Don't Panic Bread Making

Ok so this is Llughnassadh, also known as Loaf mass and the celebration of the first harvests of grain and it being made into fresh flour. An ideal time to celebrate by making your own fresh bread.

But the main thing to remember is: don't panic this is soooo easy.

Milk Bread

This is a recipe my dad showed me how to make one day when we had run out of bread and I was preparing to dash to the nearest village shop several miles away.

Ingredients
Self Raising Flour
Salt
Milk

Before you start, get your oven switched on and warming up. How hot? Well my dad said 'As hot as your oven will go.' but I reckon anywhere from 180-220 works, again don't worry. If the oven is cooler it takes longer, if it's hotter they are quicker.

You will see that I have not put any quantities up there, largely because you make as much or as little as you want.

As a rough guide, a mug full of flour will make two small bread buns - and add a good pinch of salt of salt per mug of flour. I reckon 2-3 bread buns per person is plenty.

Put your flour and salt into a big bowl and add milk. And mix with a knife to make a soft dough. Don't get your hands in this, it is to be very soft and therefore sticky.

The amount of milk is: enough to get all the flour to incorporate easily.

If the dough feels too stiff add more milk, if it is too sticky add more flour.

Now use the knife to cut the dough into small lumps around the size of a small apple. You can roughly shape these into balls with well floured hands. These are your bread buns, so pop them onto a floured baking tray. As soon as you have got them all on the tray, pop them in the oven. If you want them to go brown and shiny brush them with melted butter - I don't bother

Leave to bake for around 10 minutes.

They will puff up because of the raising agent in the flour.

When you get them out of the over. Have butter and jam ready and waiting - eat them hot or warm.
They are delicious and in total take about 15 mins to make including the cooking time

Variations for the adventurous:
Use Wholemeal self raising flour - these are yummy too
Soak some dried fruit in warm water, when it has puffed up use the fruit and its sweet water instead of milk - sweet and yummy. You can add a bit of cinnamon to these too - even more yummy

If you don't want to make bread buns, flatten the whole dough into a plate shape and cook in a nearly dry frying pan - I did this one day in a pan we had cooked bacon in for breakfast they were delicious

There is no wonder that I am of the well upholstered build :)