There was a cookery program on TV a few months ago which inspired to make this easy loaf. I’ve never tried to cook one before but this loaf looked pretty ‘foolproof’, or was it?
Cookery programs are great but why, when I cook the same recipe, does it never look the same? Do you experience this problem? Maybe they “tart” up or perhaps cook several and just choose the best one? Either way, I am sure my loaf is flatter and smaller than the one presented on TV. Hey ho, it may not have risen very much but served warm with goats cheese, Mr. Piglet’s pickled onions and some courgette and tomato chutney accompanied by a nice glass or two of wine it tasted delicious! Just right for a sundowner.
Ingredients
8oz plain flour
8oz wholemeal flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
12 fl oz milk
Method
Preheat oven 425F/220C and put a large casserole dish and its lid into the oven.
Once to temperature remove casserole dish and dust lightly with flour.
Mix dry ingredients together, add milk and quickly mix together into a soft dough.
Shape dough into a loaf about 1½ inches thick, put in casserole dish, cover with lid and return to oven.
Cook for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and after 5 minutes turn out on rack to cool slightly before serving.
Best eaten warm!
Stuck in a “culinary rut” one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to research and cook one new recipe each week: photograph the results, both successes and failures, and post to my blog.
Please don’t forget folks, if you have a recipe (especially low-calorie) you would like me to cook, and then share just drop me an email. Contact details in “about” page
Piglet in Portugal 
Hi Piglet, Tried this so easy recipe today. My first attempt and it was perfect. Thanks. Think I,ll surprise Mrs A with some olives and sardine spread (if I can find it in UK!)
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Hi Tim,
Thats great! There’s something about the sardine paste and olives. You will ahve to close your eyes and think of days in sunny Portugal. Having said that, I would have to close my eyes and imagine the sun right now as it’s blowing a gale, pouring of rain with thunder and lightening!
Thanks for the feedback! I am going to give it a try using buttermilk to see if that makes it rise more.
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Hi Piglet!
Just wanted to stop by to say Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hope you and Mr. Piglet are having a wonderful time. 🙂
– Papa Joe
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Hi Papa Joe – Thank you for thinking of us 🙂
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Another scrumptious Foodie Friday! 🙂
Here’s wishing you and Mr. P a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
🙂
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Hi EC Thankyou…and you!
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Hi,
I just knew there had to be a scientific explanation to this! I am not sure I can get buttermilk in Portugal…better go and research the word on the net!
I did not realise there was a difference. 😦
Lots of interesting info on your blog so have subscribed. Thanks for popping in and leaving a helpful comment – it’s really appreciated! 🙂
I will try your recipe
PiP
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This does look kind of like a soda bread. Probably it didn’t rise because you need a little acid to get that baking soda bubbling up. Ever mix up vinegar and baking soda as a kid? You can either swap out the milk with buttermilk, add a little lemon juice, or use baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking powder is double-acting, which means it leavens by chemical reaction when you add liquid, and again in the oven when subjected to heat. I’ve got a recipe for soda bread on my blog that might help: http://psoutowood.wordpress.com/bread/irish-soda-bread/
Good luck and happy baking!
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Hi Piglet,
I love that name… Glad to make your acquaintance after many nights of crossing each others paths. You’re a night owl like me, or perhaps it’s the time difference. 🙂
Your easy loaf looks quite tasty… pass the plate please. I love your comment about how TV dishes never quite translate to our dining tables… Must be the gloss on the camera lens. 🙂
I look forward to enjoying your recipes and if any cross my mind, I promise to share. Oh btw, the blog hops are every Monday (might post it late today) and I will email you the invite for featured blogger shortly. 🙂
Thanks for connecting!
Best,
Eliz
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Thanks that’s great!
PS we are on UK time…so yes I am a night owl 🙂
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Hi Papa Joe, we can always make some home made burgers 🙂
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Now you’re talking Piglet! Thanks! 😀
I’ll even cook the mac & cheese. 😉
– Papa Joe
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I’ve got to rember to stop reading your “Foodie Friday” posts Piglet. I’m going to lose my taste for mac & cheese!
You make everything sound and look so good Piglet. My mouth’s watering just reading your post. And not just my usual drooling either! 😉
Thanks for anothe mouth-watering Friday Piglet! 🙂
– Papa Joe
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Hi new to your site. As I have a villa at Meia Praia near Lagos I was recommened to visit your site. It is certainly a fun site and informative too. Will try the recipe!!
