Thursday 8 September 2016

Bread Week

Already week three of the Great British Bake Off and it's bread week... Have you got a favourite contestant yet? I can't pick a favourite but I know who I don't like... However I'll keep quiet on that subject! And Val? How on earth is she still in? Ah well, it makes good television I suppose!


We ran out of bread at the beginning of the week so I made a sunflower seed and honey loaf which a reliable favourite in our house... and good practise for bread week! It was actually meant to be a plaited loaf but the dough was a bit wet so the plait disappeared... I'd have lost marks for that but it still tastes good!


It has made lovely toast for breakfast but as it is a tried and tested recipe it didn't seem fair to enter it for this week's Great Bloggers Bake Off hosted by Jenny of Mummy Mishaps


Now I made a decision last week that I would attempt to make the technical challenge each week... but Dampfnudeln? Really. They sound pretty uninspiring and looked it too if I'm honest. So instead I decided to try a chocolate bread. I used Andrew's Chocolate Barmbrack recipe from the show but tweaked some of the ingredients.


I used 70g of raisins and 30g of dried cranberries for the fruit... and also 30g of dried apricots instead of the peel because I really don't like candied peel in cakes or bread. I didn't have any mixed spice so used a mixture of nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. the recipe called for two and a half tablespoons of spice which seems a lot... so I think it's a misprint and should be teaspoons. And last of all I used a mix of chopped dark and milk chocolate instead of chocolate chips.


The dough was wet... very wet! But I've worked with wet dough before and with a bit of patience and perseverance it usually firms up and turns out better for it. But this just stayed really wet! And it didn't rise much even though I left it for hours! I know my yeast was okay as I'd only just used it three days ago so can only imagine it was the fact that it was such an enriched dough. I stuck it in a cool oven to help it along a bit... which it did, but of course it also melted the chocolate so my intention to knock it back, knead it and give it a second rise didn't quite work out. Instead I tipped it into a loaf tin (it would never have worked free form), let it rise a bit more and then baked it!


It made the kitchen smell good as it baked but it looked a little dark when it came out of the oven. Not burnt exactly but in Selasi's words... slightly caught... crispy!


And my verdict... still a bit doughy, far too much spice for my taste despite using less than the recipe required... and I've decided that I really do not like chocolate in bread! I've never been a fan of Pain au Chocolate so I guess I should have known really. So it looks like I might be making Dampfnudeln after all, so I think I'll wait before adding my link. But do check out what other bloggers have baked by following the links here.

Mummy Mishaps

13 comments:

  1. There are times and places for chocolate but not in bread, I agree. What disappointment after all that effort, but at least the sunflower seed and honey loaf was a success.

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  2. Interesting about the less than robust rising of the chocolate bread. Was there any mention of such a characteristic on the television program?

    Your own sunflower seed and honey bread must be so very delicious lightly toasted. Yummmmy!

    I do like pain au chocolat but don't think I have ever tried another chocolate bread although I have seen chocolate babka breads winking at me from several bakeries. xo

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  3. I used to hate candied peel too until I started making my own. I just cook the peel for a while in the slow cooker and then add sugar to make a syrup and boil some more until it is a heavy syrup. It's all done by guess work though :D

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  4. My Stewart would have loved your crispy topped loaf. He loves crispy and dark (well-done to the point of burnt).

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  5. Dampfnudeln are nice, childhood memories for me as it is a traditional Swiss supper. Love it it with cherry compote, or custard. I am quite sure ours were baked not steamed but that may be my hazy memory. I haven't seen the GBBO yet this week so so look forward to watching it tonight. I have no favourite baker and I also know who I don't like. They seem all a bit uninspiring. Your bread looks amazing. I imagine eating a slice with peanut butter as I type. x

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  6. Oh Gina, don't say you don't like someone. They're all giving it their best and I always remind myself that, deep down, it's not about the best baker, it's all about the ratings really... and it is great telly. I love it all.

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  7. Your sunflower and honey bread sounds lovely, much nicer than chocolate spice bread, though I can't imagine anything you bake tasting awful! Cristina's comment about that other strange sounding bread was interesting - once you get past the name it might be good! Cheers

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  8. I agree even though I adore chocolate and can't live without it in my life, I don't like it in bread. I love croissants too but pain au chocolat is just wrong.
    Poor Val... she's entertaining though! Curious as to who you don't like though.
    V x

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  9. Your sunflower bread looks wonderful. As for the chocolate bread -- I'm with you -- never really been a fan of chocolate in my bread ;-D I'm anxious to see your Dampfnudeln since I have no idea what it is!

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  10. Just to be contrary, I like chocolate in bread. Chocolate in anything really! Really loving the Bake Off :)

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  11. Both loaves look delicious but the sunflower seed and honey would be my choice. Prefer to savour chocolate on its own. Really enjoying the GBBO but no favourites just yet.

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  12. I like pan au chocolate but not too often of course! I also like chocolate chip brioche, so i guess my sweet tooth doe snot mind chocolate in bead. Both of your loaves look good, but I think as much as i like chocolate an bread, your sunflower and honey one does beat it in terms if appearance and i expect flavour.
    Well done for giving them both ago - you have been busy xx

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  13. I will make one statement - Paul Hollywood is a trumped-up, miserable mysogentist. I really dislike him and - he is a rubbish baker - try following one of his recipes!

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