Homemade Bread à la Sophie Dahl

Marissa and I were in New York City last week - visiting family, getting lost in Central Park, soaking up the heat and braving NYC transportation all in the name of vacation. It was FANTASTIC!

As soon as we got back, Marissa decided to make a homemade loaf of bread...because, you see, we came back to a still-dreary Seattle and oats, wheat and delicious jam seemed the proper antidote to post-vacation depression.

This recipe comes together quickly and as Marissa likes to say, it's "no-fail" (if you've ever worked with yeast, you know this kind of claim is hard to come by). It's taken from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, one of my favorite cookbooks, merely because of it's simplicity. However, Sophie also shares some of her ups and downs as a child and teen, coming into her own and discovering the ways in which food shapes her experiences - her stories are very personal but also very humorous and dare I say, relatable?

This recipe is actually listed under "Autumn Breakfasts" but seeing as how Autumn seems to haunt Seattle nearly all year long, it seemed to fit the mood. However, if you don't live in Seattle you could still make this because it's delicious! It's best served with butter and seasonal jam but Miss Dahl also suggests it served with "mustard and a big slice of Parma ham." (Note: if it's 90+ degrees outside, don't turn on the oven. This bread is very yummy but not worth the extra sweat - just saying)

 

Homemade Bread
from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
Makes 1 large loaf

• 4 cups of whole wheat or spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 large Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 Tbsp honey

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. In a large Pyrex jug, mix together the warm water, sunflower oil and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing them together. Cover and put in a warm place. It should stay for 20 minutes, or until it's doubled in size.

Once it has doubled, stir it with the wooden spoon until the air is gone and it is back to its original size. Trust me on this. Place the dough in an oiled 6 3/4-cup (9x5x2.5-inch) loaf pan and banish it back to the warm place for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F oven.

Put the bread in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how it looks.

Serve with butter, mustard and a big slice of Parma ham - or, if you're like me, simply butter and marmalade.