‘knead’ a weekend!

Need a weekend?

Definitely. Time is crucial ingredient not only for you, it is the most important ‘ingredient’ for making bread as well. 

First you need to get in shape. You must be relaxed and must do some exercise before we start. So, start picking apples from trees and grass from the ground, and don’t forget to stretch! 

Again, apples than grass and stretch... it takes only few minutes.

Now, get a big bowl and begin to ‘knead’ your weekend! 

Bread 

Flour

Yeast

Salt

Water 

-500g flour (strong bread flour)

-4dl water (room temperature)

-salt, 1,5 tsp

-40g fresh yeast 

Rub the yeast in the flour than add salt and keep adding water to form sticky dough. Then transfer the dough to surface and literally beat the dough until it becomes non sticky to fingers. This is actually the hard work and it lasts for around 10-15 minutes. Be patient! This is the process where you are giving the character to your bread.

Once this is over, leave the dough to rest in the bowl, cover with clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for at least an hour. 

It's time for you to rest as well!

After 1-2 hours..

When the dough has doubled in size, place it to floured surface and spread it with fingers making square shape. You will smell the process of fermentation.. divine..

Before we divide the dough we must fold it. Take the top of the dough and fold to the center (center of the square) by pressing it gently with your fingers or with back of your hand, if it's easier for you. Do the same to the other side of the squared dough (fold to the center, do the same as for the top). Now fold the dough again, by making the shape of rolling pin.

Divide the dough to wanted sizes (I took one third and made small bread and two thirds I used for that bread from the picture; see down below).

Knead the dough gently with fingers just by placing ‘edges’ to the center. 

The best part is when at the very end you see those hidden bubbles inside the 'house', I mean bread. That is the sign that something good is cooking inside.

Dust with flour and leave to rise a bit more in a pan.

  

Preheat the oven to 220^oC, make marks with sharp knife on the surface of the loaf. Bake 10-15 minutes on 220^oC and after that time reduce the temperature to 200^oC and bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Ta daaaaaa!

A slice of warm, homemade bread..  what more do you need for the weekend!?

mr. lemon and mrs. honey

When Mr. Lemon and Mrs. Honey met one beautiful Sunday morning they just knew they were 100% perfect for each other!

Lemon Cake with Honey Glaze 

recipe:

125g unsalted butter (room temperature)

150g sugar

grated zest of 2 big lemons

½ tsp vanilla paste (vanilla extract)

3 eggs

150g flour

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 170⁰C.

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add lemon zest and vanilla and beat again. Add the eggs, slowly, one at the time, beating after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold into the batter with spatula. Mix well and scrape everything into the prepared pan (loaf pan). Bake for about 1 hour. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before you transfer it on a board/plate.

glaze:

4 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

Beat the honey with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes, until you get lovely, creamy mixture. Add lemon juice and beat for another few minutes.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake and leave the cake to cool completely.

It’s like bees are working for lemons.

Sweet bites with the hint of flavored mild acid.

jam session

jam cookies
100g soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsp cold water
jam (I used blackberry jam, 3-4 tbsp)

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour and rub in the mixture with fingers. Add yolk, vanilla and 2 tbsp of water and mix until combined (use more water or more flour if needed). Knead, until dough forms and it doesn't stick to your fingers. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
Shape the dough into a roll, cut the slices and form them between palms into little balls. Place balls on parchment paper. Use your finger to make a small pit in the middle and fill the pits with jam. 
Bake cookies in the preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes. 

This silent jam session develops 34 little, sweet, crumble pieces, each of them with its own tune.