Saturday has become bread baking day in the Campbell household, thanks to my new resolution to make more of our own food from scratch. So far this is a much more rewarding goal than I anticipated.
Baking bread is such great stress relief. (Maybe this is because I haven't experienced the disappointment of a total bread flop yet.) There is something so calming and enjoyable about the whole process. From weighing out the ingredients (that's right I am baking as a Brit using a scale and everything)and kneading the dough, to forming the raw loaf and watching it crisp and brown in the oven, each step is satisfying and contributes to the final product.
Last Saturday I made my usual foccaccia (for Ross). Then I used the last sprinkles of wholemeal flour, strong white flour and some plain white flour to experiment (I had to combine the three flours just to get enough for one full loaf). I mixed the wholemeal and white flours together, added a dash of honey, some raisins, almond flakes, pumpkin seeds, and linseeds.
The result wasn't perfect- I forgot to spray the loaf with water before baking and I probably could have kneaded it for a bit more, proved it a little longer and let it bake for another 10 minutes- but I just ate two hearty slices for lunch and the girls in the office all came to investigate the source of the sweet smells.
I'll have to try a version of this bread again with fresh ingredients and a little more care.
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