Breads

I know bread takes a bit of time to make, and to be honest I never use to like making it,well thats not strictly true, i'd just never really got into it, but I love it now, I mainly knead all my doughs by hand, there is something deeply satisfying about kneading yourself,  you can just get lost in the momentum of it. With bread making I think you can't rush it , just enjoy the fact it needs time taken over it and something lovely will come out in the end. Its like the saying goes everything comes to she who waits :)

Stromboli

Dough
20g of fresh yeast
7floz lukewarm water
1 teaspoon of sugar
340g strong white flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil infused with basil leaves for at least an hour

Filling
150g mozzarella (not buffalo)
150g parma ham
picante peppers or sun dried tomatoes
basil leaves

Topping
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 sprigs of rosemary

preheat oven 220c
put olive oil and basil leaves into a small bowl
place yeast in a small bowl, mix to a thin cream with a little water

stir in the sugar

leave to stand for 5 mins,

sift flour into a large bowl

make a well in the centre, pour in yeast mix, strain olive oil pour into mix, with enough of the remaining water to get a soft dough,knead with a bread hook for 6 mins, or 10 minutes by hand, place in an oiled bowl covered with clingfilm for about an hour, until doubled in size, lightly flour or oil work surface, turn out the dough, knock back, then pat and stretch into an oblong, scatter fillings over, then roll dough into a sausage shape place on an oiled baking tray cover with clingflim leave to prove until soft and pillow like then brush with basil infused olive oil and top with rosemary sprigs,put in oven after 10 mins turn down to 200c bake for a further 20 mins.

Bum bread

500g strong bread flour

10g salt

15g dried yeast 

100g butter 

300ml water

Put flour, salt and yeast into a freestanding mixer with bread hook attachment. Slowly add lukewarm water, knead for 1 mins now add the softened butter, continue to knead for 6 minutes in mixer  or 10 mins by hand.

Put into an oiled bowl leave to prove for 2 hrs, until doubled in size.

Turn out and knock back. 

Shape into 2 equal balls,put into 2lb loaf tin, cover leave to rise for an hour.

Slit the top with a very sharp knife.

Put a baking pan in bottom of oven, while pre heating, Put a cup of water into it, to create steam for a nice crust.Bake in either top of AGA oven or @ 220 in normal oven, for about 25-30 mins. 

Brioche

Really easy to follow recipe for brioche loaf I found online.

Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk, warm
2 ¾ oz unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs plus 1 egg, divided and lightly beaten
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Gradually add the warm milk, butter, and 2 eggs into the flour mixture; knead until the dough is smooth. The dough is ready to rise when it is completely smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, or until it is doubled in size.

Transfer the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface and punch it down a few times. Divide the dough into 3 equal-sized balls. Roll each ball into a 10-inch long rope, and then braid the ropes together. Tuck the ends under and place the braid in a greased 9-inch by 5-inch baking pan. Alternately, you can punch the dough down and form it into a simple oval. Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is doubled in size.

I baked in the top oven in my AGA for 25 mins, with a cup of water throw into a roasting tray under it.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough covering, gently brush the loaf with the beaten egg, sprinkle with a small amount of sugar, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the brioche is golden brown. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then transfer it to a wire cooling rack.