INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup warm milk 125 ml (you may use water if you do not have milk)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (1g)
1 pack dry active yeast, about 2 teaspoons
4 cups All-Purpose Flour + some for dusting (500g)
3/4 tablespoon salt (15-17g)
1 cup lukewarm water add a splash extra if needed (236 ml)
1 egg, mixed
1 tablespoon Olive Oil + for greasing
STEPS

1 – Stir yeast packet into a warm to touch milk and sugar and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. When it starts to bubble and foam, it means the yeast is active and ready to be used.

2 – In a large bowl, mix flour and salt, then create a small well in the middle and pour in the milk and yeast mixture.

3 – Mix one egg with warm water to warm up cold egg, and add to the flour.

4 – Using your wooden spoon or spatula, start combining everything. Once combined using your hands, begin to knead the dough; when it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready to rest. I knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and vice versa, add a splash more water if it’s too dry—drizzle olive oil and tap/glaze all over the dough.

5 – Cover the bowl with a large kitchen towel and let it rise until it doubles in size. It takes an hour or two hours, sometimes less if the house is warmer. (RISE 1)

6 – Uncover the dough and give it a few pokes with your finger. If the dough has risen properly, it should indent under the pressure of your fingers and slowly deflate. At this point, you could place the dough in the baking pan, but following step 7. the bread turns out so much better.

7 – Using your hand, fold the dough—light pressure-kneading. Add more flour until it comes together. Cover and let it rise for one more hour. You may leave it for up to 3 hours. You do not have to wait for the second rise but the bread turned out so good. (RISE 2- optional). If you choose not to do this second rise then just move to step 10.

8 – Preheat the oven to 450 F

9 – Once the dough has doubled once again, knead it again to shape it.

10 – Place the shaped dough into a lightly greased or parchment-lined cast iron casserole, and let it rise for the second time at the warmer area. Sprinkle the top with a bit of flour and score lines on top. As the bread bakes, it will expand, and those scored lines will become more visible. (RISE 3)

11 – Also, you could preheat the cast iron casserole before baking by drizzling a bit of oil first. Then place it in the cold oven to heat up gradually for about 10 minutes or so. Never put a cold, empty pot in a hot oven to heat. So heat the cast iron casserole for a bit first then, place the dough in. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, removing the lid completely 8-10 minutes before the bread is done. This way, it will get a deeper color and crispier.

12 – Remove bread from the cast iron casserole, wrap it in the kitchen towel and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

NOTES
You may skip the egg.
You may use water instead of milk.
The outcome of the bread depends on the water temperature, oven, flour, yeast even air.

Bon appetit!

As November takes us into colder weather, there’s just something about frosty window panes and that winter chill in the air that makes us want to bake bread. Baking homemade bread may seem like an intimidating feat but we promise that this delicious and fragrant rosemary garlic bread recipe is easy to follow and so rewarding. The smell of freshly baked bread will cozy up your kitchen immediately. This recipe is perfect to make during the Holidays – here is what you need:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm water, 110-115F

2 tsp white sugar

2 tsp fine salt

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 TB dried rosemary

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 head of roasted garlic

extra olive oil for brushing on top and serving

coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top

Preparation:

In a large bowl, Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water. Mix in the sugar and salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it foams. Add in olive oil. Add flour and knead (by hand or stand mixer/hook) for about 10 minutes.

Add rosemary, black pepper, and oregano. Knead another 5 minutes. Finally, gently knead in roasted garlic by hand, about 1 minute. Dough should come together well at this point; slightly sticky is fine, but still should be manageable.

Place the dough ball in a well oiled bowl, turning dough a few times so that dough surfaces are protected by oil. Tightly cover bowl with cling wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is doubled, approx. 1 hour, depending on room temp (if your room is cooler, it could take 2 hours.)

After the dough is doubled, gently punch it down and shape into a rounded loaf. Using a sharp knife, make a criss-cross design on top. Place rounded loaf on a greased baking sheet. Cover the loaf with a large mixing bowl inverted over it. Make sure the bowl is large enough that it gives your loaf room to rise. Let rise until doubled again, approximately 1 hour.

After the dough has doubled again, very gently brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and a bit more rosemary. Try not to deflate the loaf at all.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, spraying loaf with water once during the middle of baking. Raise the temperature up to 425F and spray the loaf with water again. Watch carefully – bake just until the top is a nice golden brown.

