Monday 26 November 2007

Flying by the seat of my bread pants in the style of a Daring Baker

I DID IT! I finally made the Tender Potato Bread

from Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World

by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid


I don't know if it was the fear of making bread but never before have I left the making of a Daring Baker challenge so late. I have until midnight tonight to post so I'd better hurry up and start typing. This morning as I sat making baubles and what have you for the School Christmas Fair drinking nice coffee and having a bit of a chat. I put to the back of my mind that I still had to make the Tender Potato Bread as chosen by our host this month, the lovely Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups. At 4.30pm this afternoon when I still hadn't started I did think about posting on the DB blog to say I was quitting and that I was incapable of living up to the thing that is a Daring Baker. However I was wrong and for that I thank you Tanna. We just ate the best Focaccia, warm, fresh out of the oven that we ever did taste! The bread rolls look superb and the large loaf looks amazing too and me well I'm amazed and pretty proud of myself this evening. Those who read this blog regularly know that I am not the bread maker in the family. The boys are, both grown and small. Not anymore - I am bread maker extraordinaire!


I peeled enough potatoes to allow for Little and Small to have some for their dinner. With them fed I began a proper. There wasn't enough water from the boiled potatoes which was actually a bonus as I used cold water to get the 3 cups required and this meant it cooled it down quicker. A bonus when you're running as late as I was. Did you hear that? As late as I was. I can say that now because the bread is made and I've still got hours left to post before the witching hour. I mixed the first two cups of flour and yeast to the potato and water and let it rest. I then added most of the rest of the flour and decided to transfer to the KitchenAid as my back was starting to hurt. If anyone has any tips for kneading dough or generally doing repetitive stuff without pain when you have a torn disc in your lower spine please let me know. I did the second kneading by hand. That dough was sticky, I think I may have clogged both the bathroom and kitchen sinks with cleaning my hands and the mixing bowls. It felt really good, though a bit like a fat squidgy tummy. Anyway I decided to go for a focaccia, 6 rolls and a large-ish loaf - as you can see.

If you want to check out what all the other Daring Bakers did (nearly 400 of them now) then click here to go the Daring Bakers Blogroll. If you want to check out the recipe then click here to go to Tanna's blog.

Tanna sums up beautifully what being a Daring Baker is about. She says 'Being a Daring Baker is about trying new recipes, new techniques and taking risks. It’s about reaching just past that comfort zone.This is a Daring Baker Challenge, not a contest and not a competition because at its heart and soul is the support and sharing the how to of baking with 300+ 400+ Daring Bakers once a month.'

Thanks again Tanna, you really are a STAR!

I'm now off to sit down, put my feet up and have a huge glass of W.... ater!

53 comments:

Julius said...

Hi,

Your breads look wonderful.

I love the wealth of pictures you've posted that show the bread-making process at different stages.

Julius from Occasional Baker

Megan said...

nothing better then bread, butter, and a glass of w...ater! Glad you made the challange. You are a true daring baker!

Pig in the Kitchen said...

all hail the foccacia (sp?) goddess! looks delicious.
Pigx

breadchick said...

Yea for you!!! Welcome to the world of Bread Heads and we are most proud to have you amongst us. Not to mention you are fine asset to the Daring Bakers. Great job!!

slush said...

All your bread looks oh so yummy! Fantastic job! xo

slush said...

Forgot to add, I LOVE your pictures! They really show how sticky this dough was. Bravo!

Anonymous said...

You did a great job! The shaping is awesome..and congrats getting in under the wire~

Mandy said...

well done! I love the step by step photos!

Lisa said...

Haha.. I love the pictures of the sticky dough covered hands!

Anonymous said...

I love the way your bread came out...your loaf looks awesome! I will have to make mine that way and not in a loaf pan next time :) Glad you made it...you certainly have a wealth of lovely breads to show :)

Gabi said...

Well done and with time to spare! You are a bread baker extraordinaire! Great Pics!
xoxo

Carla said...

Bravo to you for taking pictures during the sticky blob process.

I love the mission of your blog and hope to do the same with my son soon.

Oh and great rolls!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Hooray for you! Your breads look wonderful.

Simona Carini said...

I enjoyed reading your post and looking at your photos: good job!

Chris said...

I love it! Love the pics. I am having flashbacks of thoughts I lost my hands to the bread gods. Your bread looks wonderful.

Peabody said...

A fantastic job on your breads!

Marie Rayner said...

Amanda, your bread looks lovely! I am well impressed. I love the buns done in the muffin tins. If I make this again (and at this point it's a really big if, lol) I shall try it in muffin tins. I think I'll also skip the bread pan altogether and just slap out a rustic loaf. It is really good bread though, isn't it! You really did the challenge proud! Yours is beautiful!

Karen Baking Soda said...

Love how your muffin cups breadies turned out! And the rustic looks on the other ones as well! You are a bread baker extra ordinaire from now on!

Cottage Smallholder said...

I must start making my own bread again!

I've tagged you for the 8 happy thoughts meme. Hope that you enjoy doing it.

african vanielje said...

Well done. Your bread looks absolutely more-ish. Glad you did the challenge

Cynthia said...

The breads look homey and absolutely delicious. Great job!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

What wonderful looking breads! Well done!

