Bread Making at The Firehouse Bakery & Bread School

A sliced white pan can be bought for as little as 50c in some supermarkets with loaves on sale everywhere. Artisan breads, on the other hand, are more expensive to buy and require time if baking them yourself at home. It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that making your own bread is a whole lot of bother and not worth the trouble!

Although it is a craft that we have abandoned for the sake of convenience, there is something so rewarding and almost therapeutic about baking your own bread. More importantly, it is also fun and something that you can incorporate into your life whether on a daily or weekly basis. Whilst many of us can throw together a fairly presentable loaf of soda bread, the ultimate bread making experience really comes with making your own yeast-risen and sourdough breads. The bread you bake will taste so much better than those cotton-wool like, mass-produced supermarket offerings and won’t be pumped full of preservatives, E numbers etc.

At its most basic, bread contains four ingredients; flour, yeast, salt and water. With this in mind, I urge you take a look at the list of ingredients on the back of your supermarket loaf… Alarming to say the least!

It was armed with these thoughts and a desire to learn more about baking my own bread, that I signed up for the one-day bread making course run by the Firehouse Bakery  & Bread School on Heir Island off the West Cork coast. The bakery was set up by Patrick Ryan and Laura Moore in 2012 and in addition to the course on Heir Island, evening courses are also run at its main premises in Delgany, County Wicklow.

 

Arriving at the bakery school, I noticed a clay wood-fired oven and, as I passed by, I could feel the intense heat emanating from it. During the day, we would bake some of our breads in this oven but also in the domestic-style ovens in the school. Patrick explained that the wood-fired oven had been lit early in the morning to build up the temperature. He also showed us how inwardly it retained its heat but because of its construction the outer walls still remained cool to the touch.

 

The first bread we attempted was a sourdough loaf using a starter. Although the starter was provided, Patrick gave detailed instructions to us on how to grow our own and I am happy to report that the one that I began when I got home is coming along very nicely!

 

We mixed together all our ingredients and then started kneading our doughs. During that ten minutes or so all you could hear was the slapping of the dough against the wooden table as we concentrated on working the glutens in the flour. We were shown how to check whether our dough was ready by using the ‘window-pane’ test and once this stage was achieved, our doughs were set aside to prove and allow time for the natural yeasts within the sourdough starter to begin working. We would later knock the air out of the proved dough and allow it rise for a second time in special proving (banneton) baskets before being baked in the wood-fired oven.

 

We then moved on to breads made using fresh yeast. Each of us was tasked with creating a different flavour/type of bread. Between us we made a variety of breads, including baguettes, cinnamon rolls, savoury pinwheel rolls, potato & rosemary flowerpot bread, foccacia and granary ‘tear-and-share’ rolls.  We were shown how to form and shape the proved dough to create loaves, rolls and baguettes.

 

Not all breads use yeast and require kneading and proving. Soda bread is something that is quintessentially Irish and we would all be familiar with the brown and fruit versions, but Patrick showed us how adaptable and versatile it can be. Soon we were mixing up a range of these ‘quick’ breads, including thyme, mustard & cheddar soda bread, stout & treacle soda bread with oats & walnuts and apple & cider soda bread. We also made savoury muffins and the most fabulous honey, blue cheese & walnut soda bread. By this stage the heady aroma of all these breads baking was swirling around us in a very enticing way.

 

To finish up, we were all given different sweet recipes to make. Again we all baked something different from randomly selected recipes. Very soon I was mixing up the ingredients to make a fabulous chocolate orange cake but around me the others were making a range of goodies including coconut kisses, flour-free orange cake, Bailey’s chocolate chip cookies and pistachio financiers. As ever, Patrick was keeping a watchful eye on proceedings and offering guidance when needed.

 

If doing the course on Heir Island, I strongly recommend taking some extra time to explore the island and the beautiful landscape around West Cork. Hostel and self-catering accommodation is available on the island and Patrick and Laura will be happy to give you further details about this when booking a course. One word of warning, places get booked up quickly, so do keep an eye out for new courses being announced on the bakery’s website.

 

The course was informative, great fun and I learnt a lot. Perhaps the most important thing that I took away from it was a new-found confidence in baking my own bread; I can now see that this is something that is completely achievable in my own kitchen using a domestic oven. Since returning home I have managed to source a local bakery who kindly sells me small amounts of fresh yeast and I have been happily baking away producing a wide variety of different breads which are being eagerly gobbled up by my gang!

