I got my bake on last weekend. I was going to make the Courgette, Sultana and Lemon Bread recipe in Jack Monroe’s ‘A Girl Called Jack‘ cook book, but then, I dunno, totally free-styled it by thinking ‘A Carrot is like a courgette, and apple and carrot go well together, I think, and dried apple is a dried fruit like sultana’s’ and made this.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO USE UP THE BREAD FLOUR THAT WAS BEST BEFORE MARCH 2017 AND THE DRIED YEAST THAT EXPIRED LAST MONTH.
INGREDIENTS
1 large carrot
300g Bread Flour
a 7g sachet of fast-acting dried yeast
a cup of dried apple rings cut into little pieces
About 300ml of warm water mixed with 2 table spoons of lemon juice, BUT you will most likely not need all of this. I just like being prepared.
METHOD
This was my first (successful) attempt at making bread, so be aware I am not a magnificent baker.
Grate the carrot and apple, add to a mixing bowl. (If you want to be a true food waste warrior then grate all the skin in as well)
Add the flour and yeast and dried apple rings, combine everything.
Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and gradually add some of the water until you have a nice sticky dough. The wetness of the apple and carrot go a long way to making it sticky already so that’s why you probably won’t need much of the liquid mix.
Tip the dough out on a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Leave the dough to rise in a nice warm place in the bowl with a tea towel over the top (I put mine on top of the recently used microwave).
Go have a cup of tea. Chef’s orders. Or if you are a ‘keener’ then do the washing up.
Come back 30 minutes later or when the dough has risen and knock the air out of it. Pop in a lightly oiled or silicon loaf tin, cover with cling film and leave to prove for around 40 minutes.
Pop the oven on at gas mark 4 to preheat.
Cook for around 35 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
It’s best of all eaten warm.