 2 x 4 = 8 (or 4 plus 4 = 8)

Counting:

Roughly speaking, you should knead the dough about 20 times before it becomes smooth and ready for the next step. Count each time you press the dough flat. It may need another 5 or 10 flattenings.

Whisking the sugar and water to dissolve the sugar needs about 100 ‘stirs’ before the sugar disappears.

Costs:

1 bag of flour weighing 1.5kg (1500g) costs - at the moment - 69p at Lidl, and £1.29 at Morrison’s or Sainsbury’s. [Note: It's difficult to keep up - yesterday (23/3/11) bread flour at Morrison's had gone down to 50p!]

Using 500g of flour (which will make a loaf weighing a bit less than 800g), a bag of flour will make 3 loaves – so each loaf will cost roughly 23p with flour from Lidl, and 43p using flour from the other two supermarkets. (69 divided by 3 – or 129 divided by 3.)

Literacy in breadmaking.

Planning to make bread at home.

• Looking at cookery books and on line, then choosing which bread to make – finding the right recipe(s).
• Referring to the recipes to decide what ingredients are needed.
• Making a shopping list. Arranging a trip to the shops and finding and buying the ingredients. (Always stock the basic ingredients - flour, yeast, salt, sugar)
• Collecting the equipment together. (Keep it all in one place.)

A recipe generally has 2 sections – ingredients, a list of what goes to make up the bread, usually one or two words and amounts; and method – often step by step instructions on how to make the recipe. (Imperative verbs)

(In all cooking, it’s a good idea to read the recipe all the way through before beginning.)

Terms. (Some of the words used in breadmaking)            Ingredients:

Measuring                                                                    Strong bread flour

Lukewarm water                                                          Yeast  

Mixing                                                                          Salt                                                     

Kneading (flattening and folding)                                 Sugar                          

Proving, or rising                                                          Dried fruit     

Baking                                                                          Spices                                                 

Cooling                                                            

Glazing                                                           

Eating                                                             

Equipment:

Apron (both to protect you from the food – and the food from you), mixing bowl, jug, mug, teaspoon, rolling pin, baking paper,  baking tray, oven, pastry brush

And also:

Soaking (the mixing bowl)

Clearing (the table)

Wiping (the table)

Washing the equipment

Wiping it dry

Putting away

Suggested activities:

Write a couple of sentences about how you feel when you’re making bread.

Write a poem about making bread – how it feels, how you feel when you’re making it, or when you’re eating it!

There are different words for bread in other countries – the German word for bread is ‘brot’, which is quite similar to our word. In Italy bread is called ‘pane’, which is close to the French, ‘pain’.

Pane al cioccolata

(Italian chocolate bread)

Ingredients:

200g strong white flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 dessertspoon cocoa powder

125ml lukewarm liquid including 1 dessertspoon fresh yeast

2 tablespooons olive oil

Plus:

100g 70% chocolate, chopped roughly

And:

1 dsp sugar for a sugar glaze

Method:

1. Place the yeast in a measuring jug then measure up to 125ml with lukewarm water and stir to dissolve.

2. Whilst the yeast is working, place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix the cocoa powder evenly in with the flour. When the yeast is ready, add to the mix and then pour the olive oil into the liquid in the bowl. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, place the dough on the worktop and press out into a rough circle. Place the chocolate on top of the dough and fold the dough over. Gently knead the dough to spread the chocolate evenly throughout.

6. Shape the loaf by pulling up the dough at the sides with your fingertips and pushing it down in the middle; do that all round the dough. This will have the effect of smoothing the underneath of the dough. Then turn it over and shape it into a round. Place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

7. Leave to prove until it has risen appreciably. Then bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 15-20 minutes. It is done when it is browned underneath. If your oven is browning the top of the loaf too fast, cover with foil or baking parchment.

8. Brush with a sugar glaze made with 1 dsp sugar and 2 dsps hot water.

Variation:

Try adding some dried fruit at step five, such as dates, prunes or apricots – chopped cashew nuts or walnuts go well also!

