Wed 28 Aug 2013
Bread Basics & A Chance to Win a Stand Mixer!
Posted by Clare under American in Ireland, Competition, Irish Food Blog, Irish Food Culture
[72] Comments
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that in the last few months I’ve really gotten into making my own bread. The seed was sown last year when I became addicted to the Great British Bakeoff, and was nurtured by a steady diet of Paul Hollywood’s Bread episodes and various River Cottage shows, which frequently sees the curly mopped-topped Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall whipping up batches of fresh baked breads and cakes.
There’s just something so satisfying about the process of making your own bread: the mixing, the kneading, proofing and of course watching the pale ball of dough transform into a golden, crusty loaf. That said, I have found it difficult to find the time to bake bread regularly and up until now it’s been an every-second-weekend hobby. Mixing the dough by hand means making a goopy mess of the bowl and your fingers, and the kneading process requires a clean worktop (meaning you need to sanitise it first!), 10-12 minutes of pushing and pulling the dough and then of course the clean-up afterward.
Sometimes during this laborious process, I’ll think of my beloved stand mixer, which is still sitting in a dark storage space in my hometown of Los Angeles. Put simply, when it comes to breads and cakes (and a million other edibles), it does the work for you and makes it easy to have homemade baked goods without having to schedule a chunk of time in your diary.
So I was thrilled beyond belief when I was offered a beautiful stand-mixer to test out for a company in the UK called HiFi-Tower. It’s an e-commerce site known for having the best hi fi systems in the UK, and appeals to those looking for hi fi system, passive speaker, headset microphone and other audio accessories. But upon closer inspection, they also offer a variety of kitchen appliances like food processors, meat mincers, coffee makers and…STAND MIXERS!
The kind folks at HiFi-Tower sent me a beautiful, shiny red Klar Stein Gracia Rossa mixer, which performs as great as it looks. It’s German made, and not widely available outside of the country, and that’s why HiFi-Tower is offering it on their site (“Why not let people outside of Germany have access to this beautiful piece of machinery?” reckoned one of the company’s reps – good thinking!). Unlike my stand mixer back home, the Klar Stein is light-weight and very easy to use. There are 10 speed settings, three different attachments (paddle, dough hook and whisk), plus a 5-litre stainless steel bowl and bowl lip attachment to protect you from flour clouds (you know what I’m talking about!). The bottom of the mixer features suctions to ensure the mixer stays in place on your countertop. As it is fitted with a German plug, HiFi Tower provides a free adapter so you can use it almost anywhere in Europe.
I tested the Klar Stein the other day as I wanted to make a couple of loaves of bread for some new workmates. It was a weeknight and I didn’t have the time to hand mix, knead, etc. so I chucked all the ingredients into the bowl, used the paddle attachment to mix for three minutes and then switched it out with the dough hook to work the gluten for 4-5 minutes (with hand kneading you need to double that time). The mixer worked like a dream and in no time I had two, crusty rounds of spelt country bread to take to work.
Don’t get me wrong – when I have the time, I love doing the process by hand. But with a stand mixer, I can easily whip up a batch of homemade bread even on a weeknight after work, and that to me is priceless. I’m looking forward to making cakes, whipping eggs and cream and making all kinds of other culinary delights with my new mixer – and now you can too.
HiFi-Tower is also giving me another Klar Stein, exactly as you see it here, to give to one lucky blog reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post (only one entry per person – multiple entries by the same person will be automatically disqualified) and fill in the blank: “The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of ______________.” All answers will be put into a random draw, with the winner announced here on Monday, September 2nd. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday, September 1st. I’ll record the random draw as I know many of my own friends and fellow food bloggers will be entering (which is perfectly fine!) and I want to prove that the winner will be picked FAIR AND SQUARE!
This competition is open to those in the United Kingdom (excluding all Islands), Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
Best of luck – and here’s the spelt bread recipe to make with your beautiful new stand mixer if you win!