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Hi Knight and Welcome! Hope you will become a regular and join in some of our friendly banter 🙂 Apart from the odd informative post or beach review I try to keep post fun and lighthearted 🙂
We love Meia Praia! In fact we love Lagos! Have you visited any of the beaches along the West Coast?
If you have any tried and tested recipes please share!
All the best
PiP 🙂
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There is no yeast, nothing to make it rise, so how can it rise? Looks yummy though!
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Hi FD – I had to smile when I had to approve your comment. I looked quickly and thought you were “flaming o dancer”
hmmm I thought porn sites normally end up in spam. Next time I will put my specs on! Loved your post “it is official”
http://flamingodancer.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/it-is-official/
As for the yeast; it did not have any. Hence the original name of the recipe “Lazy Loaf” I have not attempted to cook bread before and as they say the devil is always in the detail. LOL 🙂
PiP 🙂
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Actually, your “failure” looks delicious. It looks like a recipe I used years ago, called “soda bread”. I just may give your recipe a try!
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Hi Ellen,
I believe it is Soda bread; they just called it lazy loaf. I’ve never eaten Soda bread before so it’s a first for me 🙂 If you do give it a go it will be interesting to know…
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I was just going to make a comment about unleavened bread but before I posted I checked it in the dictionary. Unleavened has no raising agent or yeast, so I checked your ingredients – maybe that’s why it didn’t raise? Sure it was bicarb and not baking powder you were supposed to use – and why no yeast? Perhaps it wasn’t meant to rise or puff up?
I’m no Delia Smith but to be honest, who cares – it sounded fab anyway and I’m quite sure I’d have eaten it too, especially with everything else you served it up with, particularly the wine! Nice photo.
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Hi Marcia, just checked the recipe again it is bicarbonate of soda and yes no yeast. Soda bread? I was just reading the link Rose gave me above re the science, I think I should have slashed the dough…see below.
It tasted great and we had again today as did not go stale. So that’s a plus!
I will def cook it again as it was so simple!
After the shaping and final rise, often times there is a light, dry “skin” over the dough. By slashing a dough before it goes into the oven, you break this skin, and the bread is able to expand. If the loaf is a “fancy loaf” and you can’t slash it without ruining the appearance (like a braided loaf), try to keep the loaf from drying out with a light mist of cooking spray after shaping and before the final rise…
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Pleased to hear this, Rose’s input has made a lot of sense so now you know what to do in future. The smell of bread baking just reminds me of home, no wonder we’re told to bake bread if we are selling our houses…. I’m the same with coffee,mmmmmm
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Looks like a fab sundowner!
I’m doing something similar tonight ~ asiago cheese bagel, cream cheese, tomatoes, and pickles.
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Are you making the bagels? Would love to try the recipe – in fact I don’t think I’ve ever eaten bagels!
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I didn’t make the bagels ~ we bought them at a local bakery.
Bagels are interesting to make. After the dough is shaped, you first boil them and then bake them.
Here is a bread recipe you might enjoy:
http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/crusty-cuban-bread/
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That does look good! Can I make it without a bread maker?
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Yes, see note #2 in the recipe.
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Hi Pip, from your description I would love to have some. My mom always baked bread but I never have. They never tell you all the secrets on those shows. I did a quick search and found an interesting link for you if you plan on baking it again. 🙂
http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/7749/why-doesnt-my-bread-rise-in-the-oven-not-first-rise
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Thanks for the link Rose. Have checked it out. Couple of good tips there I will try next time I cook. If they work I will amend the above recipe to RosePiPs version 🙂
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You’re welcome. I’ll be interested in knowing how it turns out the next time you bake it. I just did some checking and I might be able to try and bake it using water instead of milk. 🙂
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Hi Pip.
Our recipes rarely look the same as they do on the TV because they use an army of ‘food stylists’ to make the dishes look so fab. In case of the bread, they probably pumped it full of air before subjecting to the camera(!)…either that, or they used a ‘secret’ ingredient which they forgot to tell you about!
Your bread looks great though. I’m feeling hungry just looking at the photos…yum! 🙂
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Hi Juls,
I nearly pumped it full of air with my cursing when I peered into the casserole dish and saw it had barely risen! It does taste good and was still fresh the next day. 🙂
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I would enjoy a dinner of bread, cheese, fruit and wine. Sounds wonderful.
Just add a beaurtiful sunset and the day would be perfect. PiP I am feeling inspired!
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Yep – perfect!
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Looks lovely. I definitely need to try this. Have a happy weekend PiP.
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Hi Seashell,
Also fresh the next day! Bom fim da semana!
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