MESSY BAKER

This bread was a bit of an experiment, it’s the first time I baked this recipe, but it turned out such a success that I will definitely be baking it again! It is bursting with flavour – super seeds mix for the extra goodness and a touch of sweetness from the dried fruit.   Makes 2 medium sized loaves (tin loaves) Dough : 250g rye starter (100%) 320g (+30g) lukewarm water 330g white bread flour 100g rye flour 50g roastedbarley malt 10g salt Seeds porridge : 100g sunflower seeds 50g linseeds 50g pumpkin seeds 50g dried fruit (raising, currants or cranberries) 100g warm water   Prepare the porridge : toast sunflower seeds and linseeds in a preheated oven (180C) for 6-8 minutes. Combine with the rest of the seeds and fruit and add water. Leave for an hour until the water is absorbed.   Dough : Mix all flours, including roasted barley malt, with starter and 320g of water. Mix well to make sure that all the water has been incorporated and all the flour is mixed in. Leave ...

Its that time of the year when we start making up plans for the future and write down New Year resolutions. I am pretty bad with sticking to any resolutions, and in fact I’ve given up even making any for a number of years. This year I’ve decided to share my New Year resolution with all you lovely people, so if I start straying from the path you can yank me back on the straight and narrow. So, the plan is to bake a new bread every month – something traditional – from as many countries as possible, something familiar and a bit unusual at the same time, something I haven’t baked before.< Here is the plan, but I reserve the right to change it as I please :) Please, join me in my baking – I would love to see your photos January - English Cottage Bread . This is a good old traditional recipe, and I really like the fun shape of it. A nice and easy recipe to start the year. February - Pain de Campagne . Again, a very traditional French bread – I’ve read a recipe for that pain de ch...

Its November, the autumn has well and truly settled in and in case you have missed it, its Halloween season!! I swear, the shops have started selling Halloween tat back in July, but now I can give in an buy as much cra.. I mean decoration as I feel like. Plus Mr Ranty just informed me that he has ordered a smoke machine, strobe lights and horror sounds – so you can see, it’s a family event in our household Plus, Ms Rantlet is two now and is much more interested in the holidays, so I am really looking forward to introducing her to Halloween and might even have to dress her up in a silly costume or two :)   Anyway, where was I? Right, Halloween, autumn … I love autumn, I love American word for it – “fall” – because that it exactly what it feels like. The leaves are turning copper colour, the days are getting shorter, but still mild with a ray of sunshine or two. And the best thing about autumn is pumpkins – not the huge orange decorative things they sell all over the place (al...

Last weekend I made a “Canadian” Pumpkin pie, and if you think that is weird, wait till you hear the reason for the pie. It was to take to a farewell dinner with our lovely neighbours – socialising with neighbours, in London – UNHEARD OF!!! J Anyway, our neighbours is a lovely Canadian couple and they are going back home, they have invited us for dinner to their house and cooked New Zealand lamb in our honour and I have decided to make a “Canadian” pumpkin pie for them. Now, I know a few people have a bit of a thing about pumpkin pies - its too sweet, too soft, too bland, too American, whatever. The first time I’ve made it, I followed Humming Bird Bakery cookbook recipe – it turned out looking just like it did in the book, but Mr Ranty wasn’t too impressed, and I was determined to make a pumpkin pie that will woe him. So, here it is, a Maple, Bourbon, Pecan Pumpkin pie – aka “Canadian” Pumpkin Pie. The recipe mainly follows “ Maple-Bourbon Pie ” recipe from MyRecipe...