Bread and butter
Today, dear readers, I found my own mecca. I found culinary peace, zen and pefection. I have attained baking enlightenment. And it came in the form of bread rolls.
Not just any bread rolls, but homemade, perfect, fluffy, wholesome bread rolls. Gone are the usual rock-hard bullets which taste good but are all stodge, and in their place are these light, soft, perfectly-risen rolls, and I will confess it now: I've eaten 3. The recipe was from an All Colour Library book simply entitled "Baking". It was a charity-shop find, and has all of these wonderfully retro 70's ingredients and recipes, yet has some very nice staples in there as well. None of my other recipe books seemed to have a simple, good bread recipe, yet this one came up trumps. It is actually a recipe for milk bread, and uses milk instead of water. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I have never eaten a bread roll this nice in my life. Ever.
I think it's the best remuneration possible for 4 hours spent in the kitchen this morning, cooking, cleaning, baking and enjoying yummy smells. Whoever said baking was a chore must've not been doing it right, how can making gorgeous yummies ever be a chore?
I've been experimenting with ingredients alot recently, and have changed my views about the use of moderately-priced ingredients in place of particularly expensive ones. At least in cakes, I've tried switching self-raising and plain flours from shop-bought generic to Doves Farm Organic (available from many supermarkets and whole-food shops) and the difference was surprising. Using the self-raising for the first time I could instantly see that the madeira cake I had made had a different texture and different "mouthfeel" (oh no! Another Heston moment!) which now has me vowing that I will not go back to generic brands over The Good Stuff.
And the stilly thing is, the organic flour isn't expensive, it comes from England (whereas cheaper stuff could feasibly come from anywhere) and makes better produce. For heaven's sake, please heed my words and get decent things from now on, ok? Recipes for both the cake and the rolls will be up very soon, but excuse me for now, I must go and give in to temptation!
Not just any bread rolls, but homemade, perfect, fluffy, wholesome bread rolls. Gone are the usual rock-hard bullets which taste good but are all stodge, and in their place are these light, soft, perfectly-risen rolls, and I will confess it now: I've eaten 3. The recipe was from an All Colour Library book simply entitled "Baking". It was a charity-shop find, and has all of these wonderfully retro 70's ingredients and recipes, yet has some very nice staples in there as well. None of my other recipe books seemed to have a simple, good bread recipe, yet this one came up trumps. It is actually a recipe for milk bread, and uses milk instead of water. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I have never eaten a bread roll this nice in my life. Ever.
I think it's the best remuneration possible for 4 hours spent in the kitchen this morning, cooking, cleaning, baking and enjoying yummy smells. Whoever said baking was a chore must've not been doing it right, how can making gorgeous yummies ever be a chore?
I've been experimenting with ingredients alot recently, and have changed my views about the use of moderately-priced ingredients in place of particularly expensive ones. At least in cakes, I've tried switching self-raising and plain flours from shop-bought generic to Doves Farm Organic (available from many supermarkets and whole-food shops) and the difference was surprising. Using the self-raising for the first time I could instantly see that the madeira cake I had made had a different texture and different "mouthfeel" (oh no! Another Heston moment!) which now has me vowing that I will not go back to generic brands over The Good Stuff.
And the stilly thing is, the organic flour isn't expensive, it comes from England (whereas cheaper stuff could feasibly come from anywhere) and makes better produce. For heaven's sake, please heed my words and get decent things from now on, ok? Recipes for both the cake and the rolls will be up very soon, but excuse me for now, I must go and give in to temptation!
posted by VintagePretty at 2:47 pm
6 Comments:
Can't wait to see those recipes! There's nothing like a warm buttered roll with jam and cream - yum!
The bread rolls and the lemon Madeira cake both look good - I look forward to seeing the recipes. I often find that old - and I mean really old as in 1930s and 1940s - recipes are often very good indeed.
mmmmmmmmmm......I can`t wait either!
tea
xo
My first visit to your blog...I'll check back to get the recipes!
Baking is just the best isn't it! I love nothing more than spending an afternoon baking cakes. I got a bread maker for Christmas, totally taken with it, haven't bought any bread since. Will have to try your roll recipe!
Oh my I could not resist the bite! I can smell the freshness in the air.Nothing beats homemade bread w/ butter! I don't bake but I do have a love of flowers and roses as you do! Those rose petals on your header is just so wonderful to come into!(p.s. many summer posts I showed my prize roses!)nice to meet you I don't know how I got here but I am glad I did.:)
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