Fresh from the Oven - Cholla

I was very excited when the Belleau Kitchen proposed that this month's Fresh from the Oven Challenge would be Cholla.  This was one of the earliest breads I made when I first started baking bread when I was 20 and so it was a great blast from the past.  I was insanely pleased with the results and the instructions on how best to braid it made it much easier than I remember the first time.  The quantities in the recipe made for a very large loaf - but my aunt and uncle were stopping off here for breakfast after their flight from Singapore got in so it was eaten up very easily. 

The final loaf had a beautiful soft crumb and rich flavour.  The egg wash also came out wonderfully giving it a fantastic golden sheen and yet more flavour.  I think I will definitely make this recipe again (for special treats and when lots of people visit).  This isn't an everyday bread - this is bread for celebrations and occasions and I will be keeping it for best!

I switched out my usual yeast this time for a faster acting version made by sainsburys - obviously there were lots of other variables in the recipe but I did get a faster, better rise this time so once my pack of Allisons is finished I might move on to these sachets full time - I have a few more weeks of testing left in the packets though to make my mind up fully.

The amazing recipe is below and thanks to the Belleau Kitchen for reminding me of a really good bread.

Note - all the photos in the recipe below are Dom's from the BK.

Braided Challah Bread

1 sachet easy blend dried yeast

1tsp clear honey

8fl oz lukewarm milk

50g melted butter

16oz plain flour

1 tsp salt

2 eggs lightly beaten - in separate bowls - one for the mix and one for glazing

Poppy seed or sesame seeds (optional)

Combine the yeast, honey, milk and butter, stir and leave for 15mins to dissolve

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.  Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and one of the beaten eggs.  Stir to make a dough. (It will be very sticky and will definitely need extra flour for kneading)

Knead till smooth and elastic (a good 15 mins) then transfer to a clean bowl, cover and leave to prove for 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a baking sheet. Knock back the dough and divide into 3 equal pieces.  Roll to shape each piece into a long strip for plaiting.

Lay 2 of the strips over the third to make a star shape and plait from the centre, tucking the ends under.  Do this on the baking sheet, then cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 30 mins.

Brush with egg and bake in a hot oven at 190 for 35 - 40 mins or until golden and sounds hollow if you tap it.

Fabulous!

Valentine's Day Meal

I dislike going to restaurants around Valentine's Day.  The experience is usually disappointing and below the normal standards of the restaurant in question.  Also since V-Day is so close to J's birthday (for which we always go out to a nice restaurant) I don't tend to feel like so many meals out in such close succession.

Enter our first, small attempt at a homemade V-Day meal.  I took the pudding course, J took the main.  For people who love food and love to cook - this could have gone a lot better.  J bought mussels, and then kept them too long and they all died, then we dragged the steak out that we were going to be sharing later in the week and he made a quick sauce dianne and our favourite homemade chips (which are surprisingly healthy).  It was very tasty and retro.

I had already been making some little bread rolls to go with the now deceased moules and so at the last minute (for extra cute) I made a little paper template of a heart and sprinkled the rolls (brushed with milk) with a mixture of poppy and sesame seeds.  I had no idea how it would turn out but I was really pleased with the results.

I was a bit more organised with the pudding, having already decided a few days earlier to make a chocolate mousse.  Chocolate is one of J's favourite flavours but I wanted to surprise him with something unusual and out of the ordinary.  So I went searching on the BBC website (not a bad place for recipes in general) and found this epic pudding:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolatecashewmouss_85284

Chocolate mousse flavoured with chilli, cinnamon, ground roasted salted cashew nuts and made using only eggs and lots of honey (no cream and sugar which I thought was interesting).  Well this was a very strange pudding.  The first spoonful was amazing and like a little piece of heaven and second was nice but rich and the third was enough.  The flavours were really nice but the whole thing was super rich.  We enjoyed it but didn't manage to finish it.  I would be tempted to make it again but probably 1/4 the serving sizes.  Still I haven't made a proper pudding in a long time so it was really great to flex my muscles there.

I also have a fairly big bag of roasted salted cashew left and am thinking it would be fun to try making my own nut butter with them.  I have heard many people rave about how amazing homemade nut butters are and I do like the idea of being able to use flavours other than peanut!  Watch this space.