Paul Hollywood's White Tin Bread

Well I have decided to add bread making to my crafting.

I used to make bread many years ago using fresh yeast but am unable to purchase it where I live now so gave up.

Being so inspired by the TV programmes with Paul Hollywood making bread etc.... I decided I would have a go except this time I would use dried yeast, and I would not just make simple bread, but go on an experiment with other things as well. So I purchased his book 'How to Bake'.

Well in the words of Julie Andrews song.... 'let's start at the very beginning, that's a very good place to start.....' and I did with his white tin bread recipe.

Was it plain sailing? Nooooooooo!

I decided I agreed with Mary Berry... use the mixer. When you have a Kenwood with a dough hook, seriously, how can you knead by hand? Sorry Paul!

There was the  bread proving under its tea towel when I went to the oven to move shelves with a view to making a quiche and what did I find? My butter which I had put in there to soften. Oh dear!

Well when the hour was up... in went the fatless dough, the butter and I kneaded it again... popped it into the tin and sprinkled flour on the top.

I got a serated knife to score the top.... and oh that was scary... I only made two incisions and I saw the dough sink a little, so I gave up on that. I also added hot water to a tin and placed it in the oven as directed.

It came out of the oven looking really quite rustic which I don't think it should have done, so I clearly had not finished it off smoothly before putting it in the tin, and it had the crunchy outside caused by the water.... just like he said.

What about the taste? Well white bread isn't my favourite, well not the stuff my husband likes from the supermarket anyhow... but his was nice... it actually had flavour in it. I was impressed with how easy it was and shall certainly be making it again.  I may not have made it as well as it could have been, but still have to say it was a success as the proof of the pudding was definitely in the eating.

Chocolate Hot Tub Cake

This was a fun cake I made for the 'kids' instead of giving them Easter eggs.

A chocolate sponge cake sandwiched and covered in chocolate butter cream, I then placed kit-kats all the way round the outside and tied it altogether with a pink ribbon.

The models looked quite like them... which was fun, and they were also accompanied in their tub with two ducks, which I know they like.

You could say this cake cost an arm and a leg, because when we returned home from a birthday meal out, their King Charles had decided he fancied joining in the celebrations by eating not only 6 double kit-kats, one duck, some cake and butter cream, but also an arm and a leg!  Fortunately he had no ill effects from all that dark chocolate.