A partridge in a pear tree, sprouts and cinnamon cake

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by papiermache, Dec 9, 2018.

  1. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Not looking back and all that, baking parchment is fantastic stuff, but I would be no good for the Great British Bake off since sugar is not good for me except in very small quantities. However, I don't suffer from soggy bottoms, more like tacky hard-bake. The trouble with the programme is that they make it look harder than it is. Modern yeasts are extraordinary. Don't be put off by all that kneading for ten minutes: I don't and never have done. I'd be thrown out for being contrary.

    If I can make bread anybody can. Why not stay up till 2 a.m. on Christmas morning baking an ordinary loaf ? Your loved one will say it's the best present they ever had, and it will only cost about £5 to £6 if buying very strong flour, yeast and baking parchment to stock up, with a few more loaves to come. Assuming you have a bowl, measuring jug, set of scales, oven, baking sheet, oven gloves, etc. Then tapwater, a touch of salt and assuming you have credit with the 'lectric or gas and they have got the power in stock ( not a given if there's a new beast from the east.) Oh, the wonders of the 3 day week and bread strikes, it was one of those that got me started.

    Of course, your loved ones will never want to eat white sliced ever again. As for ancient French ginger bread rye flour is interesting stuff and the recipe seems to have been discovered by accident. I'll have to find an old cellar without mice and make a trough. Given my carpentry skills I think I'll pass on that recipe.
     
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  2. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    We use an electric bread maker, so simple with excellent results.Also we only use French flour,the smell of fresh
    bread hangs in the kitchen for ages.

    Graham.
     
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  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Blimey I think that is very good

    perhaps an electric breadmaker to start with
     
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  4. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Years ago in a blind-tasting the W.I. found it hard to tell machine-made and hand-made bread apart. I've not used French flour much.
    I have used Italian "OO" grade. The owner of a pizza restaurant in South London told me to to use this grade of flour and mix the dough and leave it overnight in the fridge at 12 degrees centigrade then to knock it back and proceed as usual at room temperature. His bread was excellent.
    In a very interesting Hairy Bikers episode they visited a German baker who mixes all the liquid and half the flour in huge batches ( don't think the overall quantity makes much difference ) and left it overnight in a fridge. In the morning he added the rest of the flour and proceeded to divide the dough into tins and baked it as soon as it was ready. They thought this was superb bread, made from strong white bread flour. Their lesson was to leave dough overnight and make it wetter.
    As a general rule I make wholemeal mixed with seeded and malted varieties and a little spelt, and forget to leave it overnight, but I did buy a fridge thermometer in case I wanted to try it.

    People locally ( Alice and Florrie ) told me in about 1978 that they used to prepare their Sunday roast and take it about a quarter of a mile to the local baker for cooking, similarly with Christmas dinner. Years before that, when able to drink beer in quantities, they had often taken a jug to the tap room for beer. Then they used to go back to the pub and sing ( the women.) Then the men had a fight. Regular as clockwork. Then they forgot about it, according to some, but according to others the women would fight the following week when hanging out washing to even up the black eyes meted out in the fight. Since the police are now nearly an hour away by road ( used to be just down the road ) it's not so much fights as stolen diggers smashing shop fronts for cash machines, we've had a glut of those recently. But I digress.

    When the USAAF was on the local airfield they would fill a lorry with local women and take them to the airfield for a dance. Alice had a big smile when she remembered this. She died in 1982, at home, in bed. Had a heart attack in the morning but refused to go to hospital. RIP.
     
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  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    So either the fridge was turned off or you have a problem with your fridge as they work at around 3 degs centigrade :unsure:

    TD
     
  6. CTNana

    CTNana Member

    Clive my Dad used to crack walnuts in the crook of his elbow.

    This thread has stirred so many memories. We were poor like most folk then and the only time we ever ate chicken was at Christmas. My Mum was a past master at making meals out of almost nothing but I'm sure our diet would have been frowned upon today. The front room references made me smile - didn't have a front room until I married and then not for long.
    Nobody has mentioned the straggly Christmas tree which almost by Boxing Day was just a trunk and bare branches. The needles however seemed to make their way to freedom for the rest of the year.
     
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  7. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    "We were poor like most folk"
    Totally agree with that statement and I have mentioned it many times over the years to raised eyebrows.Oh here he goes again.

    But most of our parents lived within their very meagre means.
    I call it character building and never took or take anything for granted .


    life is to short
    onwards and upwards

    More Stollen anyone?
     
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  8. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    My fridge works fine: it's the cold room at the pizza house which the owner keeps at 12 degrees.
    British Sherry anyone ?

     

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