Confessions of a Bake-a-holic!

When it comes to topics that interest me like Baking and Painting,I have a strong sense of perseverance.I began my journey with an unpredictable oven that my Mom had. Those days my experience was limited to few cookies/biscuits.Reading helped me a lot, I learnt different techniques and methods.Baking Breads is something I enjoy the most because I feel they are more challenging when compared to baking cakes/cookies/flans/tarts.Making the right dough,Fermenting and Proofing…..ahh there is so much to it.In general, if Breads turn to have a course texture it means the dough was too soft ,wasn’t kneaded well or it may have been over proofed.In the same way,if you had cracked crust that’s because of the dough being too stiff or underproofed.The more I bake the more I know, how satisfying it is.These days I have been working a lot with whole grain baking too and am thoroughly impressed as to how healthy baking can get.

For now its “Tomato and Onion Cottage Bread” which I had made few days back.When I baked this for the first time I felt the top was a li’l soggy compared to the one I made the second time as it was underbaked.So by trial and error I work things out. If I am not sure of any recipe,I work with small portions first to ensure I don’t waste much.

Photo Courtesy - Friend R,who is an amazing Photographer,you may check his site here
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Recipe Source - The complete book of Home Baking by Heilie Pienaar, gifted to me by my cousin H.

Preparation Time 1 hr(including one hour of baking)

Makes one large round Bread

Filling:

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 Medium onion,finely chopped

1 clove garlic,crushed

3 medium tomatoes,skinned and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or a tsp ground black peper to taste

A tsp salt

Bread:

4 C bread flour

1 tsp salt

A tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp easy blend yeast

A tbsp olive oil

200 ml warm milk

Method: For Filling - Heat oil in a heavy sauce pan and Saute onion and garlic until soft.Add tomatoes and seasoning.Simmer for ten minutes or until tomatoes have softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.Leave it cool slightly.

For Bread: Sift flour and salt into a bowl.Add sugar,yeast and one third of the tomato filling.Mix,Add oil and enuf milk and mix it to a soft dough.Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.Place dough in a oiled bowl,cover and leave it to rise in a warm place until double in size.Turn dough into a lighly floured surface and knead until smooth.Shape into a round and place on a greased baking tray.Cut a large cross in top of the round and fill with remaining tomato filling.Leave to prove in a warm place to double in size.Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 40-45 mins, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on base.And here it is:)

And a small piece…

Verdict: This one is a perfect for an evening snack or morning breakfasts.Usually breads are too plain,the Onions and tomatoes in this recipe surely adds a zing to the taste.These breads taste bests when eaten the same day its baked.