Spelt Country Round
(makes 1 medium-sized round of bread)
250 grams spelt flour
250 grams strong white flour
5 grams of fast-acting dry yeast
5 grams of sea salt
300 mls of tepid water
Extra flour and a small bit of semolina or cornmeal
In the mixer bowl, add in both flours, yeast and sea salt and combine using the paddle attachment. If you’re doing this by hand, use a spatula or your hands to combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
With the mixer on a low speed (setting 3-4), slowly add in the tepid water. The dough will start to come together quite quickly and all the flour should incorporate into the water and form a sticky dough. Let it mix on for another 3 minutes (still using paddle attachment here). If you’re doing this by hand, pour the water into the dry ingredients and using your hand bring the dry and wet ingredients together. It will be very sticky at this point but once you get all the flour off the sides/bottom of the bowl, turn it out onto a surface that you’ve lightly brushed with olive oil, and start kneading. It will be very sticky at first, but after a few minutes it will start to pull away from your fingers and form into a more smooth dough. Continue to knead the dough for another 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth.
If you’re using the mixer: after the three minutes is up, switch to the dough hook attachment and turn up the speed to 5. Let the dough hook do its job for about 4 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth.
At this stage, everything is the same for both mixer and handmade: Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and put into a warm place (I use my hot press) for 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
After the dough has doubled in size, carefully tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and press the air out of the dough with your fingers. Do this for about 1-2 minutes, or until the air is knocked out. Form the dough into a neat ball and place into a proofing basket or bowl or chopping board – just make sure whatever you use that it’s well floured so the dough won’t stick. Let it rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 250 C, and place a baking pan on the floor of your oven. While the oven is heating up, sprinkle some semolina or corn meal onto a baking tray – this helps the dough from sticking to the pan. Tip the dough out carefully onto the baking tray, and then slash the top – I usually do a square slash on the top, but you can do whatever design you like. When the oven is ready, open the door and pour a small cup (teacup) of water into the baking pan on the floor of the oven, now quickly put your baking tray in the oven (not on the baking pan but on a rack above it) and close the door. Let it bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temp down to 190C and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
Tap the top and bottom of the bread after you remove it from the oven – it should have a nice, hollow sound.
Enjoy!
… My Granny’s kitchen!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of walking past McCloskey’s bakery in Drogheda on my way to dance class on Friday evenings as a child!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of Sunday brunch with the family. Picking up a fresh baguette and wholegrain loaf in the local bakery, coming back and sharing food, stories and craic with the family.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of how much I love the smell of napalm in the morning 🙂
Cool comp Clare!
….being in the Gaeltacht, where we went as teenagers to learn Irish. For me that meant Connemara in Co Galway. The waking up each day to the Bean an Tigh’s (lady of the house – basically our Mom for three weeks) beautiful fresh brown bread. Eating it with butter for breakfast and then after the Ceili(dance) every evening with super hot tea, jam and butter before bread. Memories!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of spending long, fun filled days in the kitchen with my grandmother learning all the family recipes
Fresh baked bread reminds me of when I used to cycle, first thing in the morning, past the bakery when I worked in Mallorca. The smell would linger with me as I cycled up the hill to work. I’d go back at lunchtime and purchase a fresh baguette to devour for lunch……yum…..I still love the smell of fresh baked bread, no other foodie smell can beat it!
The smell of fresh bread reminds me of Saturday evenings with my dad, after taking us all swimming we wiuld have a delicious fry and fresh bread mmmmm.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of afternoons in my grams kitchen. Watched her bake bread so many times, still haven’t managed to nail hers. She never measured anything!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of mammys kitchen where there is always a loaf or 2 in the making or waiting to be covered in thick creamy butter
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of my grandmothers kitchen when we visited. The scent of almost anticipation knowing that when you went home there would be ‘something small’ tucked in the car for later … and if you timed it right you would have some there and then!
being ditched in my Grandparents house by my Parents.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of early morning passing of Bretzel Bakery on the hard cycle to work!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of getting up and coming down in the morning at my grandma’s house.
of long summer days cycling in the French Alps, fuelled by baguettes and pain au chocolat.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of my great grandad – he was a master baker and always made fresh bread for the family.
It reminds me that I user to go to the butchers and they would cook home cured bacon, and serve in fresh baked bread, So Lovely.
Warm, cosy winters afternoons when I was little.