FOCACCIA

Ingredients:
400g (or 2 mugs) strong flour – either all white or a mix of white and wholemeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh yeast
250ml (or 2/3rds mug) lukewarm water
2 tbs olive oil

Plus:

Olive oil to drizzle

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the fresh yeast. Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, pour in the yeast liquid, then add the olive oil if using.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by flattening the dough out, folding it over and flattening it again. If the dough is too sticky, instead of putting extra flour on your worktop, place some in the bowl, put the dough back in and turn it round to coat it all over. That way you keep the flour under control and you won’t be tempted to add too much. Knead until the dough becomes smooth – and then stop before you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag – all day if necessary - until you are ready for step 5. Or go straight to step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, knock the dough back and roll it out to about 3cm (1 inch) thick on a lightly floured worktop. Place it on a prepared baking sheet.

6. Dimple the dough by pressing your fingertips into the dough so it leaves impressions about a centimetre deep. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread, so that the holes are filled. Leave to prove until it has risen appreciably.

7. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 30-35 minutes.

Towards the end of the baking period the oil on top of the focaccia mysteriously disappears. One moment it’s there – and the next it’s gone!

Here's a slightly different version I made to bake in my chiminea tonight (8/3/11):

250g Doves organic wholemeal strong flour

50g strong white

30g ground flaxseeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

215g lukewarm water and 5g tomato puree

10g fresh yeast

25-30g extra virgin olive oil

I wanted this in a hurry (hence the tomato puree - for the vitamin C which helps gluten form) so I quickly mixed a sticky dough - left it for about ten minutes, shaped it into a cob shape then rolled it out into a 2cm thick oval. This was then placed on baking parchment on a baking tray with a lip (to catch any olive oil that may escape!).

Deep holes were pressed in the dough and filled with olive oil

 The chiminea was now ready, so, to give the focaccia a kickstart by which time it was risen enoughI placed it in the oven for just one minute. It was then taken out for 5. This was repeated once more, then left in for between 15-18 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to see the bottom wasn’t burning. After this time the underneath was cooked, but the top was showing no sign of browing – although the olive oil had disappeared, which was a good sign the loaf was nearly ready.

After 7 or 8 minutes upside down the bread was cooked. And it tasted just gorgeous! 

Top...

...and bottom

Covered pizza - or pizza with a lid

When I make a pizza I start with the base. I make sure the dough is full of flavour by adding various ingredients - often what I have hanging around.

Place both pieces of dough on baking parchment - makes them easier to handle. But don't leave the lid on the paper too long - it can easily stick.

Lid safely on. Leave to prove until the dough is puffy. 

Ingredients:

200g strong white flour

1 teaspoon bouillon powder

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

1 teaspoon curry powder

100g lukewarm water with 25g tomato puree stirred in

1 rounded teaspoon fresh yeast or level teaspoon of dried yeast

25g of the sun-dried tomato oil

4 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

Pieces of roasted pepper, chopped small (I used about a tablespoonful - just to finish off the jar)

Topping:

Houmous

Slices of fried vegetarian sausage

1 sliced tomato

Several sliced mushrooms

Fresh basil

Method:

1. Place the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Stir the yeast into the tomato/water mixture until it’s dissolved (dried yeast takes a little longer to dissolve than fresh) and add it to the flour. Pour the oil into the liquid once it's in the bowl, then add the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, starting with the yeast, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – and stop before you get fed up!

4. Prepare your baking sheets, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and place it on your worktop. Divide the dough into  or 2 equal pieces and form each piece gently into a cob shape. Have plenty of flour to hand and liberally scatter flour over the dough and worktop. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough to the size of your baking sheets and place them both on baking parchment.

5. Spread the base with houmous and cover with slices of sausage, tomato and mushroom then scatter shredded basil over and sprinkle with herbs and black pepper.

6. Place the other piece of dough carefully over the pizza and peel off the baking parchment.

7. Leave to prove until the dough has become puffy at the edges.

8. Place in a hot oven, 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for 15-20 minutes, turning round halfway through if necessary. When they're done the pizzas will lift up all along one side when you check underneath, using a palette knife. The bottom should be browning from the edges.

When I say browning, I don't mean this:

Oops! Still haven't cracked it with my chiminea! Still tasted excellent - it was bursting with flavour.

For how it came to look like this, have a look at my chiminea post.

