Auntie Jean’s Loaf.

This really should be called ‘Pam Blake’s Auntie Jean’s Loaf’. I never met Auntie Jean because she was long gone when I came to Okoroire, but Pam was married to Gordon, one of the Blake twins and lived just up the road. She had a lovely garden, and I can remember her once driving us to Garden Circle in a new car. She took a corner a little fast at one point and apologised, saying in her soft voice ‘Oh dear, this new car is rather impatient’.

We all made Auntie Jean’s a lot. It is very easy to make, really moist and delicious sliced with a little butter, keeps well in the fridge wrapped up, and freezes well too. You can even slice it frozen. It’s a great standby for unexpected guests or when you have to take a ‘plate’ to a function. I sometimes make a special version at Christmas with glacé cherries and macadamia nuts. You can even heat it up and serve it as a dessert with cream or custard or ice-cream. People often ask me what spices are in it and they are surprised when they hear there are none. You’ll have to fiddle a bit to get a ‘large cup’. I expect Auntie Jean had a particular cup in mind. The blue one perhaps. Try a cup and a 1/4.

Ingredients:

o 500 gm dates, sultanas and nuts.

o 3 cups of water

o 4 large cups flour

o 4 level tsp baking soda

o 500 gm brown sugar

Method:

1. Boil fruit and nuts in water for 5 - 10 minutes.

1. Add sugar and stir a few times while cooling.
2. Butter two large or three small loaf tins and put the oven onto 350ºF or 150ºC.
3. When cool add flour and soda. It will start frothing immediately.
4. Pour into tins and bake about one hour. This time will depend on the size of tin of course. Test with a skewer in the middle. If the skewer comes out clean, it is done. Try not to overcook these.
5. Remove from tins and cool on a wire rack.
6. Store in fridge or freezer.
7. Slice and butter to serve.

Tedward's Bread - a versatile recipe.

Tedward perfected this by trial-and-error for their ‘Sunbeam Quantum' bread maker but it probably works for other brands too. Just watch the size, because the 'Quantum' has a huge pan. You may have to reduce the amount proportionately.

Makes one large loaf in the breadmaker, about 20 rolls, or two loaves in loaf tins.

Ingredients:

o 1 tsp salt

o 1 Tbsp olive oil

o 1 rounded tsp brown sugar

o 2 cups warm water

o 4 1/4 cups white or wholemeal flour, or half-and-half.

o 2 tsp ‘Surebake’ yeast

o 1/4 cup linseeds, pumpkin kernels, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or mixture

Breadmaker Method:

Put all into the breadmaker pan in the order given. Ensure you click on the button that makes the largest size. I prefer a good crust so I make it the darkest option.

Hand-method:

1. In a bowl, add brown sugar to the water and stir until dissolved.
2. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and stir it in. Set aside for 10 minutes or so until it appears foamy. Give it another stir to distribute the yeast through the liquid.
3. While you are waiting for the yeast to start working, measure out the flour and seeds into a large bowl.
4. Make a dip or ‘well’ in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix from the outside until all combined. I use my hands for this. If you work from the outside, they stay fairly dry for a while.
5. Now here is the part where you give your arm-muscles a work-out. Knead the dough for about 8 -10 minutes. (This is so the gluten gets nice and stretchy and will hold the crumb together when the yeast starts making bubbles). A tried-and true method of kneading bread dough is as follows: Form the dough into a ball and press it away from you with the heel of your palm, then pull the top of the ball towards you with your fingertips, folding it over the top. Rotate the ball a few degrees and repeat. If it gets sticky, add a little more flour. You’ll probably need to put a bit of flour on the bench or board you are using.
6. When the dough is ‘springy’ and soft, and a little poke with a finger bounces back, place it into a large, clean, lightly oiled bowl, and cover with damp tea towel or cling wrap and place into a warm place out of drafts, to rise.
7. When it has doubled in size (an hour or two?) take it out and place it on a floured bench, punch it down, and then knead lightly for 30 seconds. (This is to make the bubbles smaller which will give the bread a finer crumb).
8. At this point we need to decide what shape the bread is to be. The dough can be made into two rough ovals and go into two oiled loaf tins. Or pinched small pieces off and shape into balls for rolls and placed on an oiled baking tray. Another nice way is to make two cottage loaves. Make two large and two smaller balls. The smaller balls are placed on the larger ones, and, taking a wooden spoon handle, press down on the top to join the two.
9. Whatever the shape, this needs to rise in that warm place until twice the size again.
10. Brush each bread shape gently with milk or oil, and bake in a pre-heated oven at about 350ºF or 180ºC until golden brown and it sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom with the knuckles. You’ll need to juggle the loaf with a tea towel to do this. Allow the loaves to sit on a rack for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
11. Once cool, bread keeps better in a plastic bag. Don’t expect home-made bread to keep as long as store-brought bread which often has preservatives. But if there is any left, it will make great toast if it’s past its new-baked fragrant freshness! And there's always Bread-and-butter and blueberry pudding, Queen pudding or Nana Connie's stuffing for a chicken.