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- Essential Lockdown staple recipes
Below are a couple of recipes I have put together that may help those in lockdown. Even though these recipes use basic ingredients you would never know that from the from the final products. I think we can eat well if we have some of the essential staples and certainly in my house these recipes are essential. I mean, fresh bread and pasta can open up a world of eating opportunities. Both of these recipes rely on plain flour, instead of using the usual specific flours required for these recipes, which most of us will have in the house already. So I do hope that these recipes will mean that you may be able to make less trips to the shop. Please stay safe and avoid going out as much as possible. Â
Emergency No-Knead White Bread Â
 This bread has a soft aerated interior and a ciabatta/sourdough like crust. Most no-knead breads need to sit and rest for at least 12 hours to get a full rise, this bread, however doesn’t require as long it can be baked after two hours. The reason I decided to invest time in a bread recipe that was a no-knead bread and pretty quick to make is so that it was more accessible to everyone such as the elderly, who may not be capable of kneading bread or for parents who may not have the time to knead bread. Using hot water in the bread makes then yeast get straight to work and work overtime. The bread rises in a parchment paper lined mixing bowl for two reasons. Number one is that it is a wet sticky dough and it prevents it sticking to the bowl and secondly it means it can be transferred to the cooking vessel without losing all the air bubbles within. The bread is cooked in a very hot oven in a casserole pot or as other may know it a dutch oven with a lid on for the first thirty minutes this lets the bread steam giving you that lovely soft interior. For the remaining fifteen minutes in the oven it gets cooked without the lid allowing the bread to develop that crusty exterior and go golden brown. Â
Authordanieldiver
This is a new recipe to me I have seen a lot of no-knead breads recently on Instagram and having done a little research it seemed all these no-knead breads take so long some need to sit for up to twenty hours. I began to think if I used a slightly warmer than usual water could I cut down the proving time and the answer was resounding Yes! The bread you get is delicious really aerated throughout with a sourdough/ciabatta style crust and delicious chew. It gets this wonderful crust thanks to the cooking process, It’s cooked in a casserole pan with a lid on for most of the cooking which lets the bread steam and develop that great crust then it comes off for the last fifteen minutes to colour and give it crustiness.
I knew when making this bread that I wanted to make this rustic bread with plain flour making it more affordable and easier to keep the ingredients required for making it available.
Yields4 Servings 500 g Plain Flour1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt1 ½ tbsp Caster Sugar1 x 7g Sachet fast acting dried yeast450 ml Warm water1 tbsp Rapeseed oil1In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add the dried yeast and mix again to combine.
2Combine the hot and cold water along with the oil. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
3Cut a large square of parchment paper out that is big enough to fit into another large mixing bowl with 4 corners of overhang.
4Pour the dough into the baking parchment-lined mixing bowl. Cover with cling film and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours but up to 4 is fine.
530 minutes before you are ready to bake. Turn oven on and set at 220ËšC. Place a deep casserole pan in the oven whilst it coming up to temperature.
6When oven and casserole have come to temperature remove the casserole and transfer the dough carefully to the hot casserole pan. Use the four corners of overhanging parchment paper to lift it out of the mixing bowl and transfer it to the hot pot. Put the lid on and bake for 45 minutes. After thirty minutes remove the lid and allow the bread to get a deep rich colour. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.
CategoryCakes & BakesIngredients
500 g Plain Flour1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt1 ½ tbsp Caster Sugar1 x 7g Sachet fast acting dried yeast450 ml Warm water1 tbsp Rapeseed oilDirections
1In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add the dried yeast and mix again to combine.
2Combine the hot and cold water along with the oil. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
3Cut a large square of parchment paper out that is big enough to fit into another large mixing bowl with 4 corners of overhang.
4Pour the dough into the baking parchment-lined mixing bowl. Cover with cling film and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours but up to 4 is fine.
530 minutes before you are ready to bake. Turn oven on and set at 220ËšC. Place a deep casserole pan in the oven whilst it coming up to temperature.
