Yesterday it was raining cats and dogs here. I mean like buckets of water bouncing off the paving stones!
I had no jobs to do, so I decided to have one of my rare baking days.
I haven't had a good rainy day in cooking and baking in a while so I might have gone a little overboard 😉
First out of the oven... was this little beauty.
Bread is much easier to make than some people might think... especially when you follow the no knead method. Here is a quick recipe/tutorial on how to make this easiest of breads.
How To Make No-Knead Bread
INGREDIENTS
1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) plus more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
INSTRUCTIONS
Make a wet, shaggy dough. Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center, and add the water into the well. Stir until it forms a shaggy dough.
Cover the dough bowl and let rise for 6 to 8 hours. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size and bubbly, 8 to12 hours.
Shape the dough and rise for another hour. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto it, folding it over on itself at least once while you do so. Quickly shape the dough into a round ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour more.
Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven. About 30 minutes before the hour is up, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a large Dutch oven with its lid on the rack. Heat the oven to 450°F.
Transfer the loaf to the preheated Dutch oven.The shaped dough will have risen and nearly doubled in size. Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully transfer the loaf, still on the paper, to the Dutch oven. If desired, make a slash or shallow cut on the top of the dough with kitchen shears or a sharp knife so that the bread can expand while baking.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Place the lid on the pot and put it in the oven. (Careful, the lid is hot!) Bake covered for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes more. You can be extra-sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the top or side registers 210°F.
Cool and slice the bread. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.
As you can see the bread turned out well formed, crusty with holes in the crumb much like a sourdough. I decided to make Bruschetta with mine which was pretty tasty still warm from the oven.
But this wasn't the end of my baking spree... next it was bagels and Blondie 😂
I have to be honest, bagels ain't easy. They have multiple steps including boiling the shaped bagels for a few minutes each side. I've been making bagels for years now and have just about got it down to a fine art. For the beginner baker, I would suggest giving the no knead bread a go first unless you like a challenge.
For those who do want to give them a go you can find the recipe and explanation here. Or check out my crazy video explanation, Bad Boy Baker Bagels, I made back in the day on steem for the comedy open mic competition.
But now, on to the star of the show... Walnut and Choc-chip Blondies.
For those who don't know, Blondies are basically the same as brownies but without the chocolate... unless like me you just can't do without some chocolate chips in the mix. They are a gooey, caramel flavored cake/bar with that classic brownie texture... perfect with a cuppa coffee while writing a blog ☕😉
Check out my recipe for these nutty, gooey blondies that will have you riding that sugar high all day long.
Walnut and Choc-chip Blondies
INGREDIENTS
170 grams (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
225 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour
100 grams (1 cup) chocolate chips (I used a pack of Minstrels bashed up)
100 grams (1/2 cup) Walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 160 C (320 F). Grease and line an 8 inch square baking tin with baking or parchment paper, ensuring two sides overhang. In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugar and gently whisk together. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
Add the egg and mix until combined. Stir in flour, white chocolate chunks and walnuts. Pour the batter in prepared tin, smooth the top and place in the oven.
Bake blondies for approximately 30 minutes or until golden on the edges and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in pan to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.
I'd love to know if anyone gives one of these bakes a go, and do let me know if you have any questions in the comments.
Thank you for joining me in the Liverpool Bake Off of 2019.
All pictures used are my own. If you have enjoyed this post, please do check out my homepage 
