White Farmhouse Tin Loaf

from Short & Sweet
by Dan Lepard
Published by 4th Estate, 2011

The breadmaker broke, so having had a bit of success with my sourdough, I thought it was time to give ordinary bread a try. So I carefully read through all of Dan Lepard's instructions, all the explanation of ingredients, timings, methods. Then began to cook, but still with a wavering doubt in my mind all the time, because, after all, every other time I've tried to make bread it has turned out like a nasty, solid, yeasty lump.

But look what I made! It looks like bread! It tastes like bread! It was not solid, or yeasty, but full of air pockets and soft but slightly chewy, exactly like good bread should be. Forgive me if I sound a bit over the top, but I am astounded at my success.

What is more, it isn't even all that difficult to fit it in timewise. In my head it takes all day to bake bread, but actually, it's just a few minutes here and there which seem to fit in fairly easily around other things. Of course, my days tend to be short, which makes it easier, but there's even a recipe in this book specifically designed to work around going out to work all day. Shall I try that next? I have a feeling I'm going to be working through all the recipes in this book. I love Dan Lepard!