Challah Bread

Makes: 1 Large Loaf Temperature: 180 °C / 350 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients

Dough:

500	g	Cake flour (4 Cups)
5	ml	Salt (2 tsp)
60	ml	Sugar (4 Tbsp)
60	g	Margarine
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (1 packet)
230	ml	Lukewarm water
1		Large egg, beaten

Glaze:

250	ml	Sugar (1 Cup)
125	ml	Water (½ Cup)

Icing, optional:

250	ml	Icing sugar (1 Cup)
10	ml	Food colouring (2 tsp)
5	ml	Water (1 tsp)
		Candy of your choice to decorate

Method

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the margarine and rub in with the fingertips. Add Anchor Instant Yeast and mix well.
Mix the lukewarm water and beaten egg together and add to the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with greased plastic and leave to rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water together. Bring to the boil over low heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Knock the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strand about 30 – 40 cm long. Lay 2 strands going up and down and the other 2 going side to side, almost like a hashtag. Make sure the strands go over and under each other in turns so they are woven together in the middle (1). Find the strand that is going underneath another and fold it over the one just to its right. Keep going in the same direction with the strand that is underneath, around the dough (2). Once you’ve gone all the way around, switch follow the same steps in the opposite direction (3). Again, look for the strand that is underneath and fold it over to the left. Keep switching directions until the dough pieces are too short to fold. Gently tuck the loose ends underneath to finish the round shape (4). Place the finished round dough onto a greased pan and cover with greased plastic and allow to rise for 25 – 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C / 350 °F for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with the glaze, whilst hot and allow to cool before you decorate with icing and candy of your choice.

Country Loaf

Makes: 1 Country Loaf Oven: 220 °C / 425 °F
Preparation Time: 4 hours Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients

Fermented Batter:

360	g	Cake flour (3 x 250 ml 3 cups)
7	ml	Salt (1½ tsp)
5	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (½ 10g Packet (7ml)
375	ml	Lukewarm water (1½ cups)

Dough:

360	g	Cake flour (3 x 250 ml / 3 cups)
130	g	Whole-wheat flour (1 x 250 ml / 1 cup )
7	ml	Salt (1½ tsp)
5	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (½ 10g Packet) (7ml)
430	ml	Lukewarm water (1¾ cups)

Method

Fermented Batter:

Mix the cake flour and salt together. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast (5 g / ½ the packet) and mix.
Add the lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft batter. Add extra liquid, should it be necessary. Mix the batter until the ingredients are mixed together and the batter is smooth.
Transfer the batter into a sealed container and allow to stand for 2 hours, knocking the batter down, from time to time.

Dough:

Mix the cake flour, whole-wheat flour and salt together. Add the rest of the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Add the lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Add extra liquid, should it be necessary. Mix the dough until the ingredients are just mixed together.
Mix the batter mixture with the dough mixture until just mixed together. Do not over mix.
Transfer the dough into a sealed container and place in the refrigerator to develop overnight. The dough can be stored in the fridge for 5 – 7 days and used as required.
Cut a piece of dough off the risen dough, the size you require, and knock the dough down on a lightly floured surface. The dough may be sticky and flour dusted onto the dough will help for easier handling of the dough.
Shape into a round or oval shape and place onto a floured baking tray, OR place into a 1.5-litre-bread pan.
Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place, until double in size, about 30 minutes. Cut the top with a sharp knife, and dust with flour.
Bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C / 425 °F for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Dutch Oven Bread

Makes: 1 Dutch Oven Bread Oven: 230 °C / 450 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes Baking Time: 45 – 50 minutes

Ingredients

500	g	Cake Flour (4 x 250ml / 4 cups)
6	ml	Salt (1 x 5 ml + 1 x 1 ml / 1¼ tsp)
10	ml	Sugar (2 tsps)
30	g	Butter or Margarine

10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (1 packet)
320	ml	Lukewarm Water (1⅓ cups)
15	g	Butter, melted

Method

Mix the cake flour, salt and sugar together. Add the butter/margarine and rub into the flour with the fingertips.
Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix. Add enough lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover with greased plastic and allow to rest for 20 minutes, or until double in size.
Knock the dough down and shape the dough into a round shape. Transfer the dough onto baking paper, cover with greased plastic and allow to rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 30 minutes.
In the meantime place a 5.2 litre Dutch Oven, with the lid, into a preheated oven of 230 °C / 450 °F to heat up.
(A Dutch Oven is a round cast iron casserole dish that is oven friendly).
Before baking, score the dough by making a 5 mm deep cut through the middle on the top of the dough.
Once the Dutch Oven is hot, remove it from the oven, using oven gloves. Remove the lid and carefully place the risen bread on the baking paper, into the dish. Cover with the lid to bake.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes.
Once baked, the bread should be crisp and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the Dutch Oven for 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter and cool completely. Enjoy!