Let bread rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it. Serve bread fresh and warm, with your favorite oils.

Trust us, this bread is so incredibly delicious and fragrant, everyone who we shared it with couldn’t resist taking another piece. This is a great way to get into making bread and perfect to impress if you want to bring something to a Holiday party. f you make this recipe and want to share with us, tag us on Instagram @stokesstores and use the hashtag #StokesMoments.

Here is what you need:

250ml Water

2 tbsp. Oil

1 tsp. Salt

1.5 tbsp. Sugar

3 cups Bread flour

2 tsp.Yeast

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in the following order:

#1: liquid ingredients / eggs

#2: dry ingredients

#3: yeast / baking soda or powder

Follow the ingredients on your machine, and boom – with  a push of a few buttons and 3 short hours later, you have warm, french bread right at home for you to enjoy! If you make this recipe and want to share with us,  please tag us on Instagram @stokesstores and use the hashtag #StokesMoments.

Instructions:

Place the flour and ½ tablespoon of sea salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, and mix with a fork. Leave this for a few minutes and when it starts to foam, slowly pour it into the well, mixing with a fork as you go.

As soon as all the ingredients come together, which may take a minute or so, knead vigorously for around 5 minutes until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough.

Lightly oil a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Dust with a little extra flour, cover with a tea towel and leave to proof in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubles in size.

While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 and prepare the toppings.

Chop the tomatoes into halves. Mix the parmesan and tomatoes into a bowl with the garlic, onions, olives and thyme and season with sea salt and black pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a tiny splash of white wine vinegar. 

Spread the tomato garnish over the focaccia.

Leave to proof for a further 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top and soft in the middle.

Enjoy!

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

https://www.blog.stokesstores.com/en/remy-olivier-andrea-bakeware-collection.html

Who really likes to clean up? A quick scrub job after a meal can make all the difference and the convenient one pot, pan, casserole or dish recipe trend promises just that! Here to help you with all your meals, this culinary movement stems from the growing online community of food bloggers who use their everyday life experiences as inspiration for creating recipes with their followers’ convenience in mind. From soups, stews, pastas, and casseroles, this approach to meal time and recipe development reflects a societal change where households that have a full time stay-at-home member are becoming increasingly rare. Put simply: For most of us, the average time-slot we had for cooking and cleaning has gotten a lot slimmer. However, thanks to helpful trends like this, it doesn’t mean our taste buds have to suffer!

That’s where Jenny, the recipe developer, photographer, and stylist, behind @forevermunchies, steps in. She creates an Asian Fusion inspired one pot meal that is sure to satisfy your fall comfort food cravings and, better yet, won’t trouble your intolerance to washing up! Her warming sweet potato and carrot miso soup is jam-packed with seasonal produce and delicious flavours like ginger and garlic. Plus, we promised you not only one recipe but a meal. Included in this one pot feature is a recipe for no-knead bread that you can bake in the same pot and it’s the perfect companion for the miso soup. Just remember: these recipes are quick to prepare but the dough for the bread needs 12 to 20 hours to rise. Combine the dough’s ingredients the night before so that it will be hot and ready to enjoy alongside your soup!

Make note: For this recipe you need a pot or casserole that is stove-top safe, deep (for the soup), but also oven safe (for the no-knead bread). Jenny used the Remy Olivier 5L Casserole, which is designed specifically to heat your food evenly and is oven safe up to 400°F. Made of cast iron, it’s perfect for soups, roasts, stews, casseroles and more. Even though time isn’t always on your side, we are, and with our tips and Jenny’s help, you’ll be able to make a scrumptious meal in no time, all in one dish!

Ready to make a meal that has a whole lot flavour and little clean up?

Helping you make everyday mealtime more convenient,

@forevermunchies

Jenny is a 9-to-5 office worker who first discovered her love for cooking through food photography and styling. She now moonlights as an avid “foodstagrammer” to share pictures and recipes of her latest healthy, fresh (and occasionally decadent) creations. Jenny loves Taiwanese-inspired flavours, and has an unabashed weakness for ice cream. Since launching her Instagram page during the summer of 2015, Jenny has been featured by Cooking Light magazine and has also collaborated with companies including Hershey’s Canada and Rogers Foods.

You can seek more culinary inspiration from Jenny’s Instagram page @forevermunchies!