6When oven and casserole have come to temperature remove the casserole and transfer the dough carefully to the hot casserole pan. Use the four corners of overhanging parchment paper to lift it out of the mixing bowl and transfer it to the hot pot. Put the lid on and bake for 45 minutes. After thirty minutes remove the lid and allow the bread to get a deep rich colour. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.
PastaÂ
My simple pasta again just like my bread utelizes plain flour as most of us will have this in our homes already. The dough is a soft easy to knead dough. You do not require any fancy equipment to make this, a rolling pin is used to roll out the dough. If you are unable to knead and have a mixer with a dough hook this could be used instead. Â
This is a simple pasta recipe. You don't need any fancy equipment. A rolling pin is about the most complex piece of equipment required for this recipe. It may also be noted that this recipe works fantastically with plain flour if 00 flour is hard to get hold of or unavailable.
Yields2 Servings 200 g 00 flour or Plain flourPlus extra for dusting surfaces2 EggsFine sea salt1 tsp Olive oil1Add the flour to a clean work surface or bowl. Create a large well in the centre that can contain the egg. Crack in the eggs and add the oil and salt.
2Using a clean hand, stiffly locked like a claw. Mix the flour and eggs together until it forms a shaggy dough.
3Dust the a large surface with flour and knead for 7 - 10 minutes. To knead push down and forward on the dough to stretch it forward with lower palm and pull it back to you and repeat, again and again. until you can feel the change in texture. Another test of readiness is to press the dough lightly, it should have a little bounce and the finger print impression should spring back and disappear after a few seconds.
4Wrap tightly in cling film or a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. If storing for a long time refrigerate whilst resting.
5Unwrap the dough, Flour a work surface well. Cut the dough in half. Roll into a long triangle then fold both ends in until they meet, turn over and continue to roll until flat and smooth again then repeat this stage two to three times.
6Roll the dough out into a large very thin rectangle, so thin that when lifted you can make out the outline of your hand underneath. At this stage you can form into any pasta shape you like. I like to go with either tagliatelle or pappardelle.
7To make either of these shapes gently fold the pasta long edge over to form a 1 1/2 - 2 inch fold then repeat. You should get three folds. Cut into thin strips to make tagliatelle or wider strips for pappardelle. Unfurrel the long strips of pasta and toss them in a little flour to prevent them sticking to one another.
8When ready to cook bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the pasta and give it a brief stir together. Fresh pasta will take a lots less time to cook than dried so be vigilant it will only take a few moments.
CategorySimply SidesIngredients
200 g 00 flour or Plain flourPlus extra for dusting surfaces2 EggsFine sea salt1 tsp Olive oilDirections
1Add the flour to a clean work surface or bowl. Create a large well in the centre that can contain the egg. Crack in the eggs and add the oil and salt.
2Using a clean hand, stiffly locked like a claw. Mix the flour and eggs together until it forms a shaggy dough.
3Dust the a large surface with flour and knead for 7 - 10 minutes. To knead push down and forward on the dough to stretch it forward with lower palm and pull it back to you and repeat, again and again. until you can feel the change in texture. Another test of readiness is to press the dough lightly, it should have a little bounce and the finger print impression should spring back and disappear after a few seconds.
4Wrap tightly in cling film or a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. If storing for a long time refrigerate whilst resting.
5Unwrap the dough, Flour a work surface well. Cut the dough in half. Roll into a long triangle then fold both ends in until they meet, turn over and continue to roll until flat and smooth again then repeat this stage two to three times.
6Roll the dough out into a large very thin rectangle, so thin that when lifted you can make out the outline of your hand underneath. At this stage you can form into any pasta shape you like. I like to go with either tagliatelle or pappardelle.
7To make either of these shapes gently fold the pasta long edge over to form a 1 1/2 - 2 inch fold then repeat. You should get three folds. Cut into thin strips to make tagliatelle or wider strips for pappardelle. Unfurrel the long strips of pasta and toss them in a little flour to prevent them sticking to one another.
8When ready to cook bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the pasta and give it a brief stir together. Fresh pasta will take a lots less time to cook than dried so be vigilant it will only take a few moments.
