It’s amazingly sunny this week and my spirits are up so I decided to make some  spiced bread with sun dried tomatoes and chilli, it turned out so yum I want to gobble it all up! This bread is a very filling,wholesome bread and is great for mopping up a thick gravy or having perfectly scrambled eggs with asparagus sprigs a dollop of butter – ah – sounds heavenly, my breakfast tomorrow for sure!

The oil from the sun dried tomatoes and the oil that goes in dough and really adds to the taste. It takes some kneading as I don’t own a bread maker (yet !) and didn’t really want to get into the hassle of trying the dough function on my food processor, still if you do possess one the bread bread dough tools, good for you!Recipe adaptation from here

Considering it was my first ever homemade bread, it turned out really nice, bursting with aroma and rich flavours and am now prepared to move on to well more bread making!

Ingredients:

• 500 gm strong bread flour
• 25 gm butter
• Sun dried tomatoes and chillies about a large spoonfull
• A sachet yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 280 ml water at room temperature
• Plain white flour for kneading
• Oil from the chillies and tomato
• Oil to grease loaf tin
• Cling Film

Method:

• Sift the flour and add the yeast salt and sugar with a wooden spoon.
• Ensure butter is soft and rub in the butter with your hands till the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
• Add the finely chopped sun dried tomatoes and chillies and some of the oil and mix well.
• Now add the water slowly, folding it using a wooden or plastic spatula and then knead to make the dough.Keep kneading till a soft dough forms, fold in some oil and plain flour as and when needed.It will take about 15 minutes, yes I know but its worth it!
• While kneading use the same process as you would while kneading chapati/roti aata , kneading out from center and then folding sides back into the center.
• Cover in cling film and coat with some more oil. Leave to rise for about 2 hours in  a warm and dry place.
• Now remove the cling film and knead the risen dough again at least for 8-10 minutes, you will notice that the dough will loose air and will almost go back to its original size.Its like mini air pockets getting tiny punches with your hands.
• Repeat the cling film process and leave to rise for 30 minutes in a loaf tin in a warm place.
• Preheat oven to 210 degrees , I have a fan oven,bake for 25 minutes,to ensure it’s well risen.
• Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then on the wire rack.
• Serve sliced and enjoy with curries as a great alternative to regular wholemeal bread or as I plan to tomorrow with soft, perfectly done runny scrambled eggs, thinly sliced ham and asparagus sauteed in butter!