Sunday 4 March 2012

Fun and games - not!

My bread making turned into a right royal farce yesterday. Hubby and I were on different wave lengths regarding whether or not we were going out to get something for the fruit cage. I thought we were and he thought we weren't.

Normally I would make bread first thing in the morning when I am switched on enough to keep an eye on it. Yesterday, we went out into the garden to do more on the fruit side of things so bread making was relegated until early afternoon.

It all started well, it was made and put into the airing cupboard for its first rise. At 4.00pm, it was ready and I took off a chunk for a pizza base for tea. Second rising started around 4.20pm …

We duly had said pizza for tea – which I set the oven and time incorrectly. It was nice but too crisp.
At 8.50pm I suddenly remembered the bread was still in the airing cupboard – it was huge! I slashed its top to let some of the rise out and put the oven on to warm. We had a drink, watched 2 episodes of E.R. and began to get ready for bed. Went into the kitchen to sort out early morning drinks and saw the oven on.

Yes, it had been on for nearly 2 hours – empty!

The air turned blue, the bread had now risen again and was bulging over the sides of the tins. Waiting for bread to cook at 10.50pm is like waiting for a kettle to boil in an emergency. Finally at 11.15pm it was ready, I didn't hold out much hope.

Bread however, is extremely forgiving, luckily for us. We tipped it out, wrapped it in a tea towel to soften its crust (mainly because we wanted to get to bed and didn't want to wait any longer for it to cool).

As you can imagine, I couldn't get to sleep being so wound up. At 1.00am, made myself a milky drink and put the now cooled bread away. 4.00am I was still awake and was contemplating that if it was summer I could get up and be working in the garden. Don't remember any more until 07.21am when the birds chirping woke me up.

We had some of the bread as toast for breakfast. It had a very crispy exterior but was good!

6 comments:

  1. That made me laugh (sorry). It is so easy to get sidetracked, especially when you start gardening, but I laughed at the idea of these HUGE over risen loaves! Glad all worked out ok, but I bet you are tired today now!

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  2. It was very reminiscent of The Good Life when Barbara overcooked her huge loaf. It came out of the oven about 1 foot square. At least it proves that half a sachet of instant yeast makes two large loaves!

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  3. Glad the bread was good after its mammoth rising!
    Carol xx

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  4. I now have this wonderful image of you draped over the kitchen table, matchsticks in eyes staying awake waiting for the bread to cook! You cheered me up knowing I am not the only one who does daft things!

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  5. Oh this did make me laugh DC, finding the oven on with nothing in it and the poor bread being on the go since 4pm. Glad it was edible in the end though!

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  6. LOL , I am always doing this which is why we have gone back over to breadmaker bread........I got fed up wiping up overflowed bread dough!!

    Pleased you actually made something edible after all your efforts

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