B is for Bread

I have been wanting to start baking my own bread for a while, but the whole hours of work and kneading was not the most appealing thing in the world.

So when I came across the idea of no-knead bread with next to no effort involved, just a bit of time to do all the work, I had to give it a go. I found this website to be the most helpful, as it explains the why not just the how.

Basically put 3 cups plain flour, (I have been using 2 cups no-name and one cup of wholemeal organic flour) 1.5-2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp dried yeast in a bowl and mix. Now add 1.5 cups water and mix (I find I have to add just a bit more water to make it all come together. It should be sticky to touch, with no dry bits of flour left.

Cover this with gladwrap and leave overnight (I do the first step before going to bed at night, it takes less than 5 mins)

Optional step - in the morning get a spoon and beat the mixture down before covering again. Last loaf I made I forgot to do this and it had no discernable impact on the loaf.

The Yeast doing all the work

The following evening I heat up my baking dish - a rectangular cast iron casserole dish in a very hot oven, around 250 degrees celcius. It must be a dish with a lid. Initially I used two smaller dishes, hence the two loaves below, but now am just using one larger one, it's about 4 litres in size I'm guessing.

While that heats, I shake flour over the dough in the bowl, use a wooden spoon to pull it away from the sides and then tip it out onto a floured piece of baking paper. I roll it around a little to ensure that the whole loaf is floured and then when the dish is hot I flop the lot into it, cover and leave in the oven 30 mins.

Using the lid creates a steam like effect, that gives you a loaf like a bread artisan would make. After 30 mins take the lid off and cook for a further 15-20 mins at the same heat. Tip it out onto a wooden board, and listen to the crust crackle as it cools. It will be hard to wait, but if you can leave it for at least an hour it will be the best loaf you've ever eaten. Delicious plain, toasted, with oil and dukkah....oh the possibilities.

Loaves just out of the oven. (Can you hear them crackle)

Just looking at them is making me hungry, oh and the fact that it's lunch time

And this is the inside of a loaf. We have a woodfired sourdough place that sells loaves which don't taste much different to these for 6-7 dollars a piece. I reckon this one costs under a dollar and takes about 15 mins maximum time to make (plus 24 hours where you are not involved.)

I gave Allison some last night, and she said it was amazing. So amazing that she doesn't want the recipe, she just wants me to make it for her. Anyhow, hope some of you try it out. It really is failsafe. Well so far at least, and i'm on my third loaf and more coming!

A is for active

I saw another blog using the idea of the alphabet to head her posts, so I am going to try, that I will make my way through the alphabet of posts.

Active, because I had an active weekend. On Saturday morning B, D and I got up early in the misty rain and drove through fog to do Drawing Room Rocks walk. It wasn't really raining much at all, the wetest part is brushing past all the heathy plants once you get up on top of the hill. The mist clings to them, hits your leg and runs down. I had my goretex jacket and some gaiters so my top and my feet stayed nice and dry, my legs however were soaked.

I am quite proud that we surprised ourselves by how quickly we did the walk, only half an hour up and a bit less back. No stops required. We have to plan a harder walk next time.

At the top it was a complete white out, that is, we were in the middle of the cloud. It made sitting on the chair look quite interesting, we thought we could just insert our own background. When I get photos off D I'll share.

Sunday morning B, A and I went rockclimbing, down at Thompson's Point, near the university. It was raining the night before, but obviously not all night as it had dried out enough to climb. Thinking back, it was the first outdoor climb I had done since starting a coaching course at Hangdog Gym in Wollongong that I did for a month or more, and I could really tell the difference. B is going to do a mountaineering course in NZ in Jan so she was wanting to do some training hence the walk and the climb. The exciting thing about the climb is that there is a grade 15 climb which I had never succeeded in climbing, and yesterday, no problems. It was amazing how much difference a little bit of climbing made to what I could do. I was all ready to go on for something bigger but we ran out of time.

Garden wedding

A young couple from my church got married on the weekend. It seems like a few weeks ago that they announced their engagement, but it was actually almost a year. It was at a friends property in Kangaroo Valley (One of those freaky parts of the world that's always green, reasonable weather - if I wouldn't have to drive over a mountain to get to work I'd live there.)

The wedding aisle...

Catherine and Naomi, two of the bridesmaids singing a song Naomi wrote as the signing of the register happens

Cam and Brie, the happy couple

And straigt to wedding photos. Aren't the bridesmaids dresses lovely. I think I want one.

Warning! Giant Strawberry!

Actually it's just a normal sized strawberry. The title should actually be miniature apricot. Yesterday I picked, and ate my first and only apricot that grew on my tree!
It was tiny, but it was delicious, and I hope next year to have a bigger crop, but it couldn't get much more delicious.

I also ate my first blueberry off my bushes, but I neglected to take a photo of that. Just thought I'd share as it was very exciting. It fell off in my hand, and I was afraid I'd knocked it but then thought it looked quite yellow and tasted it to see.... It was ripe (hence the already bitten into nature of the poor thing.

Goodbye Grandies

my little sister J and my grandparents

For those who read this blog regularly you will know that my Grandparents have been holidaying nearby this year, which has meant that we have been able to spend time with them visiting and having them for dinner.

They go home tomorrow which is sad, but they're probably over us and our crazy lives, and grandpa needs to take his tomato seedlings home and plant them out. (He couldn't leave them in Canberra in case they didn't survive so he brought them on holidays and they were moved in and out of their cabin depending on how hot or rainy it was.

Them going isn't too said though, as I'll see them on Sunday as we are going to Canberra to see cirque de soleil. My other grandmother is coming as well and it should be a great day. I've got a packed weekend, back fence neighbours for dinner tonight, garage saleing, wedding and a 21st tomorrow, canberra Sunday and monday morning an interview with the newspaper for the permaculture group.

See you next week...

Hannah

This Morning

I love my mornings, it is my productive time. This morning I got up, read for a few minutes then made fresh lasagne sheets with my pasta maker all organic and lovely yellow colour. I chopped up the leeks and eggplants and capsicum ready for cooking tonight as well and covered them.

I then made my breakfast, homemade muesli with organic natural yoghurt and preserved quinces (heaven in a jar) and took it into my front garden to eat while I read part of a chapter from The Purpose Driven Life. I try and read this book regularly as it challenges me where I am becoming complacent in my faith and my relationship with God. Today it was on authentic worship - more than music. Worship is about being a living sacrifice. Living in a way that says I believe in a God who loves me. Living in community, Living creatively, Living fully.

Then I cleaned up a bit, got ready for work and fed my chookies and watered the pots. And raced to work as time got away from me.

100 foot salad

Took this photo as a joke, but really like it.

This salad is almost all from my garden (Beetroot from a friend's garden and potato was bought)

But the ingredients that didn't travel were...

Lettuce (two varieties)

rocket

celery

broad beans

mint

dill

coriander

chives

mizuna

eggs

And it really was delicious, and lasted well, I had the leftovers for lunch today (two days later) and still crisp and fresh and yummy.