Bavarian Apple Tart

Makes: 1 Bavarian Apple Tart Oven: 180 °C / 350 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Baking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

Dough:
240	g	Cake flour (2 x 250 ml / 2 cups)
5	ml	Salt (1 tsp)
60	ml	Sugar (4 tbsp)
5	ml	Cinnamon (1 tsp)
60	g	Margarine (4 tbsp)
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (1 packet)
60	ml	Warm milk (¼ cup)
250	ml	Cold water (1 cup)
2		Large eggs, beaten

Topping

4		Large red / green apples, cut into quarters
30	ml	Lemon juice (2 tbsp)
60	ml	Sugar ( 4 tbsp ), mixed with
5	ml	Cinnamon ( 1 tsp )
		Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Mix the cake flour and all the dry ingredients. Rub the margarine into the flour mixture. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix through.
Mix milk, water and egg together and add the liquid to form a soft dough. Knead the dough well, until smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Knock the dough down and pour into a greased oven dish. Even out into the dish with a wet spatula.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cinnamon sugar.
Cover with greased plastic and allow to rise in a warm place for 25 – 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ˚C / 350 ˚F for 25 – 30 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with creme fraiche or ice cream.

Pretzels

Makes: 12 Pretzels Oven: 200 °C / 400 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Baking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

500	g	Cake flour (4 x 250 ml / 4 cups)
7	ml	Salt (1 ½ tsp)
5	ml	Sugar (1 tsp)
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast (1 packet)

310	ml	Lukewarm water (1¼ cups)
1,5	l	Hot water (6 cups)
60	ml	Bicarbonate of soda (¼ cup)
1		Large egg white
		Coarse salt, to sprinkle
		Seeds, to sprinkle

Method

Mix the cake flour, salt and sugar together. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Add enough lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, cover with greased plastic and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a strand about 40 cm long, leaving the centre part thicker and the end strips thinner. Make a loop and twist the 2 ends twice around each other. Pull the ends back towards the loop, open the ends up and press down onto the thicker part of the loop. Place on a greased baking tray. Cover and rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Combine 1.5 litres water with the bicarbonate of soda in a saucepan. Bring the water to the boil.
Carefully lift pretzels off the baking tray, place onto a draining spoon and lower into the boiling water. Cook until pretzels are puffy, about 15 seconds. Remove from water using a draining spoon and place onto a greased baking tray. Brush with egg white and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 ºC / 400 ºF for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Portuguese Bread

Makes: 2 Portuguese Breads Oven: 200 °C / 400 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients

360	g	Cake flour ( 3 x 250 ml / 3 cups )
120	g	White bread flour ( 1 x 250 ml / 1 cup )
5	ml	Salt ( 1 tsp )

250	ml	Cooked sweet potato, mashed ( 1 cup, about 2 large sweet potatoes )
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( 1 packet )
310	ml	Lukewarm water ( ± 1¼ cups )

Method

Mix the cake flour, white bread flour and salt together.
Add the mashed sweet potato and mix through.
Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Add the lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft dough and knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Cover with greased plastic and leave in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.
Knock the dough down, divide into 2 equal pieces for two loaves.
Roll each piece into a round. Flatten the dough by hand and place onto a greased baking tray, cover with greased plastic and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 – 40 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C / 400 °F for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown, or place in a cast iron pot and bake on an open fire.

Black Bread

Makes: 1 Black Bread Oven: 180 °C / 350 °F
Preparation Time: 2 hours Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Black Bread is a hearty loaf in which cocoa and coffee powders darken the loaf which is made with 3 different types of flour.

Ingredients

200	g	Rye flour ( 435 ml / 1¾ cups )
150	g	Cake flour ( 375 ml / 1½ cups )
150	g	Whole-wheat flour ( 375 ml / 1½ cups )
15	ml	Cocoa powder ( 1 tbsp )
5	ml	Coffee powder ( 1 tsp )
5	ml	Salt ( 1 tsp )

5	ml	Caraway seed ( 1 tsp )
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( 1 packet )
45	ml	Oil ( 3 tbsp )
45	ml	Molasses ( 3 tbsp )
250	ml	Lukewarm water / barley wine / stout ( 1 cup )

Method

Mix the rye, cake and whole-wheat flour, cocoa, coffee, salt and caraway together. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Mix the oil, molasses and water together and add to the above mixture.
Mix to a soft dough and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Cover with greased plastic and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Knock the dough down, pat into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Make sure the width is the length of the bread pan.
Roll the dough up and place seal towards the bottom, into a greased 1,5-litre-bread pan.
Cover with greased plastic and rise in a warm place for 30 – 40 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C / 350 °F for 25 – 30 minutes, until crisp.