Cheers,

Rosa

FH said...

Looks great, I am seeing Potato bread everywhere these days!:))

Deborah said...

I am so glad that you didn't throw in the towel!! Your bread looks gorgeous, and most importantly, you learned that you can bake bread!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Amanda you are bread maker extraordinaire! I'd have been crushed if you quite on my watch! Makes me shudder to think.
Your breads look fabulous. Looking at yours I think I need to make rolls in the muffin tins. All our your crusts look gorgeous! Thanks so much for "sticking" with us!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Lovely lovely and you are a star for doing this in the nick of the time. Please tell me the boys got more tha just boiled potatoes for dinner. See how dedicated we DBs are!!

Freya said...

Delicious! You've done a great job and I bet you'll be using this recipe again now!

Kelly-Jane said...

Your pictures are superb! and your bread is too, really professional!

Glad you managed to fit it in, and I thought I was living on the edge ;) Well done.

KJxx

April said...

Your bread looks great! All looks yummy!

Princess of the kitchen said...

Great pictures, delicious looking bread! yours overflowed from the bowl too!lol. Well done

Pat said...

Amanda, You have me wanting to try this recipe. I wonder how Herman would work with this recipe.... I will have to have a play this weekend. Will let you know how I get on.

Helene said...

Don't you dare wuit the DBs...I'll come and bribe you back in with cupcakes and cakes!! Bravo for getting it done in such a short time. The picture of the free form boule is just gorgeous!

Nora B. said...

Dear Amanda the very Daring Bread maker extraordinaire,

Well done on conquering the sticky dough! And since you also made a focaccia, it's in line with your current kitchen travel destination. Have the kids tried it yet?

Love the photos! I couldn't take any "in-process" photos except for the last step because I was at home alone and I didn't feel like cleaning my camera of sticky dough ;-)

x Nora

Jen Yu said...

Those breads are great! You did such a nice job on them and with time to spare! :) Good job.

-jen at use real butter

Anonymous said...

Amanda,

I'm so glad you didn't quit and that you went through with the challenge. Your bread looks great!

Christine said...

I think you and I have the same stoneware loaf pan! I also have muffin tins, though mine are jumbo and completely straight-sided. My loaf pan really browned my bread beautifully.

Great job for forging ahead and taking on the challenge! You bread looks excellent.

Christina ~ She Runs, She Eats

Angel said...

Your breads turned out beautiful.
Congrats on making and succeeding on another challenge. Hope to eventually get as good as you.

Gretchen Noelle said...

Very nice looking breads. I like the loaf! Glad you could pull this off! Hope you visit Peruvian food in your Round the World food expedition!

Aimée said...

Seriously? 400 DB's now? WOW.

Your bread is sooo lovely. I am glad you buckled down and made it because I can tell it made you feel proud. :)
It's really rewarding to bake bread, hey?

Julie said...

You did wonderfully! My procrastinated projects never turn out that well! =D

Jann said...

This is quite a creation! the photos were great to follow ~where does one find the time to get involved in making breads? i haven't baked bread in years...maybe I should follow in your footsteps!

Yujai said...

The potato bread looks great! I want to eat it XD

Lesley said...

Great job! They look just great!

Joanna said...

I'm sure I won't be the only one, but I have nominated you for the 2007 Food Blog Awards ... details on my blog if you don't know about this

Joanna

Anonymous said...

The bread looks amazing - and sorry to hear about the back. A torn disc? Ouch!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Thank you so much to everybody for your comments.

Helen, it's almost tempting just for the cakes!

Nora, they did try it. The focaccia they loved as it was, the bread they preferred toasted. Actually so did I.

Jann, I've always thought baking bread was just too time consuming and left it to hubby and the boys at the weekends if they felt like making it but I think I might start making the time as I really enjoyed doing it.

Joanna, Thank you so much. I'm humbled and quite blown away by your nomination.

Anonymous, It was pretty OUCH! I actually tore it back in February. After physio and a lot of pain killers it eased but an MRI scan showed that the tear wouldn't heal. Every so often I do something and it sets it off again. It always settles down after a while though. All very dull! Thanks for your comment.

Amanda

Pat said...

Amanda, Thanks I tested Herman out with some mashed potato and the potato water and it was very similar to yours overflowing the bowl. But has turned out really nice. Thanks!!!!

Jenny said...

Glad you aren't saying you "were" a Daring Baker but you ARE a Daring Baker! Good for you for getting it in there!

Chibog in Chief said...

hello, im a december newbie of Daring Bakers..i missed the november challenge but im glad i still have the time to enjoy your potato bread challenge..love the photos!!they look gorgeously delectable!!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Great work, my sweet friend - I love it that you baked them in muffin pans!

Annemarie said...

I thought I had already praised you for your bread, but it looks like not. I love how yours came out - beautiful focaccia and gorgeous little buns. I trust little and small had a great time making and eating.

Dolores said...

Wow... your photographs are *amazing*. I'm glad you decided to jump in and try this one, even if it WAS a bit of a last-minute exercise.

Chibog in Chief said...

its my first time to see your november challenge and all i could say is wow!! you suceeded..making bread is not my cup of tea..im lucky coz im starting with decembers challenge im more familiar with :-)

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