I make our bread on a weekly basis. I use 1/2 wholemeal 1/2 strong white and although I have a bread maker I always hand make. Bread is getting more expensive as I am sure alot of you will have noticed. Our local bread shop is on the market, the business has been there since the 1800's, I wonder if customers are going to the supermarkets instead. I get my flour from a local bakery, it comes in small paper sacks (about 15lbs) and the last lot cost me 33p 1lb. I keep my flour stockpile in a second fridge in the utility, wrapped in plastic bags it keeps for ages.
After I have kneaded it, it goes back in the bowl to rise. At this point I put a cereal box 'inner' bag over it. When a cereal box is emptied I take out the inner, pull it apart at the seams and wash it. Then it gets used for breadmaking (below), for wrapping things in the fridge, lining cake tins and wrapping our sandwiches for packed lunches. It can be used over and over again
As well as the weeks bread I also made a traybake, waiting to be iced, for packed lunches this week, and a Weetabix Cake to make the most of the electricity used to heat the oven. Weetabox Cake is really easy - and very very tasty. The receipe is below if you want to try it.
WEETABIX CAKE
2 weetabix
1 cup raisins or sultanas - whichever you have
1 cup sugar
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup milk
Mix all ingredients together, put in a loaf tin and cook! I told you it was easy!!
(Notice no fat or eggs in this one).
Well I am off to watch Top Gear with Ian - and wrap the last 1/2 dozen Christmas boxes. I told my friend that they were last, but she gave me a wicked grin and said - 'yeah - until next year!!'
What a great idea for the cereal box liners. I hate throwing them away, so now I'll do what you do and wash and re-use them. Thanks for the top tip :o)
ReplyDeleteI love your new scales! And I enjoyed seeing all the pictures of your breadmaking. I love to make bread, but I haven't in quite awhile as it takes a lot of "arm-strength". The bread and cakes looked gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the Weetabix cake. It sounds as if it could be one that even I could make ... if you tell me how long I have to cook it for!!!!
ReplyDeleteSue
Great idea for the liners, I will certainly be using your idea! Love the sound of the weetabix cake too so might give it a go!
ReplyDeleteJane
x
Oh, a fun post! I love seeing what bakers in other parts of the world are doing -- that bread looks fabulous! I'll bet your house smells great on bread day! I love your new scales too!
ReplyDeleteFresh baked bread, what a treat!! I love it when it is still slightly warm out of the oven...looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe for Weetabix cake. I think I could do this one. :o)
ReplyDeleteSmiles to you...
Beverly
I love your new scale!!! And the color is very pretty as well.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm I just love the smell of freshly baked bread in the house!
Nice scales, they look good on your worktop. I'm impressed that you make your own bread, I've made it once or twice in the past but not sure I'd feel like making it every week. Anyway I'd only eat it....
ReplyDeleteI have been reading and enjoying your blog for some time now, but have never left a comment before. I too bake my own bread every week and I plan on trying the cake recipe today. It was the title of your blog that initially caught my attention as I also live in Shropshire and love it!
ReplyDeleteHiya, kadeeae from MSE here :-)
ReplyDeleteIt all looks so good! And I've copied the recipe to give it a go this weekend! Any secret to getting the rolls so nice and brown? I use 50/50 wholemeal & white too, and my rolls always seem to look a bit anaemic although they taste great.
Your loaves and rolls look very appetising and I can almost taste them with lashings of butter and good jam on them. I used to make my own bread but haven't done so for ages as I think I have a wheat intolerance. I used to make a sort of swiss roll with bread dough rolled around brown sugar, butter and cinammon which was gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteweetabix cake - must try that.
ReplyDeleteI love your new scales! What a great find (and bargain)! All your baking looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteKadeeae, Hiya!! No secret to the colour of the rolls, I think I just have a really good oven which does things quite evenly.
ReplyDeleteThose scales would go very nicely in my kitchen and a great tip for the inner cereal wrappers, although I use mine in my compost caddy! My other half loves fresh warm crusty bread, yours looks really lovely, I must confess to having not made bread since my days at school in home economics, even though this was many moons ago I do remember the smell of the fresh yeast. You are right the cost of bread in the supermarkets has gone through the roof, they know they can get away with eat because there is still a great demand for it, the same as fuel, that's another story! Weetabix cake, well I have never heard of that, thanks for the recipe, did you invent it? Louise x
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