I have not bought a loaf of bread from the shops for over 2 years now. I make my bread every single day by hand. I am now disabled and I struggle with the kneading but will not give in because I do not want to go back to shop bought bread. We all love our daily loaf and rolls. This mixer would make the kneading process sooo much easier. Its one I could not afford to buy on my disability money – and if I didnt get it – then I would continue to make my bread no matter what. I love making bread, I lovew the smell of it cooking,I love a hot bread roll for breakfast, and I love the taste and texture of good fresh cooked bread. Cant beat it
Fresh bread from my local bakers yummy x
The smell of fresh baked bread reminds me of being on the Ormeau road in Belfast as a child when The Bakery was an actual bakery and not fancy apartments
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of home, we usually set a loaf off to cook in the bread maker for the morning at weekends.
…being little. My mother baked a lot when I was a child, particularly fresh brown bread. I remember impatiently waiting until the bread was cool enough to eat, I could never understand why we weren\’t allowed to eat it as soon as it came out of the oven!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of work… however, I still love the smell 🙂
School – they made amazing bread baps!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of being on school holidays as a kid, walking to the local village with my mam and walking into the supermarket’s bakery section…. ahhhh! Still one of my favourite smells in the world.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of sleepy early mornings working in a smoothie shop, brightened by the delivery of sticky caramel rolls by the Breadsmith bakers next store. Despite the delicious and ever-evolving food scene of Ireland, I have yet to find a bakery that does sticky caramel rolls as well as the ones from Minnesota. I’m hoping to learn how to make my own!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of Summer trips to visit my grandparents in Donegal!
….reminds me of my life before my little bundle of joy! I used to bake bread every time before being a mum, now it’s simply not possible anymore! I cannot have my hands dirty for 10 minutes to knead, so any machine like this one would be lovely for me 🙂 !!
Martina
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of working in SPAR as a teenager and putting the Cuisine de France baguettes into the oven early in the morning.
…rainy summer days when I was little. As we couldn’t go outside then we baked instead!
Fresh and warm bread is almost dangerous as I can’t stop eating it until it’s all gone! 🙂
Reminds me of grandma’s house!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of home…the Christmas at my grandmother house when she was making fresh bread in the morning with all her grandchildren “helping”…what a fantastic way to remember it…
Coming home from school in the autumn evenings to wheaten or soda bread baking. It\’s a back to school thing!
The smell of freshly baked bread reminds me of cockadoodledoos at 5 ams on school holidays – granny calling me for breakfast with a nice cuppa of coffee – sitting around our round humble kichen table and savouring the most delicious meal of the day, I love breakfasts, I love bread! I really would like this gift.
Oh Clare, I haven’t baked a bread for a while and feel bad about it. I can’t wait to go back on track and start baking regularly.
I will save your recipe as I have some spelt flour left, so it will be perfect.
While I’m located in the US I can’t enter the contest, but I do think it’s pretty awesome! I love the idea of baking bread, but working with yeast scares me. I feel like I’d be destined to screw it up.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of time well spent. Nothing like it, could do with that lovely machine to workaround my messy kitchen.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of home, my country – Poland, where fresh bread is part of everyday breakfast!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of home – of comfort soups with warm brown bread and lazy mornings with newspapers, coffee and fruit scones with jam and melty butter.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of weekends breakfasts in my family home when I was a smallie myself, so eager to get back to playing and not appreciating my mothers loving efforts…now its me baking the bread these days!
The smell of fresh baked bread reminds me of visiting my aunts with fresh baked soda bread from the oven with butter melting all over!!
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of coming home from school as a child to fresh warm soda bread with homemade raspberry jam…yum!
Mam used to make this bread mix, put it in a biscuit tin, light a fire and let it burn down to embers, put the tine in and cover with the Myers, let to cook and then eat straight away with a bit of butter. It was nearly always burnt but it was gorgeous and the smell was amazing
Shopping in superquinn every Thursday evening and then going to the chipper and sharing a bag of chips with some fresh crunchy bread to make the best chip buttie ever
My house before visitors come. It sounds awful but I only ever make bread when I have guests. In the winter I make it a lot more. Guinness bread with walnuts is my speciality. I could fire out the loaves if I had a fancy mixer 😉
It reminds me of home, no matter where I am in the world the s,ell of bread cooking is always gorgeous
The smell of bread baking reminds me of my granny. She was super strict and didn’t let us watch TV until after 4pm but she made the best bread and apple tarts ever
Sunday mornings at home, mum always makes brown bread and scones for breakfast.
The smell of fresh-baked bread reminds me of going to the gym in the morning, just as they’re baking the loaves in the bakery which is on the floor below. It’s torture!