tinytearoom

Basic Hearth Bread – Making my first loaf of bread

July 30th

Written by: tinytearoom

I always put making bread from scratch into the too hard basket. The thought of standing there and kneading dough for 30 minutes really put me off, not to mention the long rising times and the age old dispute about sourdough vs fresh yeast vs dry yeast. It was just easier to go to my local artisan bakery and buy a loaf for a few dollars. It only takes about 30 minutes to walk there and back. That all changed a few months ago when I discovered CityHippyFarmGirl. She made gorgeous luscious loaves and it inspired me to begin my own sourdough starter. I did some research and settled on a recipe from one of my favourite food writers. I purchased organic rye flour and organic bread flour and followed the recipe as closely as possible. It failed on the fifth day. It stopped bubbling and emitted a vomit-like odour. I threw the entire thing in the bin and decided that I don’t eat bread often enough to justify maintaining a starter. Then my friend Richard recently began Project Sourdough. It made me think that perhaps I needed to build my confidence. Starting with sourdough was probably too ambitious for someone that had little experience. I started to flick through Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. Her chatty and friendly

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Mini Sticky Date Loaf with Golden Syrup Butter

April 26th

Written by: tinytearoom

I get so excited when I come across a recipe that works very well. It’s almost kiddy like. Similar to when a child gets hold of a new toy and spends days walking around with it like it’s a security blanket. This recipe for a sticky date loaf worked perfectly for me. I want to scream it from the rooftops or print it on a flyer and drop it into people’s mailbox. I’ve tried several sticky date pudding recipes before and they have been delicious, but there is something special about this one. It is an easy recipe that can be mixed in one pot. It is soft, moist and isn’t overly sweet. The gorgeous flavour of the dates really shines through. I am an absolute lover of butterscotch syrup on sticky date pudding, it makes it all the more luscious. However this golden syrup butter really compliments the sticky date loaf and lightens it up too. Mini Sticky Date Loaf with Golden Syrup Butter Recipe adapted from Quick Smart Cook Makes 4 small loaves or 1 standard loaf Sticky Date Loaf 250g pitted dates 1 cup water 60g unsalted butter 180g caster sugar 2 tablespoons golden syrup 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs, beaten 180g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ cup walnuts, chopped Golden Syrup Butter 125g

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Strawberry Shortbread

April 20th

Written by: tinytearoom

There are many ways one can show that they care. You can shower your loved one with hugs and kisses, send a lovely bunch of flowers or splash money around like it grows on trees. I can think of nothing more loving than to nurture a batter from mixer to oven and watch it turn to golden magic and then carefully decorate it. It brings me supreme joy. It also exists in the little things. The small gestures. It makes me happy to make my partner his morning coffee, pick up the mail or iron his shirts. He shows his love by taking out the trash, doing the laundry and cleaning the dishes. One day he was having a hard time at work and I didn’t know how to comfort him. It wasn’t enough for me to give him a big hug and a gentle pat on the head. I wasn’t brought up to show my love with grand gestures. So, I put the oven on and started to make his favourite shortbread. Whilst I was putting together the recipe I remembered he loved dried strawberries, so I tipped a small handful of them into the dough… only because I care. These brought a smile to his face and helped wipe away the stresses of the day. I also made

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