SIMPLE SALAD CROUTONS

Take day old bread, cut into cubes and place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Place into a pre-heated oven at 150c/275-300f/gas mark 1-2 for 25-30 minutes, turn croutons after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. These are the absolute basic of croutons and will need seasoning and additions of other flavours such as oil or herbs. Use for salads or soups. Croutons can be frozen or stored for a couple of days in an airtight container.

OLIVE OIL CROUTON SALAD WITH BABY PLUM TOMATO AND BASIL

Wickedly tasty salad that can be eaten as a snack or a starter in summer. Food cannot get any simpler than this, although this salad is dry you have a back ground of olive oil from the croutons and enough moisture from the the baby plum tomatoes to make this salad work!

RECIPE;

PER A PERSON - LET YOUR COMMON SENSE PREVAIL IF SERVING MORE THAN ONE AS A STARTER!!

12 olive oil croutons
2 baby plum tomatoes
5 basil leaves torn
1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
1 tsp of lemon
Pinch of sea sal and one good turn of the pepper mill.

Place the croutons and tomatoes in a serving dish/bowl, season with the salt and pepper. Scatter the basil leaves and grated parmesan then add the lemon. Serve!

NOTE;
Croutons can be frozen or stored for a couple of days in an airtight container.

LEFTOVER BOLOGNESE

What to do with leftover bolognese? If greed runs through your veins like myself you will probably wait until all is quiet, grab yourself a spoon, and devour all that is left for yourself!
There are ways you can actually spread out what is left, possibly even stretch the leftovers for a lunch time treat. Try warming the bolognese, toast some thinly sliced bread, rub with a little garlic, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto the slices, spread a thin layer of bolognese on each slice, a little torn basil and some cheese. Parmesan, Pecorino,Mozzarella or your favourite Cheddar. Pop this under the grill, melt the cheese, you have lunch! It is important that the bread is thinly sliced and the layer of bolognese is spread evenly. Eating will become a chore unless you have a mouth the size of jordan. Of course you could sit and use a knife and fork but where is a the fun in that!

OLIVE OIL CROUTONS

Don't just throw your stale bread out, it makes wonderful croutons! This recipe for Olive oil croutons makes unbelievably tasty croutons that are a welcome addition to salads or soups or eaten alone as a snack, they are that good!

Pre - heat your oven too 200c/400f/ gas 6. Cut the crusts off your day or two old bread cut into cubes about 1" square place on an oiled (olive) roasting tin or a tray and toss to coat in oil. The croutons will need to be liberally coated. Place in the hot oven for 5 minutes, remove and turn the oven down too 150c/275-300f/ gas 1-2, turn the croutons over and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, season with sea salt and a touch of ground black pepper. Can be frozen or will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.

BASIC BREAD RECIPE

To make 1 loaf;



500g strong white flour plus extra for dusting

300ml water

25g unsalted butter plus a little for greasing

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar or 2 tsp for a crusty loaf

1.5 tsp dried yeast



A standard bread recipe that will make 1 loaf or 6 rolls.



Method;



Bring together flour,butter,salt,sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl, incorporate 300ml of warm water(use a 3rd boiling to 2/3 rds cold water), now form a dough. Once the dough is pliable, lightly flour a work surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes, you will need to put some effort into this part. Using the heels of your hands press down and stretch then fold and repeat.

After kneading the bread will have to prove. Grease a loaf tin with butter, of if making bread rolls form into the desired shape. Place in a warm place for 1 1/2 t0 2 hours until doubled in size. 15 minutes before baking pre-heat an oven with a small bowl of boiling water placed in the bottom. Oven temperature to reach 225c. Place the bread into the middle of the oven and bake for approx 35 minutes for a loaf and 15 minutes for rolls. Turn down the oven to 200c after 10 minutes of baking. Turn out onto a wire rack.