 

At €110 for a full day’s hands-on baking under Patrick’s guidance (which includes the cost of the ferry to and from the island) I think that this course represents real value. Numbers are deliberately kept small with no more than 6 or 7 places on each course. This definitely encourages better group interaction. All ingredients and utensils are provided and also included is lunch which made by Laura, was absolutely delicious. You will also receive a Firehouse Bakery bag containing a dough/bread scraper and copies of all the recipes that you and the other participants cooked during the day… Oh, and make sure to bring something with you to carry home all the bread that you bake, because you will be leaving laden down!

 

Firehouse Bakery & Bread School

Bakery:

Old Delgany Inn

Delgany

County Wicklow

 

Bread School:

Heir Island

Skibbereen

County Cork

 

Telephone:     

085 1561984

01-2876822 (bakery)

 

This article first appeared in TheTaste.ie

Rich Chocolate Cake

My gang absolutely love anything that contains chocolate and are constantly bemoaning the fact that I don’t use it more often in my cooking and baking. They would be quite happy if I spent all my time in the kitchen baking chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake and the like!

 

Truth be told, I am often disappointed with a lot of desserts and cakes that contain chocolate as they either don’t actually taste of chocolate or contain chocolate that is far too bitter. I want something that has a full and genuine chocolate flavour and is satisfying to eat. To use chocolate effectively requires a deft touch and an appreciation of this hugely popular ingredient.

 

I have been on the hunt for a chocolate cake recipe that satisfies my rather exacting requirements and think that this one in pretty much perfect in all regards. It is rich with an intense chocolate flavour being provided by the inclusion of both melted chocolate and cocoa powder. However, due to the use of whisked egg whites, which are folded into the cake batter just prior to baking, the resulting cake is light and not too heavy or dense and is not dry to eat. Finally, it is covered by a thin layer of chocolate ganache which sets to a beautiful glossy icing on the finished cake.

 

Although I used a chocolate with 70% cocoa solids in the cake batter, I decided that this would be a little too bitter for the ganache icing and used one with 58% cocoa solids instead. This still gave a good chocolate hit and made the resulting cake palatable to adults and children alike. If you like, you can flavour the icing with a little brandy, Cointreau or other liqueur to make it a really grown-up and indulgent treat but if it is being consumed by children leave it as is. Either way, this cake is delicious.

 

As regular readers will know, I love cakes that are adaptable and can be served as a dessert or as a cake in its own right and this is one that works well as both!

 

Ingredients:

130g butter
170g caster sugar

5 large eggs, separated

130g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) melted and allowed to cool a little

100g self-raising flour

15g cocoa powder

Icing:

175g dark chocolate (58% cocoa solids), roughly chopped into small pieces

125ml double cream
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan Oven 150C/Gas Mark 3. Butter and flour a 27cm round spring-form tin and set aside.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and using a hand-electric mix, beat together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks, one-by-one mixing well before adding the next.

3. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate and sieve the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the batter. In a separate, clean bowl using clean whisk attachments on your hand-held electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks.

4. Mix one third of the egg whites through the batter to loosen it and fold in the remainder, trying to preserve as much of the air as possible. Make sure the egg whites are well mixed in and then pour the batter into the prepared tin, levelling out the mixture to the edges of the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch. Do not over-bake as this will result in a dry cake.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out to finish cooling completely on a wire rack.

Icing:

6. Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Place the double cream in a small saucepan and heat until over a moderate heat until the cream is almost boiling. Immediately pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and stir using a small whisk until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture has a thick sauce like consistency.

7. Allow to cool for twenty minutes or so, stirring every-now-and-again until the mixture has thickened slightly. Spread over the COOLED cake, spreading it out slightly with a small off-set spatula, if required. Allow to stand for an hour before serving in order to give the icing a chance to set.

Serves 10-12.

 

Lemon Ricotta Cake

I just can’t resist anything that contains lemons, and this cake is one that is packed full of intense lemon flavour, but without being too sharp on the palate. It’s very adaptable, perfect for eating as it is or served as a dessert at room temperature with a dollop of cream and some homemade lemon curd or soft fruit on the side. In fact, how could anyone resist it?

Made with ricotta and a good amount of lemon juice, the cake is beautifully moist and very moreish to eat. Because of the inclusion of ricotta, cooking king purists might consider this a cheesecake and although moist and slightly creamy in texture, this cake does not have the same density as a classic baked cheesecake would have. It really is more like a cake than a cheesecake.

Recipes like this one always appeal, because they are so simple to make, yet produce such elegant looking and delicious results.