Hungarian chocolate bread

In the summer of 1998, as the Chairperson of the Community Education committee at a local comprehensive, I helped organise a visit to Hungary – by coach, which was an interesting experience in itself – it took us 26 hours! It was a fantastic trip and the Hungarians made us very welcome indeed. The local population pulled out all the stops and could not do enough for us.

One afternoon we were told there was a folk dancing group we really must see. So we piled into our bus – about 38 of us - and drove out to a small village hall a few miles from Pecs in Southern Hungary.

Where we were completely blown away!

It was a typical village hall, we all collected a chair, unfolded it and sat around the walls of the hall wondering what to expect.

We heard a burst of music outside – then in trouped this colourful, exceptional folk dance troupe! We found out later they had won prizes all over Europe.

They proceeded to dance for us for about three quarters of an hour. Then the men all produced handkerchiefs which they laid at the feet of the female members of our group as an invitation for them to join in.

The men were similarly invited and we all spent a few minutes laughing and trying to match the steps of our hosts. There was a wonderful sense of community, of two cultures mingling, and the whole experience shines bright in my memory.

Afterwards we were served refreshments which consisted of small glasses of schnapps – and slices of two-toned, sweet, fruit bread – Hungarian chocolate bread.

When we compared notes about the bread, later, we realised we had been served several versions of the loaf – all were two coloured, all contained dried fruit – but some said they had nuts in theirs, others chocolate chips. We reasoned that the Mayor, or someone, had said “We’ve got these English visitors coming – can a few of you make a Hungarian loaf or something for them?” So three or four loaves were made – each with their own variation.

I’ve tried to recreate it; with how much success, I’m not sure. However, it does taste wonderful!

Note: This is made with two separate doughs, one with cocoa powder and one without. When the loaf is sliced, the nuts show up pale against the chocolate bread, and the fragments of chocolate show up against the white bread. Both doughs contain dried fruit.

Ingredients for chocolate dough (1):

200g strong white flour

2 tbs sugar

1 dsp cocoa powder

100g sultanas

50g chopped cashew nuts

1 dsp fresh yeast

125ml lukewarm liquid

2 tbs olive oil

Ingredients for white dough (2):

200g strong white flour

2 tbs sugar

100g sultanas

50-100g roughly chopped good quality eating dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)

1 dsp fresh yeast

125ml lukewarm liquid

2 tbs olive oil

Plus:

1 teaspoon sugar for a sugar glaze

Method (1):

1.     Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix the cocoa powder evenly in with the flour and add the fresh yeast, crumbled, in a dip in the flour.

Method (2): As (1) but without the cocoa powder.

2.     Pour the lukewarm water over the yeast to start it dissolving, then pour the olive oil into the liquid in the bowl. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Stir the yeast, then the rest of the ingredients, with a table knife or similar, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3.     Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4.     Leave them both to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5.

5.     When you are ready to proceed, place the dough on the worktop and roll each piece into a long rope – about 25-30cm. Now twist them together into a loaf. The easiest way to do this is to lay one across your prepared baking sheet and place the other at 90 degrees over it – so that they form an X. Starting at the middle, twist them over and over each other, tucking the ends neatly underneath.

6.     Cover and leave to prove until the loaf has risen appreciably. Then bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 20-25 minutes, but check after 15. It is done when it is browned underneath. If your oven is browning the top of the loaf too fast, cover with foil or baking parchment.

7.     Brush with a sugar glaze made with one heaped teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoons boiling water.

When cooled, slice and serve with a glass of Palinka!

(There's a - not very good - pic on my daily bread thread.)


Update, 26th Feb.
Coincidentally, this morning, I bumped into two of the friends who came on the Hungary trip, Jan and Mike. Jan had seen another excursionist (is that a word?) only the day before - they spent some time reminiscing about Hungary. I have to admit, it was a very special trip - 13 years ago, and it's still fresh in the memory!

Calzone in the chiminea

Firing up the chiminea today, so I thought I'd make a calzone or two.

I still haven't quite figured out how to bake a straightforward pizza in there, yet, so calzone it is - simply because you can turn it upside down to cook the top - not recommended with a pizza!

Made up a sponge earlier on this afternoon - 5g fresh yeast, 125g water and 50g each of wholemeal and white.

