Tuesday

The fruit basket arrives at work this morning so I get to have a few blueberries on my porridge. We made some bread in the bread maker last night so I’m looking forward to crusty bread with my chicken noodle soup. The others have chicken sandwiches or leftover pasta from last night. We seem to be eating such yummy lunches with this challenge.

As this evening we have a lot of activities on we have our usual jacket potato with cheese and baked beans. I’m starting to miss chocolate and wine, but we’re half way through the challenge now, so I can do it.

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Day 4

Breakfast
Porridge with work blueberries
or toast and jam

Snack
Biscuit and work banana

Lunch
Chicken noodle soup and chicken salad sandwich or leftover pasta

Dinner
Jacket potato with cheese and beans

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RECIPES

Easy Biscuits

Ingredients

100g butter
50g caster sugar
few drops of vanilla extract
175g plain flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C / Gas Mark 2.

Add butter and sugar in a bowl and mix well until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla, mix, then add the flour and mix well.

Roll out to about 5mm. Cut into shapes.

Bake  on a greased baking sheet for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Basic bread recipe
This is a recipe for handmaking. If using a Bread machine follow the handbook guidelines

Ingredients

500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
7g sachet fast-action yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
300ml cool water

Method

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl, then make a well in the centre. Add the oil and water, and mix together.

If the dough seems a little stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, mix well then tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for around 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Once the dough is satin-smooth, before you leave it to raise back in it’s bowl fold it in half 4 times and flip it over to help it form a round shape. Now place it back in it’s covered bowl in a warm place.

Leave to rise for at least 1 hour until doubled in size. Then take it out and on a floured surface repeat the four times folding process.

Do this every half hour for 3 times, then on the last time prove it in the straw bread basket if you have one, or just back in it’s bowl if you don’t. Leave it for about 30 minutes.

If you are making rolls, now is when you divide the dough. Shape in to rounds and leave to rise on a covered tray.

Next prepare for baking by preheating your oven to 230°C. Put your baking tray in to heat up and another tray at the bottom that will contain water to add steam to your bread. Put the kettle on to boil.

Now transfer the loaf to the hot tray and slash the top with a serrated knife, you can spay it with water too if you want.

Put the baking tray back in the oven and pour boiling water in to the bottom tray to create steam. Close the door quickly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. It’ll be about