Ciabatta

Makes: : 2 Ciabatta Oven: 220 °C / 425 °F
Preparation Time: 2 hours Baking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Starter Dough:

120	g	Cake flour ( 1 x 250 ml / 1 cup )
2	ml	Salt ( ¼ tsp )
5	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( ½ a 10 g packet ) ( 7 ml )
60	ml	Lukewarm milk ( ¼ cup )
125	ml	Lukewarm water ( ½ cup )

Dough:

360	g	Cake flour ( 3 x 250 ml / 3 cups )
7	ml	Salt ( 1½ tsp )
5	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( ½ a 10 g packet ) ( 7 ml )
60	ml	Olive oil ( 4 tbsp )
180	ml	Lukewarm water ( ¾ cup )

Method

Mix the cake flour and salt for the starter dough. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast (5g / ½ the packet) and mix.
Mix the milk and water together and add the flour mixture to form the batter. Mix until smooth. Cover with plastic and leave to stand until sponged up, about 20 minutes.
To make the dough – mix the cake flour and salt. Add the rest of the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Mix the oil and water, add to the flour mixture. Knead until smooth and the mixture has pulled away from the side of the bowl. Add the starter dough to this mixture and work well with hands, until smooth. Place into a greased bowl to prevent the dough from sticking.
Cover with grease plastic and leave in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 30 minutes. Knock the dough down and repeat this step.
Sprinkle a baking tray with flour, gently turn the mixture out onto the flour and sprinkle the top with flour.
Cover hands well with extra flour and gently pat the dough evenly. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, flour your hands and mould each piece into an oval, puffing up the dough by running the fingers down the side and tucking the dough under, around the sides.
Allow the bread to rise, without being covered, for 15 – 20 minutes and bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C / 425 °F for 25 minutes.

Kitke

Makes: : 2 Kitke Oven: 180 °C / 350°F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients

600	g	Cake flour ( 5 x 250 ml / 5 cups )
5	ml	Salt ( 2 tsp )
60	ml	Sugar ( 4 tbsp )
60	g	Margarine ( 4 tbsp )
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( 1 packet )
280	ml	Lukewarm water ( 1 cup + 2 tbsp )
2		Large eggs, beaten
		Beaten egg, to brush
		Poppy and Sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Sugar Water Glaze

Mix 250 ml ( 1 cup ) sugar and 125 ml ( ½ cup ) water together in a saucepan and boil over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

Method

Mix all dry ingredients and rub the margarine into the flour. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Mix water and eggs together and add enough liquid to form a soft dough. Knead the dough well until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover with greased plastic and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Knock the dough down, divide into 2 equal pieces and then divide each piece into 2 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a 40 cm strand and place 2 strands in the form of an X, on the table surface. The strand from right to left should be at the bottom and the strand that lies from left to right, should be on top of the other strand.
Take the top right strand and place it on the inside of the bottom left strand. Transfer the left bottom strand to the top right and place it horizontal. Repeat the process with the 2 alternative ends. Repeat this process and plait the strands until the end. Pinch the ends together and seal all 4 strands, well together.
Place the Kitke plaits on a greased baking tray. Cover with greased plastic and allow to rise in a warm place, about
25 – 30 minutes.
Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy and sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ˚C / 350 ˚F for 25 – 30 minutes.
Brush with the sugar water glaze, whilst warm for a shiny gloss.

French Loaf

Makes: 2 French Breads Oven: 220 °C / 410 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Baking Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Ingredients

500	g	White bread flour ( 4 x 250 ml / 4 cups )
5	ml	Salt ( 1 tsp )
10	g	Anchor Instant Yeast ( 1 packet )
310	ml	Lukewarm water ( ± 1⅓ cups ) Poppy or Sesame seeds, to sprinkle ( optional ) OR Flour, to sprinkle ( optional )

Method

Mix the white bread flour and salt together. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
Add the lukewarm water to the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, cover with a greased plastic and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Knock the dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces. Pat each into an oval shape. Fold the one end over and roll up.
Roll gently into a long strand, about 40 cm.
Place onto a lightly floured baking tray, cover with a lightly greased plastic and allow to rise in a warm place for 25 – 30 minutes. Brush with water and sprinkle with seeds or dust with flour. Cut slanted slits over the top or cut 3 slits lengthwise.
Place a small ovenproof dish, filled with water, at the bottom of the oven. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C / 410 °F for
25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Hint:

Placing a bowl of water at the bottom of the oven
creates steam, which gives extra volume,
a soft texture and a crisp crust.