Mixed it together into a sloppy dough, covered it and left it whilst I attended to a few things.

When I came back after a couple of hours it had risen to a smooth soft, very thick batter.

To this I added another 50g each wholemeal and white, plus:
1 teaspoon bouillon powder
1 heaped teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
25g oil from the s-d-tomatoes

Mixed this into a dough, kneaded it for about 20 seconds and put it in the bowl, then covered with a cloth.

Started the fire, and, when it was going nicely, I covered it with charcoal and came back into the kitchen to shape the calzones.

I roughly kneaded the bread, which was very soft, and quite sticky - but for a dough you're going to roll out, using lots of flour, it was fine.

I divided the dough into two pieces and rolled them out into circles, working on them alternately.

Here's one of them, rolled into a bit of an oblong - but hey, who cares? Then placed on baking parchment.

Then I spread half of each of them with Pateole (a very tasty vegan mushroom spread) and pesto. On this I placed 40g (roughly) of chopped vegan polony, sprinkled this with some Sheese (a vegan cheese substitute) and finally a dessertspoon of nutritional yeast and some black pepper.

The dough smooths out as it rises.

Then I lifted up the side of the dough with nothing on it and brought it over the filling and tucked it in all round. As you can see, your circles can be quite rough, but by folding the dough over the top they don't look too bad.

When I'd shaped both calzones, I covered them with a tea towel and went to check on the fire.

It was glowing hot, so I put the calzones in the top oven for a minute, just to give them a blast of heat.

After ten minutes began baking in earnest.

Took me a lot of fiddling about with various implements, but eventually I finished up with this one:

Nicely done on top

And this is what it looked like when cut open:

It tasted wonderful - and the tang of wood smoke only added to the flavour 

I had (almost) a whole one with a baked potato and some spicy lentil and tomato sauce - just gorgeous.

LARDY CAKE - vegan alternative

There are many versions of lardy cakes, with varying amounts of lard, fruit and sugar. Here is my vegan alternative suggestion, using Pure soya spread.

Chill the shortening in the freezer for 30 minutes before you start, since this will help prevent it melting as you work it into the bread. 

Ingredients.

200g strong white flour

2 dessertspoons sugar

100g sultanas
1 teaspoon mixed spice 

1 teaspoon fresh yeast

125ml lukewarm water

2 tbs olive oil 

Filling:

50-100g Pure soya spread, chilled

1 dessertspoon sugar

Topping:

Brush with a glaze made with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 dessertspoon boiling water.

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the fresh yeast. Place the flour, sugar, spice and dried fruit into a mixing bowl and mix to distribute the ingredients. Pour in the yeast liquid and add the olive oil.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary. Remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Form the dough into a cob shape and roll it out into a rectangle a bout the size of an A4 sheet. Slice the Pure thinly and place it over two-thirds of the dough. Sprinkle with one dessertspoon sugar. Fold the other third over then over again. Turn it over so that you can see the join and make sure that the Pure spread is hidden. Using a fair bit of flour, roll out to the size of the original rectangle and fold into three once more. If you want to make it flakier you can roll it and fold it once more.

5. Place on a baking sheet with a decent lip around the edge (to catch any melted fat) and lightly score the top in a diamond pattern.

6. Leave to prove on your worktop until well risen and bake for 15-20 minutes at 220C (gas 7). Look for colour underneath to show that it’s done.

7. Brush with a sugar glaze made with one teaspoon sugar to two of boiling water.

Belgian buns

These were made with dried cranberries, soaked for a little while. Rolled up, sliced and flattened - and put to prove.

Ingredients:

400g strong white flour

2 dessertspoons sugar

2 teaspoons mixed spice, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

200g dried fruit (currants, sultanas or raisins plus mixed peel)

1 dessertspoon fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon dried yeast

250ml lukewarm liquid

Good splash of olive oil          

Filling:

1 dessertspoon oil

Sugar to sprinkle

Topping:

Icing sugar and halved glace cherries

Method:

1. Place flour, sugar, spice and fruit in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix them evenly. Place the yeast in a well in the flour, then pour the water over the yeast to start it dissolving and add the olive oil.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Stir the yeast, then the rest of the ingredients, with a table knife or similar, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5. Or go straight to step 5.

