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Thursday, December 4, 2014

garden advent dec 4th~

















rustic flower pot bread loaves

  • Bread
  • 1lb strong white bread flour
  • teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1teaspoons salt
  • 1ounce butter
  • 1ounce fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons dried yeast
  • 1pint tepid water 

  • Optional Extras
  • ounces poppy seeds
  • 2 ounces mixed seeds
  • 2 ounces pumpkin seeds
  • ounces grated cheese
  • 2 ounces chopped olives
  • garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • tablespoons mixed herbs
  • tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1onion, peeled and grated
  • tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely diced


  • To prepare the flower pots:
  • Take two to six earthenware flower pots (3 to 6 inches in size). Wash thoroughly and grease them inside and outside, with lard, butter or oil. (Please use NEW plant pots, of course!).
  • Heat in a pre-heated oven at 190°C; 375°F: Gas 5, for 25-30 minutes.
  • Repeat the process two or three times for a good "seasoning" and non-stick surface on your flower pots.
  • Before baking with them, line the base with greaseproof paper or baking parchment - especially if there is a hole in the bottom of the flower pot!
  • To make the Bread:
  • If you are using dried yeast. Dissolve one teaspoon of sugar in the warm water then add the dried yeast. Leave until frothy, about ten minutes. If you are using fresh yeast, blend it into the warm water.
  • Place the flours, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter.
  • (Add any extras you might be using here.).
  • Add the yeast liquid to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough.
  • Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough by folding towards you, then pushing down and away from you with the heel of your hand. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the action. Knead until smooth and no longer sticky.
  • Cut the dough in to even sized pieces and place in the prepared and well oiled/buttered flower pots, which should be placed on a baking tray. Glaze with milk or salted water and sprinkle with mixed seeds.
  • Place the pots inside a large oiled polythene bag and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles its size, about 45 - 60 minutes.
  • Remove the polythene bag and bake on the middle shelf of a hot oven at 230°C (450°F) or Gas 8 for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your flower pots, or until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
  • Remove the bread from the flower pots and cool on a wire rack. You can then replace them in the flower pots to serve, once they have cooled!
  • 6 comments:

    1. Love your wee rosemary loaves with the blooming tops! My hubby did a thorough hacking on rosemary about a month ago, I was wishing he had waited, dang it.

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    2. I've never seen blooms on rosemary--how delicate and pretty. Your photos are stunning.

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    3. Rosemary grows in abundance here. I need to try your recipe. Cute little loaves!

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    4. Wow!...are those Rosemary popovers? They look delish!
      We cannot grow Rosemary here in the northeast. Every year I buy a potted one pruned like a Christmas tree, but it will not last long indoors.

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    5. cippy it is rosemary olive oil bread... just a wee bit on the crispy side! i am not a bread maker, thats why i love the advent, it makes me think out of the box to try new things.

      i made the first batch and the yeast was too old so i had to start over when it never rose... by then it was late in the day and i am at the age where i forgot it was even in the oven! i was ticked off when i remembered it with its extra brown top starring back at me :-(

      i took it outside to shoot and the smell was drving me wild... i ran in for a hunk of butter and lathered that burnt baby up, it was perfection inside! not pretty to shoot, but i made about 4 new recipes that day, the bread was my husbands favorite. we sliced them like mini loaves of bread, ADORABLE!

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    6. You are filling me with inspiration!

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    welcome~