Bake your daily bread - recipes

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Cheese and beer bread. Picture: Antoine de Ras

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CHEESE AND BEER BREAD

Makes 1 large loaf. This bread is perfect to serve at a braai.

500g self-raising flour

200g cheddar cheese, grated

1 packet of white onion soup powder

330ml can of beer

50ml water

extra grated cheese for sprinkling

Combine the flour, cheese and soup powder in a bowl and mix well.

Add the beer and water and mix to form a thick batter. Spoon the mixture in a well- greased and base-lined 24x14cm loaf pan.

Sprinkle the top of the batter with a little grated cheese.

Bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean. Remove and turn out on to a cooling rack.

Serve warm with butter.

* The beer and water can be replaced with buttermilk. For a nice variation add a 400g can of sweetcorn kernels to the batter.

EASY RYE BREAD

Makes 2 small loaves. These loaves keep well for a few days and are delicious sliced and toasted.

500ml pure rye flour

250ml cake flour

250ml nutty wheat flour

10ml salt

10g sachet of instant yeast

150ml sour cream

30ml molasses

warm water to mix

Combine the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl and mix. Add the sour cream, molasses and enough warm water to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. Knead well until smooth and elastic. Put the dough into an oiled plastic bag and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bag and knead gently. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a loaf.

Place on a greased baking tray and cover with the oiled plastic bag. Leave to rise for about 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife to score the bread a few times on top.

Sift over some rye flour and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

RAISIN LOAF

Makes 1 large loaf. This loaf is best eaten fresh on the day of baking but is also delicious toasted thereafter.

4x250ml flour

60ml sugar

5ml salt

10g sachet of instant yeast

10ml cinnamon

100ml buttermilk, lightly warmed

60g butter, melted

1 egg

60 to 80ml warm water

160ml raisins

beaten egg for glazing

Glaze

60ml water

30ml sugar

2ml cinnamon

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cinnamon in mixing bowl. Mix well.

Combine buttermilk, butter and egg and add to flour, together with enough warm water to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.

Mix in the raisins. Knead well until smooth and elastic. Place dough in oiled plastic bag and leave in warm place until well risen.

Knock dough back. Roll out into rectangle wide enough to fit your loaf tin. Roll up dough and place into greased loaf tin. Cover with the oiled plastic bag and leave to rise until double in size. Brush with a little beaten egg and bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and sounding hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and turn out on to cooling rack. Brush glaze over the warm loaf and leave to cool.

GLAZE: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and microwave on full power for 2 minutes.

HEALTH BREAD

4x250ml wholewheat flour

500ml digestive bran

250ml assorted seeds (sesame, poppy, etc)

125ml raisins or dried cranberries

125ml chopped pecan nuts

125ml dried apricots, finely chopped

30ml bicarbonate of soda

1 litre plain yoghurt

125ml honey

extra seeds for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine flour, bran, seeds, raisins, nuts, apricots and bicarbonate of soda, then mix well.

Combine yoghurt and honey.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the yoghurt mixture. Stir until well mixed.

Spoon the mixture into two greased and base-lined 22x11cm loaf pans or 6 mini-loaf pans.

Sprinkle a few seeds on top and bake at 180°C for 45-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaves comes out clean.

* The sunflower seeds in the bread may turn green the day after you bake the bread. This is nothing to worry about – it is only a reaction with the bicarbonate of soda. - The Star

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