Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Aniseed bread

Mid week baking, if you can be bothered that is, can make all the difference to both mind and body - a real cleanser. This recipe makes wonderful moist and sweet bread with the rich warming overtones of aniseed, and really is as simplistic a 2 part bread recipe as you'll find.

Sponge
500g flour
1g salt
10g butter (room temp)
10g soft brown sugar
3g ground aniseed
10g raisins

Ferment
500g flour
75g water
3g yeast

Syrup
100g sugar
50g water

Set the "ferment" by mixing warm (40ºC) water, yeast and flour in a basin. Leave to stand for 15mins.

Put sugar, salt, butter and aniseed into a bowl, add warm water and bring together slightly then add the "ferment".

Mix a little more and finally add sponge and continue to mix to a fully developed dough (it will be slacker than bread dough but will tighten as it ferments). Add raisins tearing into dough. Put to one side in a warm draft free place to double up in bulk for 1 hour.

Divide into 300g doughs, push out the gas by knocking it up a bit and leave to stand for a 15 minute intermediate prove. Final mould then put in a warm moist atmosphere for 35-40 mins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 25mins. Boil syrup for 10 mins and then brush over bread as soon as it comes out of the oven

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