Lincolnshire Plum Buns

Lincolnshire Plum Buns are the newest bake, set for mid June from Jane Mason's The Book of Buns, on our facebook page.  I could imagine that this recipe was specially set in the book for me...but I did not know Jane when this book was first published!

The pancheon that sits on my work top was made a very long time ago, and has been handed down the generations.  Since my Grandma and her ancestors came from Lincolnshire, I imagine there were many a Lincolnshire Plum Loaf  mixed in this one.  I can also imagine Grandma making Plum Loaf into buns, as her children and grandchildren, living nearby,  seemed to know when she was baking, and she loved making buns because each person would have their own very own little 'loaf'.  Recently at my Aunty Prue's 'wake', we had sliced Lincolnshire Plum Loaf, and I thought how delicious it was then.

Found on page 95 of The Book of Buns, this recipe asks for 300g of dried fruit....in days of yore, any allusion to plums in cakes referred to 'dried vine fruits', but I wonder if people dried bits of locally grown plums to store during the winter and used that in boiled puddings?

The fruit is soaked overnight in tea, which makes them lovely and plump.  I used organic raisins, and the drained liquid was then put into the batch of wholemeal and rye bread made up the same day.  Waste not want not?

During the morning on Friday, Keith came over for a chat and coffee, and watched me shape the buns...but sadly they were rising rather slowly, and had not been baked as I had expected, before it was time for him to leave.  Must remind Keith to come in the afternoon next time!  He even helped with the washing up before he left.  Do you think I should take him a couple round when I see him for the open gardens this afternoon?  I did take some for Roy when I took round his loaf later in the day.

These buns are really delicious...the next bun to be sliced had so much fruit in, it made this one look like a 'Skinny Lincolnshire Plum Bun'.  Mr S was impressed by the Friday Buns and we were able to sit outside on the patio to enjoy our Friday Meriender when he got home from work.

Gothic Shawl Complete

When a lace shawl comes off the needles, there is a texture given by each set of stitches, which shows up beautifully in the low winter light.  The designer Jane Sowerby was inspired by the arches of Jervaulx Abbey in Yorkshire and Cothele in Cornwall.

Washing and blocking the shawl removes some of the texture.

It takes patience to ensure that the shape is balanced, measuring tape, steel rods and pins help with this , and then there is the day or so when it is drying, where the floor where it is drying is a no go area .  As the sun was bright, I covered the shawl with a sheet, as I was not sure how the yarn would stand up to strong light.  As soon as the shade arrived, the sheet was whipped off.

The shawl is now folded with tissue paper in a box ready to take up to my aunt. There were some tears at first, as half way, I discovered a serious error, and this required me to undo the whole lot, which in itself took over two hours.  I decided that I must start again, or I would falter, and perhaps never start such a project again. 

A second period of worry came towards the end, as I wondered whether there would be sufficient yarn.  This is the first time that I have knitted a shawl starting at the widest, decreasing every other row, till there are only 11 stitches left.  Phew there was sufficient yarn!

The colour very nearly matches that of the unglazed pancheon bottom, it is light and warm, and is probably the best item I have knitted.  Its taken just nearly two months to complete, with at least two hours each day.  There were many batches of dough rising in the pancheon during my knitting, and now I also have one friend who lives just round the corner who comes to collect a small loaf each time I bake!

Gothic Shawl by Jane Sowerby

This is name of the shawl designed by Jane Sowerby, featured on the front cover of The Knitter Issue 37.  Coming back home with my pancheon, I had in my mind my offer to knit my aunt a shawl.  I am ready to tackle some complex lace knitting again, and when my latest magazine offered this beautiful design, I felt driven to accept the challenge.

One of the substitute yarns suggested was one by Old Maiden Aunt.  After looking at her site, I emailed my aunt, and she was able to view the yarn I had in mind.  On Thursday I ordered it and it arrived Friday morning. 

Hand painted in shades of brown and chestnut, with the wonderful feel of baby suri alpaca, fine merino and silk, this will knit up into a beautiful lightweight and warm shawl.