To test the bread, to see if it is cooked through, tap the bottom of the loaf, if hollow leave to rest on the rack, if not cooked through return to the oven with out the tin and cook for a further 5 minutes. Alternatively you can remove the bread from the tin for the last 5 minutes of cooking and return to the oven with a light dusting of flour.

Notes;

The bread is cooked at a higher temperature to start with to compensate for loss of heat once bread is placed in the oven. A bowl of water is placed in the bottom of the oven to create steam which gives the bread a thicker crust.

FETTUNTA

Fettunta is tuscan bread and oil. Fettunta translates as slices oiled.



A very basis preparation which relies on good quality ingredients.



Often eaten with antipasti or as a stand alone snack, i sometimes wonder if this the original garlic bread.







Method;







Country bread



Garlic



Extra virgin olive oil


Half a ripe tomato



Salt and pepper(freshly ground)



Lightly toast the bread on both sides, rub with garlic on one side then drizzle with oil, an optional rub with half a ripe tomato, gives this bread a nice colour as can be seen in the above picture.
season with salt and pepper.







I like to add a little finely sliced basil to this bread!

BRUSCHETTA

Bruschetta from the word brucare meaning to grill or toast over coals, possibly originated in central italy's Abruzzo area around the 15th century.

Usually served as an appetizer or sometimes part of antipasti or a lunch dish in it's own right, Bruschetta has become a food for the global community, elevated to posh in some restaurants with the inclusion of finer ingredients, or rustic among others. Bruschetta in it's most basic form is toasted bread with garlic and oil, in America it might include chopped tomato, basil and mozzarella.

Method:

Country style bread or ciabatta

Good ripe tomatoes

A clove of garlic

Basil leaves

Slices of buffalo mozzarella

salt and pepper

Lightly toast the bread on each side, remove from the grill and rub the clove of garlic over one side between 2 and 5 times, depending on your tolerance for fresh garlic!

Add tomato and mozzarella slices to the top of the bread and pop back under the grill for a short while,but not long enough to melt the mozzarella!

Remove and season with salt and pepper and garnish with torn basil leaves.

BREAD

Who doesn't like bread?

Malta although not noted for culinary wonders, like all countrys they have hidden gems, there use of rabbit, little pastizzi(small filled cheese cakes, made with a flakey pastry but bearing no resemblence to english cheesecakes), and of course the bread.
Maltese bread is special, very special, that special that your average maltese is said to consume roughly 1 kg a day.
Loafs are big, and for just over half a euro you can eat one yourself...............if your in malta.
Maltese loafs are based on an old tradition of bread making, probably originating from the knights of the order of saint john, similar breads exist in Rhodes.
Methods used are similar, but not identical to the true sourdough bread, made famous by San Francisco.
A maltese loaf is a textural revelation, a thick heavy crust, with a slight burnt note, chewey, moist and slightly sour, which is not devoid of the odd air hole. Most breads would be kocked back, a method used to knock the air out of the dough, during rising, this results in less holes in the finished loaf, this part of the process is omitted with maltese bread.

I have flirted with bread baking at home, with varying degrees of success, it's a very emotional process, almost theraputic, the kneading, then the wait for your loaf to prove, with the baking filling the kitchen with that lovely aroma from the alcehmic process that has happened during incorporation of yeast,flour and water, then introducing your creation to very hot oven.

My last attempt this weekend past, will be my best effort yet, the result was a lovely granary loaf, with a reasonable crust, one that i would be proud to share..........only i didn't.
Bread making so far for me has consisted of the use of dried packet yeast, and well known brands of bread flour. I want more, i want the real deal, i want sourdough .

I have had a recipe for a starter dough for a couple of years, but have never had the courage to take the plunge, after our trip to malta i bought back another starter recipe, i now have two so it's time, the time has arrived!

Over the coming weeks i will make the starter, hopefully with regular feeding i will produce a starter dough that will remain with me for many years, i will post the recipe and progress of my efforts, hopefully daily.

Watch this space.............