 

For those readers, who feel I am relentlessly bombarding you with lemon recipes, I apologise, but this IS a great cake, which even those who are ambivalent about lemon will love. It keeps well covered and refrigerated, but do let it come back up to room temperature before serving.
 

Ingredients:

175g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 4 lemons

3 large eggs, separated

250g fresh ricotta

100g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

25g ground almonds

100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas mark 4. Butter the base and sides of a 20cm round spring-form cake tin (about 6-8cms deep) and line the bottom with some non-stick baking parchment. Place on a baking tray and set aside.
2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and using a hand-electric mixer, beat together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat in until they are fully incorporated.
3. Drain any liquid off the ricotta and using a wooden spoon, stir into the butter mixture.

Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, whisk until they form stiff peaks.

4. Sieve the flour and baking powder together and along with the ground almonds, fold into the cake batter using a large metal spoon.  Add the lemon juice and stir through so that it is well mixed in.

5. Add a quarter of the egg whites and stir through the batter, to loosen it and then fold in the remaining egg whites, trying to retain as much air as possible, but do ensure that they are mixed in fully.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form tin and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes. Check the cake after 30 minutes and if it is browning too much cover loosely with some tin foil. The cake is ready when a thin skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin, before removing. Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar just before serving.

Serves 8-10.
 

Brown Sugar Meringues with Hazelnuts & Roasted Rhubarb

There are certain things that taste flippin’ delicious and this is one of them. Well… brown sugar meringues, cream and beautifully pink roasted rhubarb… how could you go wrong?

 

What I love about these meringues, is that they are so simple to make and unlike standard meringues which are normally made with refined caster sugar, these have a depth and complexity of flavour that goes so well with the slightly tart rhubarb.

 

Due to the fact that the recipe requires the use of light brown muscovado sugar, the finished meringues have a slightly chewy interior, but I like this contrasted against the crisp shell of the meringues and the crunch of the hazelnuts… not to mention the comforting feel of the softly whipped cream in the mouth. Absolutely delicious!

 

As with all meringues, the only watch-point is when you are separating the eggs – it is really important not to allow any yolk into the whites and also to make sure that you use a scrupulously clean bowl and whisks to whip them to the stiff peak stage. Other than that, the meringues are a cinch to make and the finished dessert looks so much more than the sum of its parts.

 

I have served the meringues with roasted rhubarb, but you can use poached plums or pears or any fruit that takes your fancy. Likewise, you don’t have to use chopped hazelnuts and can substitute them for other nuts of your choice, but personally, I think that they work wonderfully with the brown sugar in the meringues and the rhubarb.

 

Although, the rhubarb does need sweetening as it roasts, try not to over-sweeten it as the aim is to have it on the slightly tart side as the meringues are so full of almost toffee-like sweetness. I love roasting rhubarb because it retains its shape much more successfully and doesn’t collapse into a stewed mush, but also because it tends to retain its beautiful pink colour. For these reasons, I recommend that you roast it rather than stew it.

 

I like to serve the roasted rhubarb chilled but it tastes just as delicious served warm at room temperature – it’s up to you! The rhubarb and meringues can both be prepared well in advance and merely assembled just before you wish to serve them.
 

Ingredients:

Meringues:
3 large egg whites

175g light brown muscovado sugar

25g chopped skinned hazelnuts

Roasted rhubarb:

200g rhubarb, chopped into 4-5cm lengths

50g caster sugar

1tblsp orange juice (or water)

To finish:

250ml whipping cream, softly whipped
 

Method:

Meringues:

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan Oven 130C/Gas Mark 2. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

2. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer whisk until they are standing in stiff peaks. Gradually add the muscovado sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition until all has been incorporated and the meringue is still holding its shape.

3. Spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking tray, making 6-8 individual meringue ‘mounds’ spaced a few centimetres apart as they will rise and expand a little as they bake. Sprinkle a few of the chopped hazelnuts over each of the meringues and place in the preheated oven.

4. Immediately reduce the heat to 130C/Fan Oven 110C/Gas Mark ¼ and bake for 60 minutes. After this time, turn off the oven but leave the meringues to cool completely in the oven. They can then be removed carefully and stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days until you are ready to use them.

Roasted rhubarb:

5. Preheat oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6.

6. Place the rhubarb in a single layer in a roasting dish and sprinkle over the sugar and the orange juice (or water). Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and releasing its juices, but has not disintegrated. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and then refrigerate until ready to assemble the dessert.

To finish:

7. Place a meringue in the middle of your serving dish. Dollop some softly whipped cream on top and spoon on some of the roasted rhubarb and its juices.

Serves 6-8.