BREAD

                     

Bread Bin

Bread as an archetype nutriment has become an everyday habit, throughout the centuries and in  all geographic regions. From the Fertile Crescent, where wheat was domesticated and spread and spread North and West to Europe and North Africa and East towards Asia.  Charred crumbs olf flatbread prepared from wild wheat and barley, between 14.600 - 11.600 years ago have been found in an archaeological site in Jordan predating the earliest known making of bread from cultivated wheat by 1000 years     

 

Find below several recipes for various kinds of bread.

 

                                                  IRISH SODA BREAD

A delicious bread that is very easy to prepare.

 

500 g (1 lb) plain flour sifted with

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Salt to taste

150 ml (5 liquid oz) Greek yogurt

150 ml (5 liquid oz) milk

Lukewarm water

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Place the sifted ingredients into a large bowl and pour in the yogurt, milk, and enough tepid water and mix very well together to form a soft dough.  Place the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a round loaf.  Transfer it to a tin lined with oiled baking parchment and score a shallow cross with a sharp knife.  Bake for 30 minutes then turn it over and bake for 15 minutes more and place on a rack to cool.

 

                                                       HERB BREAD

Do prepare this aromatic bread.

750 g (3 cups) plain flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 packet active yeast

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tbsp snipped chives

1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

312.5 ml (1 ¼ cups) warm water

2 tbsp butter

 

Mix 2 cups of flour with the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.  Add the herbs and the warm water and beat adding the remaining flour until smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and a small blanket and allow the dough to prove for 30 minutes until doubles in bulk.  Punch the dough down and knead for 3-4 minutes on a floured surface.

 

Place the dough in a greased loaf tin, cover, and let it rise once more for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.  Bake in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for 40-45 minutes  Brush the top of the baked bread with butter and remove from the oven to cool.

 

 

                                                 PLAIN WHITE BREAD

500 g (1 lb) plain flour mixed  with

1 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp Greek honey

Warm water

2 tbsp olive oil

 

Mix the flour and yeast well together.  Stir in the honey diluted in a little warm water, then add the salt and mix thoroughly together.  Knead the dough adding enough warm water in stages until a soft, pliable dough is formed.  Finally, add the olive oil and knead for 5 minutes more. 

 

Cover the dough and allow to prove for 30-35 minutes or until doubled In bulk.   Shape into loaves and place in a tin lined with baking parchment and allow to prove once more until doubled in bulk.  Slash the dough diagonally on the surface of each loaf lengthwise and bake in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for 30 minutes then lower the heat and bake for 25 minutes more.

 

 

                                                     CHEESE BREAD

A delightful bread!

 

500 g (1 lb) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

300 cheese (140 g grated feta, 140 g grated Graviera from Crete, 20 g grated Parmesan

1 ¼ cup warm milk

½ cup olive oil

 

Mix the dry ingredients well together, adding the milk gradually until a soft pliable dough is formed.  Shape into a round loaf and place in a tin lined with oiled baking parchment.  Brush lavishly with olive oil and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) and bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown.

 

                                                     BANANA BREAD

2 cups sifted bread flour

½ tsp baking powders

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup butter

1 egg

1 vanilla

2/3 cup mashed bananas

3 tbsp yogurt

 

Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  And stir in the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas.  Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture in three parts with the yogurt.  Place in a loaf tin and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350f) for 50 minutes.

 

 

                                                       CRETAN BREAD

A delicious, nutty bread,

210 g ( 1/2 lb) wholemeal flour

210 g ( 1/2 lb) plain flour

30 g (1 oz) fresh yeast

1 tbsp Greek honey dissolved in

2 tbsp warm water

Extra water, if necessary

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil separated

Place the two kinds of flour in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the diluted yeast and extra water, very gradually, and then the salt and olive oil.  Blend until the dough forms a ball around the hook. 

Remove the dough from the food processor, place it on a floured surface and knead fr 5 minutes.  Plac the dough in a warm bowl, brush with olive oil, cover with cling film and a small blanket and allow to prove for 40 minutes until doubled in bulk.  Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes,  Shape into cylindrical loaves.  Place into a tin lined with baking parchment, cover, and let rise for 15-20 minutes more.  

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)n brush the loaves with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes or until crisp and brown.     

                                                      RAISIN BREAD

This is a recipe for a delicious bread that is really a cake.

125 ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil

300 g (1 1/2 cup) sugar

An ample pinch of salt

Thickly grated rind of 3 oranges

625 ml (2 1/2 cups) orange juice

800 g (1 lb 10 oz) self-raising flour sifted with

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp clove powder

300 g (10 oz) currants or raisins sprinkled with

2 tbsp of the above mixture  

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Whip sunflower oil with sugar, salt, and orange zest, until the sugar dissolves.  Pour in the orange juice and mix well together.  Stir in the flour until well combined, finally, fold in the currants or raisins.  

Scrape the batter into a 30 cm (12 inch)  round tin lined with baking parchment and bake for 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and reverse n a dish to cool before serving.    

                                                FOGATSA FROM CORFU

A delightful tsoureki, Easter cake, from Corfu.

8-10 cups plain flour

500 ml (2 cups) milk

1 1/2 cups melted butter

2.5 cubes of yeast

4 egg yolks 

1 tsp orange zest

1 vanilla

3 tbsp kumquat or orange spoon sweet, drained, and chopped 

1 shot of kumquat liqueur or brandy 

2 tbsp blanched and slivered almonds  

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Heat up milk and place in a bowl and add the yeast mashed with your fingers.  Stir and add one cup of flour and half of the sugar.  mix well and then leave the mixture covered until risen and doubled in bulk.   

In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the chopped kumquat or orange spoon sweet, orange zest, liqueur, and melted butter.  Combine the yeast mixture with the egg mixture and slowly add as much flour that is needed for the dough to become soft but firm.  

Cover the dough with cling film and a small blanket and place in a warm place until doubled in bulk,  As soon as the dough has risen knead it again give it a round shape and place it in a round buttered tin cover and let it prove for the last time for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.  Brush with whipped egg white, sprinkle with flaked almonds carve a sallow cross in the middle, and bake for about 1 hour until the fogatsa turns golden,  Reverse on a round dish and allow to cool before slicing.