Week three of the Great British Bake Off and it’s bread week. I love baking bread, I love the smell of it cooking in my kitchen. I love releasing the stress as I knead the dough. No breadmaker here, although if I did have one I’d probably never buy another loaf of bread from the supermarket.
Boo, was keen to get in on the action and made her very own loaf of soda bread. So quick and easy and we love it with a nice tangy jam like gooseberry or lime.
So how did the bakers in the tent get on this week?
The signature bake was, well, quick bread, which basically means soda bread. Or you can use baking powder, but you don’t use yeast. The bread doesn’t need proving and shouldn’t be kneaded too much. You also need to get the right amount of liquid. The soda needs something to react with and this is usually buttermilk. I tend to make my own by putting lemon juice into milk and leaving it at room temperature for 30 minutes.
In the tent there were some amazing flavours going on, Tamal went for fig, cheese and walnut in his bread and Ian used wild garlic in his giving it a lovely green look.
The technical task was baguettes, you may think they are easy, but it’s not for some. Nadiya, Sandy and Paul just didn’t rise to the occasion and it was Ian who took first place. Has the curse of the star baker been lifted?
Finally, the show stopper had to be a 3D bread sculpture made with three different breads with one of them filled. Alvin went way over the top with five different types of bread, Tamal made the most amazing looking ‘breadcycle’ and Nadiya redeemed herself a little with her snake charmers basket, the snake looked delicious. It was Paul that received high praise though, for his amazing lion creation.
Dorret found herself in the firing line with her unmade bed, it was messy and undercooked. She even admitted to have not practicing it at home. Who enters a major cooking competition without practicing at home? So, it was Dorret who found herself being sent home, and not to practice.
This weeks star baker was Ian, again! He did do well in every round and I loved his flowerpot arrangement for the show stopper.
I decided to make a tea loaf for this weeks Bake With Bake Off challenge with Silver Mushroom. Again there is no yeast, and it’s quick and easy to make. You could argue that fruit loaves are more like cake than bread, but if you can slice it like bread and add butter or jam if you wish then I will argue that it is bread.
Apricot and Sultana Tea Loaf
Ingredients:
- 225g self-raising white flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 115g soft brown sugar
- 115g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
- 115g sultanas
- 2 eggs
- 150ml milk
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4
- Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
- Mix the flours, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl
- Add apricots and sultanas and mix well
- Add the eggs and milk and beat well until thoroughly mixed
- Pour the mixure into the loaf tin
- Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown and firm to touch.
- Leave to cool, slice and serve.
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I love the smell of baking bread too and this sounds like a delicious loaf – well done!
Oh I just love fresh bread, I've not had tea loaf for years, what I'd give for a piece of that right now x
I loved this weeks episode, it was such a tough challenge.
Your fruit bread sounds amazing.
Oh my goodness your fruit loaf sounds divine I do need to try a piece 😉 x
We have a bread machine and it is lethal. I give myself indigestion with warm bread!
This sounds delicious! I have yet to watch this episode of #GBBO but I love making bread so I am looking forward to seeing these makes.
The fruit bread sounds delicious. My daughter loves watching Bake Off.
I love the GBBO! Yours looks yummy!
Your breads sound delicious. Some of the creations on GBBO were amazing too
Fresh bread is such an amazing smell. I really enjoyed watching the GBBO this week, my youngest even asked to stay up and watch it too.
I really want to try your fruit loaf, it looks amazing x
I love a nice fruit loaf, not too sweet, but very comforting.
I love making soda bread – it's so quick and easy… at least, the one we make is!
I've never tried quick breads. I really must give it a go.
Well it looks pretty good from where I'm sitting. I bet it tasted awesome too!
oh the looks tasty blooming bake iff makes me so hungry