Bread Week Exclusive: Bake-off Artisanal Bread with easy recipes

Is there anything which is more delicious than a fresh loaf of bread? If you love bread as much as everyone else, you’re going to love Real Bread Week more than anything else. If you are eating it, baking it, or both, this is definitely a week on the calendar that you must celebrate.

What is Real Bread Week?

Real Bread Week is not just about old bread, it is all about real bread. You may be thinking what this means! Let us tell you, real bread refers to any type of bread that has been made without the use of processing aids or any other addition. When we say the word bread, we mean any type of preservative-free bread.

Since, now you all know that what real bread is, what about Real Bread Week? Well, there are two important goals that are associated with Real Bread Week. This includes motivating and helping people to bake their own real bread at home, as well as encouraging them to purchase real bread from independent and local bakeries.

History of Real Bread Week

Real Bread Week has been running for relatively some time now. Real Bread Week was first launched in 2010 by the Real Bread Campaign. It is celebrated yearly in favor of Real Bread, and the individuals who make it. Since a lot of years now, community groups, youth groups, care homes, schools, mills, baking schools, and bakeries have been getting involved in Real Bread Week.

Not only do they bake tasty real bread, they also hold activities and events, ranging from feasts to bread baking classes.

Bread buff? Check out these recipes and tips

Not all breads created are equal. Check out the following bread recipes that will make a great addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is known for its smooth shape with a deep cross cut on the top of the bread. This technique is commonly known as ‘blessing the bread’. It will be difficult to resist diving into this warm loaf of bread once it comes out of the oven. While serving the slices do not forget to serve them along with some Irish butter.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup dried currants

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for serving

Method:

• Gather all the ingredients first.
• Then cover one large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425F
• Take a large bowl and combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt. Then stir in the dried currants.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for one minute till the dough begins to shape.
• Shape it into a ball and place the same on prepared baking sheet. Pat the same in an 8-inch circle.
• With the help of a sharp knife, cut a ½ inch deep X in the top of the dough. Bake the same for 4 minutes or until it turns golden.
• Transfer the stock to a wire rack, and brush with melted butter. Serve it hot or at room temperature!

Basic Moroccan White Bread

Recipe for Basic Moroccan White Bread is often referred to as force, this is the same French word used by many Moroccans for strong white flour. It is also known as Khobz and is characterized by a round, flat shape and a slightly coarse texture.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon yeast

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 ¼ warm water

Method:

• Gather all the ingredients
• Prepare two baking sheets by slightly oiling them or by dusting the pans with a little cornmeal.
• Mix all the ingredients - flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a large well in the center of the flour mixture and add yeast.
• Then add oil and water to the well, stir with your fingers and let yeast dissolve first, and then stir the entire contents of the bowl to incorporate water into flour.
• Pre-heat oven to 435 F.
• Create steam vents at top of the bread with sharp knife or by poking the dough with a fork.
• Then bake the bread for about 20 minutes— by rotating the pans about halfway through the baking pans.
• In the end bake transfer the bread to a rack or towel-lined basket to cool.

Tuscan Focaccia

Focaccia is soft olive-oil soaked bread that comes from Italy and Tuscany, where it is also called as Schiacciata. The Focaccia has many variations such as sponge cake and pancakes.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 ¾ cups bread flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup warm water

• 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

Method:

• First, gather all the ingredients
• Place the flour, salt, yeast, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the water into a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• Slowly mix the ingredients to form a sticky dough. Continue to mix for 4 to 5 minutes, adding more water if the dough feels dry.
• Sprinkle the dough with 1 tablespoon of oil and mix for another few minutes to create a smooth, glossy dough.
• Cover and let rise in a warm, but not hot, place until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly press your fingertips into the dough, then drizzle with 1/2 cup olive oil, making sure the indentations are filled. Sprinkle all over with the sea salt.
• Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. The bread is cooked when golden brown, risen, and hollow when gently tapped on the base.
• Leave to cool on a rack. Serve and enjoy.

Russian Sourdough Dark Rye Bread

Russian sourdough dark rye is a bread meant to accompany a main-meal soup, some chunks of herring. It can be also be tried in a grilled cheese sandwich with Eastern European flair.

You need to do certain planning before making this bread. Rye needs to be made 4-5 days prior of baking.

Ingredients

Rye Sour:

• 1 package/2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

• 1 cup water

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 slice onion

Dough:

• ¼ cup water

• 1 package yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 4 1/2 cups flour

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup pumpernickel or coarse rye meal

• 1/4 cup cooking oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 4 1/2 teaspoons coffee

• 1/2 ounce chocolate

• 2 cups flour

Method:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water and blend it in 3/4 cup rye flour. Then stir in onion, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature. Then remove onion and add remaining 1/2 cup water and remaining 3/4 cup rye flour. Cover it and set aside. When the sour has risen and fallen once more, it is ready to use.

• Then in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm water, yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Then cover the stock and set aside for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the boiling water, pumpernickel, oil, salt, molasses, instant coffee, and chocolate. When this has cooled down, add the rye sour, yeast mixture, 2 cups medium rye flour and the remaining 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. Keep on mixing until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, then knead the same for 5 minutes.

• Let the dough rest, for 5 minutes and then knead for another 5 minutes.

• Then place a pan on the lowest rack of the oven 15 minutes before you want to bake, add water to create steam, and place another oven rack directly above it for the bread. Heat oven at 375 degrees.

• When ready to bake, cut the loaves with a bread-slashing tool up to three times diagonally or once lengthwise and brush them with cold beaten egg whites.

• Towards the end pour 2 or 3 cups of water into the pan to create steam. Place loaves on the rack directly above. Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and turn out of pans.

• Then let it cool completely on a wire rack. This bread has a gummy texture if eaten hot.

Swedish Sweet Yeasted Bread

This is lightly spiced and less sweet than most store-bought coffee bread, Swedish Vetebröd is a satisfying snack which can be paired with your favorite brand of coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk

• 1 1/2 cups butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. cardamom

• 4 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast

• 9 cups flour

• 1 egg

• Pearl sugar

• Chopped or slivered almonds

Method:

• Prepare your cardamom bread dough using the first 7 ingredients listed above.

• After punching down the dough, remove from bowl and knead lightly on a floured counter until smooth and shiny. Then divide the dough into two halves.

• Divide each half of the dough into three equal parts. Later on roll each portion into a long, thin snake. Then braid three of the snakes’ together, folding and pinching outer edges to form a loaf shape.

• Place the two braided loaves on a greased baking sheet, for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

• When loaves have doubled, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar or almonds.

• Place in the middle of preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until done.