Category Archives: bread

Christstollen made with Spelt flour

‘Tis the season to be merry… and make Stollen. I can’t imagine Christmas without a good Stollen, spread with a little butter and maybe an extra dusting of confectioners sugar.

Nothing beats a homemade StolIen and it looks so beautiful on the breakfast table. I have filled this Spelt Stollen with a pistachio paste rather than a more traditional almond paste. The paste comes together in minutes but you can skip it, use storebought almond paste or leave out all together. Essentially, pistachio paste is pistachios, caster sugar and egg mixed together in a food processor until a paste forms. It couldn’t be easier and it is so outrageously delicious that I highly recommend that you try it at least once.

The dried fruit in the recipe can be adjusted to your liking and soaked in either brandy, whiskey or tea. I have opted for the Earl Grey tea in this recipe. I also haven’t added a lot of dried fruit since I think it gets too heavy, so this is not one of those overly fruit studded loafs.

Once the paste is made and the fruit has soaked it comes together fairly easily. It is an enriched dough that can be made in a stand mixer.

The Christstollen can be stored for upto a month, very well wrapped in cling film and then wrapped in foil or placed in a large ziplock bag. Keep in a cool place but not the fridge.

INGREDIENTS;

Ingredients Pistachio paste:
100 gr. / 3.5 oz. pistachios shelled
100 gr. / 3.5 oz. caster sugar
1/2 large egg

Ingredients Christstollen:
1 cup of freshly brewed Earl Grey tea or booze if you prefer.
300 gr. / 10.5 oz. Sultanas
100 gr. / 3.5 oz. Mixed peel

450 gr / 1 lb. Spelt flour
1 sachet instant yeast, 7 gr./ 1/4 oz.
60 gr. / 1/4 C. Sugar
7 gr. / 1 tsp. table salt
7 gr. / 1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Cardamom
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg ( a pinch)
120 ml. / 1/2 C. Hot water (from tap)
120 ml. / 1/2 C. Milk
45 gr. / 3 tbsp. Soft butter
1 large egg, room temperature
100 gr. / 3.5 oz. Sugared Bigarreau (red and green cherries), chopped
35 gr. / 1/4 C. Almonds toasted, chopped
A little extra soft butter for brushing over the loaf.
Confectioners sugar for dusting.

Instructions:
Step 1.
Soak the dried fruit of your choice (sultanas and peel in this recipe), in the hot tea or boize, and leave to soak at least two hours but preferably overnight.

Step 2.
Make the Pistachio paste by placing the nuts and sugar in a food processor and pulsing until very fine. Add the half of an egg and pulse again until the paste holds together.
Scrape the paste on to a sheet of cling film and form into a ball. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can also make the paste the night before.

Step 3.
Mix the hot water with the milk from the fridge into a jug, it needs to be hand warm.
To a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices. Turn the mixer on to a low setting, add the milk mixture, butter and the egg.
Mix for 7 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
Drain the dried fruit and pat dry on a clean kitchen towel. Add these to the dough together with the chopped almonds and bigarreau.
Mix gently until combined well.
Cover the bowl with a clean slightly damp kitchen towel or cling film and leave to rise until double in bulk. About one to one and a half hours.

Step 4.
Pre heat oven 170 C. / 340 F.
Once double in bulk. Punch down the dough and place on a floured surface.
Shape into rectangle about 20 x 30 cm./ 8″ x 11.5″.
Take the pistachio paste from the fridge and roll into sausage, place on the dough towards one side.

Roll the side with the past over to close, then fold over the other side on top as if it were an envelope.
Make sure to seal and pinch closed the ends of the loaf so that the paste does not come out. If this is not sealed in, it will ooze out during baking. I always try to push in any visible fruit into the dough so that this doesn’t burn while baking.
Leave to rise again for 30 -40 minutes.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 – 50. the.
Instert wooden skewer to test if it comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.
Brush with melted or very soft butter and dust with confectioners sugar. Omit this last step if you ate going to store the Christstollen.

