WELL BREAD

Next week is Real Bread Week, launched by the Real Bread Campaign in 2010, it is the annual, international celebration of ‘real bread’ and the people who make it. Its main aims are to encourage and help people to buy real bread from local, independent bakeries, to bake their own bread at home and to join the Real Bread Campaign. I ‘loaf’ making (and eating) great bread and often experiment with veg, fruit and herbs from the garden. Any herby bread is a regular ‘go-to’ (fennel, chives and thyme are the strongest flavours) and probably the easiest, but other experiments have included beetroot and walnut, apple and courgette and spinach and A variation of all those recipes are on the internet and definitely worth a go. My favourite way to get as many veggies into the dough as possible is a Garden Harvest Bread recipe. It tastes a bit pizza-ry, which is down to the oregano I think. You will need: ■2 medium courgettes, grated

■1 1/2 tbsp salt

■2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

■1 tbsp granulated sugar

■½ pint warm water

■2 tbsp melted butter

■3 large carrots, grated

■a handful of chopped olives

■12 – 16 oz bread flour (the amount will vary greatly because of the moisture in the vegetables. Start with 12 oz and add more as nec)

■1 tbsp dried oregano

■1 tsp smoked paprika

■Olive oil for greasing the bowl Place the courgettes in a colander and toss with 1 tbsp of salt. Set aside for five to ten minutes to let the salt draw out the moisture, then squeeze hard to remove as much liquid as possible. Add the yeast, sugar, and warm water to a bowl and let set for ten minutes or until the yeast foams the surface. Add in melted butter, courgettes, carrots, olives, bread flour, oregano, 1/2 tbsp salt and the paprika and mix well – use a mixer if you prefer. If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Knead to pliable dough. Grease a bowl with olive oil and transfer dough to the bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, for about an hour. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into equal halves and shape two round loaves onto the baking sheet, making sure to leave enough room for the bread to at least double in size. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for another thirty minutes or until doubled again. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops have browned, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool. Slice, serve and enjoy your ‘bread of Heaven!’