5. When you're ready to proceed, roll the dough out into a rectangle, 40cm by 25cm. Brush with oil and sprinkle with the sugar. Roll up the dough along the short side, towards you, as you would a Swiss roll, and leave to rest on the seam. Cut into 16 pieces and flatten each bun down to about 1cm thick out then place on a prepared baking sheet, fairly close together. The buns should touch all round when risen which helps to keep the buns in shape. Leave to rise appreciably.

6. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 220C 425F or gas mark 7, checking the colour underneath the buns – they should be browned evenly across the bottom. You may need to remove the buns on the outside, which have browned underneath, and replace the others in the oven, upside down.

7. Cover with icing sugar and top with half a glace cherry.

Notes:

Any dried fruit will do – dried cranberries work very well, as do dried apricots (chopped fairly small)

If you plan ahead, it’s a good idea to soak the fruit beforehand. Use the soaking liquid with the yeast.

The outside buns are done, but the middle four had to go back in the oven for a couple more minutes. I want to see a little more colour on them.

As you can see, decoration is not my strong point!

Fougasse (with variations)

Ingredients:

2 mugs or 400g strong flour of your choice - I prefer half and half wholemeal and white

1/2 teaspoon salt

250ml (or 2/3 mug ) of  lukewarm water (or increase the water to 280ml and use method B here)

1 rounded teaspoon fresh yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

1. Place flour, salt and tomatoes in a mixing bowl, measure the water and stir in the fresh yeast.  Once it is dissolved, add it to the flour, followed by the olive oil.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, knock the dough back and roll it out to about 3cm (1 inch) thick on a lightly floured worktop. Place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

6. Flour the top of the dough and make several separate cuts in the bread in any design you choose, using a sharp implement of your choice. I’ve used a dough cutter, a pizza cutter, a D-shaped spatula, and scissors for this, recently. Make sure the cuts don’t run into one another and, of course, don’t run over the edge of the dough. Stretch out the holes to define them more – the holes will try and close up if you’re not careful

7. Leave to prove, covered with a tea towel, until it has risen appreciably.

8. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 25-30 minutes.

Variations:

Half a dozen chopped sun-dried tomatoes in the dough at step 1.

The same amount of bottled, grilled peppers folded in at the end of step 3.

A small handful of black olives similarly treated.

Here are several examples from a recent breadmaking session with some adults with learning disabilities:

Teaching the homeless

I've just started a course teaching breadmaking to a group of homeless guys in a hostel.

Last week each student made 3 soda breads: plain, spicy fruited and cheese - one with curry powder and cheese.

The cheese and curry one was voted the tastiest!

This week (24/1/11) we made yeast-risen breads: A freeform loaf - done with 3 short kneadings with a rest in between (method B) - Chelsea buns and apfel kuchen.

Because we don't have a lot of time in these sessions the Chelsea buns and the AK were made from one batch of dough. The dough was rolled out, brushed with oil and sprinkled with sugar, then rolled up like a Swiss roll. Half of this was cut into Chelseas and the other half rolled out and covered with slices of apple which were sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

Here's some of the breads we made

And here's some more - in the form of Spongebob Squarepants!

(7/2/11 - 3rd session out of 8) Another good session today – made four breads, two sweet and two savoury.

One batch with a dessertspoon of sugar made 3 jam doughnuts and 4 petit pain au chocolat. Roll out the dough to around pizza size, cut out 6 circles - 3 bases and 3 tops - add the jam and squidge them together. Roll out the trimmings, divide into 4, push a piece of chocolate into the dough and, once again, squidge the dough around it. Once baked, the pain au chocolat gets a sugar glaze and the doughnuts get a sugar glaze plus a sprinkling of sugar.

The second batch had salt instead of sugar – this made two ‘white’ pizzas. One French – Tarte Alsace -  and one Swiss – Emmenthal bread (link to come).

These  guys are a real pleasure to teach - quick to learn, eager to please (apart from one who said he was allergic to washing up! However he did help to clean the tables.) and appreciative of any help.

No pics, I'm afraid - I had no battery left in my mobile.

Next session (in a fortnight) we're making Italian breads. Any suggestions will be very welcome.