If you want to keep the loaf for a later date… Once cooked completely, wrap in two layers of cling film and place in tin or ziplock bag. The Christstollen will keep for upto a month. You can also make double the recipe and pop one in the freezer for Easter.

Make ahead Cinnamon rolls

5 Replies

These are the quickest cinnamon rolls to make, perfect for any celebration or occasion.

For the dough, you can place all the ingredients in the mixer and knead the dough without waiting to activate the yeast (when using the fast acting kind). So they come together fairly quickly.

Once filled and sliced, you can leave them out for a second rise and bake straight away or you can cover the cinnamon rolls tightly with cling film and leave them to rise overnight in the fridge. This way you can bake the rolls fresh on Christmas morning. You can also freeze them at this point. They keep in the freezer for at least a month.

From frozen you take them out the night before and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Before baking take the cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator at least half an hour before baking.

INGREDIENTS;

Dough:

150 ml. / 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. Milk, handwarm
7 gr. / 2 tsp. Instant yeast
30 gr./ 2 tbsp. sugar
1 Large egg, room temperature
30 grs. / 2 tbsp. soft butter
450 grs. / 1 lbs. All purpose flour
2.5 grs. / 1/2 tsp. table salt

Filling:

60 grs./ 1/4 cup soft butter
60 grs. / 1 /4 cup brown sugar
15 grs. / 1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Frosting:

225 grs. / 1 C. cream cheese, room temperature
60 grs. / 1.4 C. Soft butter
100 grs. / 1/2 – ¾ C. Confectioners sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS;

1). Place all the ingredients for the dough in your stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, turn on the mixer to medium and knead for. 7 minutes.
2). Cover the dough with plastic wrap or damp tea towel and let rise for an hour and a half or until double in bulk.
3).Rol dough out to a rectangle of 40 cm x 30 cm. / 16″ × 12″ approximately (Horizontally from your perspective)
4).Spread the soft butter over the entire rectangle, then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
5). Rol up as tight (and best) as you can. Slice with a sharp knife into 8 and place in buttered baking dish. Cover again with plastic wrap.
6).Leave to rise for 30 to 45 minutes until nice and big. Meanwhile pre heat the oven to 180C/350
7). Bake for about 25 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil if it gets a little dark. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
8). Mix the frosting ingredients together and spread over the cinnamon rolls. Serve straight away.

Spelt Baguette

2 Replies

Making bread at home can be daunting, but what if I were to tell you that I truly believe anyone can do it

Especially this recipe, it’s a” throw it together and forget about it” kind of recipe.

Almost that is, you do have to mix and knead a little bit.

Let me elaborate, you place all the ingredients in a bowl, knead for a few minutes, by hand or mixer. Then you cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours.

The next morning, you knead again for a minute or two, shape into four or six baguettes and cover for half an hour, then bake. It’s that simple.

The aroma of freshly baked Spelt baguette in the morning is like nothing else, you might think you’re in Paris! Just add a café au lait, and you’re good to go.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gr Spelt flour
350 ml water, hand warm
2 gr yeast
6 gr salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand or use a mixer with hook attachment. Knead dough for 5 minutes and cover bowl tightly.

Place in refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours or overnight. Can also be made early in the morning for an evening bake.

After the resting period in the refrigerator, take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead for two minutes and shape into four or six Spelt baguettes. Rolling the dough tightly, so you squeeze out all the air.

Place the baguettes on a parchment lined baking sheet and score the Spelt baguettes with a sharp knife. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven at this point to 240 C / 460 F, place a small ovenproof container filled with hot water in the back of the oven. Place the Spelt baguettes in the middle of the oven and bake. For 4 baguettes it is 17 minutes approximately, for 6 smaller baguettes 15 minutes approximately. You may have to turn the tray halfway baking depending on how good your oven is.