With new and old baking tins, and old and new recipe books, I've made different types of bread. The hazelnuts on this focaccia, were a present from one of my husband's colleagues. I spent some time cracking these sat in the sun in the garden.....yes we had some lovely sunny days before the current spell of rain...The recipe is from Ursula Ferrigno's The new family bread book.
From the Hairy Biker's Big Book of Baking, I made their Rustic Spanish Bread. I'm reminded of the time spent with Jenny in Spain, when we went on a country walk, and came across a country baker, making bread in a wood oven, ready for the people coming from the cities to stay in their country houses for the weekend.
This is the first batch of my own sourdough, no 'commercial yeast' bread, made following the River Cottage Handbook No 3 guides, and my two proving baskets. I bought these years back, and I remember being so excited about finding them, that I bought more for bread making friends as presents. Now that bread making is so in vogue they are far easier to get.
For these focaccia's I had the help of little fingers, it is never too early to involve little ones, and bread dough is very amenable to pulling and pummelling.
The garden is thoroughly soaked, so I was pleased to have taken a few pictures before the rain.
The frosts have taken almost all of the plum blossom, and I am waiting to see what will come of the other fruit blossom. These flowers of my Doyenne de Comice attracted local bees and insects...after the frosts so they may yet set.
These Dog Tooth Violets, not violets and nothing to do with dogs, except that their bulbs are shaped like dog's canine teeth, are a spring time treat in a shady corner of the garden. They look exotic with their curved petals.
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