Category Archives: Bread

Buddy’s Dutch Oven Bread Recipe

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I have tried several bread recipes before I created THE ONE that binds them all.

I cannot take full credit for this though, I owe a lot of my inspiration to John Kirkwood on YouTube

I found this incredibly flavourful and if you like this, there are a few other bits to try if you have the fridge space to take it to another level.  Here are a few tips and tricks

  • The Dutch Oven is important and make sure you give plenty of time for it to preheat with the oven.
  • Experiment, try adjusting the salt quantity for personal taste (in this case I tried 20g)
  • Try proofing longer for more flavour (put it in the fridge overnight for the 1st round)
  • Try adding a portion of sourdough starter
  • * Try spraying (or adding droplets) of water to the bread after placing it in the dutch oven for the first 30 minutes for extra crispy crust
    • Spraying the bread and keeping it covered for the first part of the bake has a twofold effect, both keeping the crust from forming too early in the process and ensuring that once it does form, it’s as crisp and burnished as can be.
  • Don’t knead dough for 2nd rise, just make sure the air is evenly distributed
  • If you have the time and space, try to pre-ferment a portion of the bread mix to create a starter (similar to sourdough bread) and you can use the John Setzler – Kamado Joe recipe found on YouTube
Servings: makes one loaf
Hydration: 65%
PREP: Between 1 week and 5 1/2 hours
Cooking Time: one hour
Ingredients:
  • 500g Strong white bread flour
  • 325g tepid water
  • 7g instant or active dried yeast
  • 15g vegetable oil
  • 2tsp Table salt
  • Seeds for top of bread, I’m using 1tbl of sesame seeds (optional)
Preparation:
    1. Proof the yeast in tepid water and oil* (Optional, I didn’t use oil to proof the yeast but did oil the bowl before flouring it)
    2. Place in mixer and knead yeast, salt and flour for 10 minutes (you could do this manually but… why?)
    3. 1st rise – Cover bowl and let it rise 2 hours or overnight in the fridge (the longer you leave it the better the flavours)
    4. Slightly wet the countertop, uncover dough and fold it in half on the counter top, being careful not to compress it too much – it doesn’t need to be kneaded again
    5. 2nd rise – Place dough back in bowl, cover it again and set the dough aside to let it rise a second time (about an hour but you don’t have to be exact)
    6. Butter and Oil a bowl (used to transfer dough to Dutch oven)
    7. Slightly wet the countertop, uncover dough and fold it in half on the counter top, being careful not to compress it too much.
    8. 3rd rise – Place dough in oiled and floured bowl, lightly flour the top and cover with tea towel and set aside until dough has increased in volume by half, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours longer (dough is quite jiggly).
    9. Preheat oven (with Dutch Oven inside) to 230°C while dough is rising the last time ( for at least 30 minutes to give Dutch oven time to preheat)
    10. Carefully transfer the dough to Dutch oven (floured top goes to the bottom), give dough some swirls (to centralise it), slice the top of the dough with a sharp knife with your personal sign and to give the dough room to rise in the oven, (spray with water – optional *see comment on water), cover and return to preheated oven for 30 minutes
    11. After the initial 30 minutes, uncover and bake until crust is dark brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
    12. Remove from oven and place bread on cooling rack, allow to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

 

I loved this recipe, if you decide to preferment – I suggest trying a recipe I found on YouTube by Kamado Joe – John Setzler

While he did this on his Kamado Joe BBQ, you can follow the exact same recipe in the oven

Ingredients:

(Pre-Ferment)

  • 120 grams water (approximately 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon active dry instant yeast
  • 105 grams (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour

(Remaining Loaf Ingredients)

  • 240 grams lukewarm water (1 cup)
  • 375 grams (2 1/2 cups) bread flour
  • 12 grams (2 teaspoons) fine grind sea salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of 50/50 mix of all purpose flour and rice flour for proofing basket.

 

Directions:

Pre-ferment and initial rise (1 day to a week)

  • Combine the pre-ferment ingredients and mix well in a small mixing bowl.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the countertop at room temperature for 12 hours.
  • If you need to go longer than 12 hours, put it in the refrigerator after 12 hours at room temperature.
  • Remove the pre-ferment to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix completely.
  • Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.
  • After the rise, place the covered container in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to a full week. (The flavors continue to develop in this bread as it sits in the refrigerator for longer periods of time.)

