Bacheldre Welsh Clay Pot Bread Recipes

BACHELDRE WELSH CLAY-POT BREAD

Steps:

• First prepare your pot. Select one clean, clay flower pot (15cm diameter x 15cm high). Clean thoroughly, oil inside and outside and bake three or four times in a hot oven for about 30-40 mins. You can do this while you are baking other foods.
• Mix both flours in a large mixing bowl with the salt, then add all the herbs and garlic and mix together thoroughly, then make a well in the middle.
• In a large warm jug, mix together the milk, water, honey, olive oil and the yeast and leave for a few mins to let the yeast activate. Now pour the liquids into the centre of the flour and, with a spoon, start mixing the flours into the liquid from the outside of the bowl in to the middle.
• Now with clean, warm hands carry on the mixing process until all the ingredients come together to form a dough. Knead for 5-7 mins on a lightly floured surface, place in a bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave for 30-40 mins in a warm place.
• The dough should be larger than when you first started so you 'knock it back' - literally punch a hole in the middle and knead again for 5 mins.
• Now prepare the pot and ensure that it is well greased (you can line the pot with greaseproof paper if you want to), and mould the dough into it. Score the top of the dough, with a sharp knife, about 1cm in, which will add that extra bit of character to the loaf. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 30-40 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7, glaze the top of the dough carefully and sprinkle with the fennel seeds. Carefully, place the pot in the centre of the oven, trying not to knock the pot and bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown. Remove the loaf from the oven and cool for 5-10 mins, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Do take care as the pot gets very hot.

WELSH CURRANT RAISIN BREAD BARA BRITH (MADE WITH YEAST)

Steps:

• Put 8 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl and let it stand in a warm place for a short while. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles meal, add the currants, raisins candied fruit peel, nutmeg or allspice, salt and all of the brown sugar but 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
• In a smaller bowl cream the fresh yeast with the 1 teaspoons of brown sugar and blend the yeast mixture with the milk.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the yeast mixture into it and sprinkle a little additional flour over the yeast mixture. Cover the dough and let it stand in a warm place for a few minutes, until it is just beginning to rise. Pour the beaten eggs into the bowl and proceed to knead gradually adding the 1 1/2 cups tepid water mixed with the molasses. This should be a soft dough. Knead about 10 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. Then turn the dough out onto a well floured board, divide it in half and put it into two well buttered 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Let the loaves rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until they have nearly risen to the rims of the pans.
• Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, so that the tops are browned and loaves sound hollow when rapped.
• Welsh Fare S. Minwel Tibbott.

FLOWER POT CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Scrub the pots in hot soapy water and rinse well. Let them dry overnight. Oil the inside of the pots with vegetable oil, including the rim, until the pot will not absorb any more. Set the pots in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees then turn off the heat and leave the pots in the oven to cool. When completely cool, oil them again, and heat them again, using the same process. The pots are now ready for use. Be sure to grease them well before each use, especially around the rim.
• In a small bowl, melt butter in the warm water.
• In a separate bowl, mix 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add eggs and melted butter mixture to form dough. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, slowly adding more flour. Watch for blisters on the dough, and do not knead too much. Oil top of the bread. Let it rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.
• Push dough down, and let it rise again. Don't let the bread rise too high, or the bread will be tough.
• Shape the dough and put it into 2 clean, greased terracotta flower pots. Let loaves rise for 30 minutes more.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 35 minutes.

WELSH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the vinegar and the milk. Let stand for at least 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
• Add the vinegar mixture, brown sugar, egg, butter, salt, molasses, bread flour, baking soda, caraway seeds and yeast in the order directed by your bread machine's manufacturer.
• Set machine to basic cycle (fruit bread, white bread, etc depending on your bread machine), medium crust setting. Add the raisins when indicated to by your bread machine's manufacturer.
• Alternately this bread can be mixed in the bread machine and then bake in the oven. Set bread machine to dough setting. Remove dough, shape into a loaf, cover and let rise in a warm place, until just under doubled in size. This will take about 1 hour. Bake the bread in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 45 minutes. Bread will golden brown and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.