  It took me just over half an hour to wind the yarn, using my wooden swift.

I found a size of needle suggested and knitted up a trial swatch.  I need to buy more needles: two 100 cm needles, and for hours I was wondering whether I should get the addi turbo or lace needles.  I tried the knitting shop in Warwick, but no luck there.  As I knitted the swatch on bamboo, and I know that with my hands as they are, wooden or bamboo needles are much kinder, I decided to stick with my hunch.  It was like looking for needles in a haystack, finding the right top quality ones, right length etc...and now two Addi Bamboo Circular needles  are on order from English Yarns.  Next week when they arrive, I shall start in earnest.

The Pancheon

A couple of weeks ago, my Uncle Noel and I ventured north to the land of our forefathers and mothers!  We stopped en route at his son and his wife, my cousins. 

Before we got there he and I had a great lunch and a visit to Hardwick Hall....what no photos!  I had left my camera behind...but perhaps this meant I took more in....

At my cousins, where we were made most welcome, I got to taste some wonderful jellies, chutneys and preserves.  We visited sisters/aunts and brothers/uncles with uncle Noel sharing some wonderful vintage family photographs.

On this visit I was given my Grand Mother's pancheon.  I found out later that my grand-mother had this handed down from her mother.  Therefore to my knowledge this was my great-grandmother's.  Who knows it is was new then or if came down from even earlier in the family. I feel honoured to be the current user, and so very grateful to receive it.  It is on account of this blog, and the fact that my aunt reads this, and her generosity, that it is now here. 

When he saw first saw it, Uncle Noel said he could remember it standing besides the hearth when he was young, covered with two tea towels.  My aunt has a very roomy and superb kitchen, so it was not until I got it home that I realised how big it was and why it would have needed two tea towels to cover it! 

Mr S approves of the place on the work surface where it is on display.  It is just above the under the counter freezer, where I used to keep the fruit basket.  I only realised this year the reason that our fruit ripened so quickly was that it was a warm corner.  Dough using 1.5Kg of flour looks really small but there is plenty of room to rise.  I guess with a very large family, a big pancheon would be needed.  Today Mr S and I went into Warwick, and I found a lovely hardly used vintage Huckaback towel with pretty pansies, at Oops-a-daisy at the antiques galleries.  It is large enough to cover the pancheon nicely.

With this dough, I made two walnut free form, two small and one large tin loaves.  Two loaves went to friends.

 

As I left my aunt, I thought it would be nice to ask her if she would like something, and she said that next time I went up, she would like some bread.  I also felt a nice knitting project coming on, and she was delighted when I suggested that I knit her a shawl.  More about this later!

Bread makers tools - Its a Pancheon that I want

Some people use bread makers, some use big mixers with dough hooks, and I have been tempted by the later when my hands are hurting, but I keep on with the hand method. I love the feel of the dough on my hands, and being able to feel the change in the dough as it is manipulated.

I feel a connection through dough and bread making to my Lincolnshire ancestors. I was thrilled to be taken by my Uncle Noel some time back, to see Wrawby Mill, which was owned and worked by one of great grand parents. Several years ago, when discussing bread making with my mother, she said that my Grand mother used to make her bread in a Pancheon. I have looked out for them in Museums, and old houses, and even sourced old ones. Each time I thought I had found the right one, Mr S gave me the look which meant that he did not think he wanted his bread made in them...maybe OK if I wanted to use it as a planter. Recently I even heard them mentioned on the radio, when it was explained that their manufacture died out because they were heavy, difficult to stack and transport, and once mass production started a different design of bowl took precedence.

After seeing my last 'old' pancheon which was not good enough for using on Friday, I just decided yet again to search. My mother's mantra to me of 'Seek and you shall find' is echoing in my head, as I found a Potter who is making them. I have viewed some of the Pancheons Paul Jessop makes on his blog, and I am in the process of contacting him to see what he can suggest. I can feel a weekend away to his neck of the woods coming up as soon as there is one ready.

At the weekend I was pleased to hear that Ian had tried out my sourdough recipe, and found it to be really good, with a thumbs up from Kevin too.