Combine for bread (7 hours)

  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a floured work surface.
  • Spread the dough into a rectangle or circle and fold each side inward on itself and then flip over and shape into a round loaf, turning and folding it under until you have a tight skin across the top of the dough ball.
  • Set the formed loaf on the floured surface and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • Place the loaf skin side down into a floured brotform proofing basket or a similar sized bowl that has been lined with a linen towel or linen dinner napkin that has been liberally dusted with the 50/50 flour/rice flour mixture.
  • Cover and let rise for 4 to 5 hours or until doubled in size.
  • While the loaf is proofing in the basket, preheat your grill to 475°F / 245°C and set up for indirect cooking.
  • Preheat your 4 or 5 quart dutch oven with the grill.
  • After the bread has risen adequately, remove it from the proofing basket or bowl and place it in the dutch oven on the grill.
  • Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.
  • Cover the dutch oven with the lid and let cook covered on the grill for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, open the grill and remove the lid from the dutch oven.
  • Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
  • Remove the dutch oven from the grill and remove the bread loaf to a cooling rack.
  • Let cool completely (at least two hours) before slicing! 

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Best Yorkshire Puddings!

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I had a friend try and explain to me that once you had home-made Yorkshire Puddings that you would never want either store bought or pub grade again and I disregarded his advice… Boy was I wrong.

I can’t take the credit for this but, wow! Light, airey, your lucky if you have any left over to freeze and they are definitely moorish!

Goes great with roast dinners (roast chicken, beef or pork), sausages or meatballs – if the latter then drown them in onion gravy if the former, then whatever gravy you are serving with dinner. You can even have them for breakfast (without the salt and pepper) and serve them with jam or syrups!

Again, this one isn’t mine so I can’t take the credit for it, after years of searching for something that stounds out, I found it – here

Recipe from: Barney Desmazery

Servings: Makes 8 large Puddings or 24 Small
PREP: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or so
IMPORTANT TIP The secret to getting gloriously puffed-up  Yorkshires is to have the fat sizzling hot and don’t open the oven door!
Ingredients:
  • 140g plain flour (this is about 200ml/7fl Oz / 1 1/4 Cup)
  • 4 eggs
  • 200ml / 1 Cup milk
  • sunflower oil / for you non-vegetarian or health nuts out there, it is a lot better with either bacon or beef drippings
Directions:
  1. Pre-Heat oven to 230C:450F/fan 210C:410F/gas
  2. Drizzle a little oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through. (until oil is smoking)
  3. To make the batter, tip 140g / 1 1/4 Cup plain flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth.
  4. Gradually add 200ml/1 Cup milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven.
  7. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes (about 1/4 cup per muffin cup).
  8. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 15-20 minutes until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Watch them closely after 10 – 15 minutes as they are easy to overcook (you want them about the color of toast)
  9. Serve immediately. You can now cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

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Out of this world Garlic Bread

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I have to hand this recipe to Laura Vitale in her YouTube video, while I use my garlic butter as the seasoning the rest of the recipe is all hers (or her father’s). In either case, it is extraordinary and thank you!

Preheat Oven: 400°F | 200°C
Ingredients:

 

Directions:
  1. Cut roll but not in half
  2. Fan roll out onto aluminium foil
  3. Smear Buddy’s garlic butter/oil on both sides of bread
  4. Wrap bread up and place in preheated oven for 10 minutes
  5. Unwrap roll, reopen and evenly cover with shredded mozzarella and parmesan
  6. Add freshly ground black pepper
  7. Place uncovered back in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned
  8. Slice into strips and serve

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Basic Bread Recipe

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Ingredients:
  • 1kg / just over 2 lb strong bread flour
  • 625 mL / just over 1 pint tepid water
  • 30g / 1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g / 1/4oz sachets dried yeast
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 level Tbsp sea salt
  • extra flour for dusting

Directions:
Stage 1: Making a Well

  • Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork.

Stage 2: Getting it Together

  • Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don’t want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.)
  • Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridge consistency – then add the remaining water.
  • Continue to mix until it’s stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky.
  • Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours needs a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)

Stage 3: Kneading!

  • This is where you get stuck in.
  • With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.

Stage 4: First Prove

  • Flour the top of your dough.
  • Put it in a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place.
  • This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it’s always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.

Stage 5: Second Prove, Flavouring and Shaping

  • Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it.
  • You can now shape it or flavour it as required – folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever – and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an houruntil it has doubled in size once more.
  • This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your brea, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread.
  • So remember – don’t fiddle with it, just let it do its thing!

Stage 6: Cooking Your Bread

  • Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into a pre-heated oven.
  • Don’t slam the door or you’ll lose the air that you need.
  • Bake according to the time and temperature given with your chosen recipe.
  • You can tell if it’s cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it’s done, if it doesn’t then pop it back in for a little longer.
  • Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes – fandabidozi.
  • Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.
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