My Favourite Breads
Fall is my “bake bread” time. Last fall I made over twenty different types of bread. So far I’ve made ten different kinds of bread in the last two weeks, but as I mentioned before, I’m always so slow when it comes to posting.
The bread tasted awesome. it was soft, with a nice fennel aroma and taste. We ate most of it today, and saved a tiny piece for breakfast. I hope you are having a good week. Did you see the blood supermoon lunar eclipse? If you didn’t manage to see it then you’ll have to wait until 2033. I didn’t see anything. The sky was overcast in my little corner of the world. I hope you’re enjoying the new week. Have a pleasant week!
Ingredients
- 450g (1Ib, 3½ cups) bread flour (I used Five Roses all-purpose flour)
- 1-1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon fine sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 300ml (1¼ cup) warm water
- 25g (1oz) butter, melted
For topping
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, for sprinkling
Please always assemble all ingredients before you start
Crush the fennel seeds using a pestle and mortar
Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together into a large bowl.
Stir in the crushed fennel seeds and make a well in the centre.
Pour the water into the well and mix in a little flour to make a runny batter.
Sprinkle some flour on top of the batter then cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes
or until batter starts tor rise and bubble on top.gg
Add the melted butter and stir to incorporate,
then gradually mix in the rest of the flour to form a dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes,
until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, and leave to rise for one hour
or until doubled in size.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back the dough. Shape into an oval, about 8-9 inches long, place on the prepared baking sheet, and cover again with oiled clingfilm or large polythene bag and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Brush the bread with egg white, sprinkle with the fennel seeds, and cut a horizontal slash into the middle of the dough with a sharp knife (my slash was not deep enough…sigh!!!).
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (Please note I baked the bread for 35 minutes at 400°F (200°C))
Transfer onto a cooling rack
I had an impromptu, afternoon tea with lots of butter, jam and some Masala Tea.
The bread was soft and delicious with a lovely fennel aroma and taste
If you prefer whole wheat flour, you can use it. Or you can use a mixture of whole and white flour.
Hungarian Split Farmhouse Loaf
Preparation time: 35 minutes + 2¼ hours standing time; Baking time:30-35 minutes; Makes: 10-12 slices
Ingredients
- 450g (1Ib, 3½ cups) bread flour (I used Canadian all-purpose flour)
- 1-1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon fine sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 300ml (1¼ cup) warm water
- 25g (1oz) butter, melted
For topping
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment (greaseproof paper) and sprinkle with a little cornflour (maize flour). Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together into a large bowl. Stir in the crushed fennel seeds and make a well in the centre.
- Pour the water into the well and mix in a little flour to make a runny batter. Sprinkle some flour on top of the batter then cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes or until batter starts tor rise and bubble on top.
- Add the melted butter and stir to incorporate, then gradually mix in the rest of the flour to form a dough.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, and leave to rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back the dough. Shape into an oval, about 8-9 inches long, place on the prepared baking sheet, and cover again with oiled clingfilm or large polythene bag and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Brush the bread with egg white, sprinkle with the fennel seeds, and cut a horizontal slash into the middle of the dough with a sharp knife.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml American cup.
Points to Note
- Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperatures depending on your oven. I baked the bread for 35 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
- Last Updated: November 26, 2018
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
Ten bread in two weeks and 20 kinds last fall?? I’m not worthy! This one looks divine! – Kat
I love, love, love making bread. I could do it every single day without ever getting tired. Mix ten minutes then sit and wait…perfect recipe for lazy human beings, like me!
Liz
Looks delicious Liz, I love fennel 🙂
Me too. I adore, fennel. Thanks God it’s Friday, today. I’m in a damn good mood! Enjoy your weekend!
Liz
Love the idea of the fennel seeds in this, your loaf looks gorgeous Liz!
Hi Laura
Oh yes it has a delightful aroma, and tastes great too!
Liz
Another crazy delicious looking bread! I’ve mostly been baking sourdough but branch out now and then. I’ll have to remember this recipe.
I’ve never made sourdough. Still procrastinating as usual. Maybe one of these fine days, I shall try my luck. The bread tasted nice. We finished it today morning. Have a lovely week!
Liz
Looks amazing!!
Thank you. Tasted amazing too!
Liz
Looks so yummy!
Thank you. Tastes yummy too!
liz
Looks fabulous!! I love the smell of bread (any kind) baking on a cold day. So relaxing and warm feeling
Don’t we all love the smell of bread? and it’s best eaten warm with lots of butter. Yum!
Liz
That looks amazing!
Thank you, tastes amazing too!
Liz
I love this bread!
Thank you, Silva and enjoy your weekend.
Liz
Surprised me, fennel seeds instead of caraway! A slight licorice taste, how interesting! Maybe I will give this a go, I like the idea of something different. Gorgeous sunny days the past 3 days. It’s like having summer again. Watched the moon – or the last part of it from where I am living now. Took photos. Don’t know why, I took photos of the last one too. LOL, I guess we camera buffs just can’t help ourselves. So, how are you Liz? Back into the swing of things now that fall is upon us once again?
It tasted really nice and the aroma was irresistible. I am drowning in photos. This year alone, I’ve taken well over 10,000 photos. I have to transfer everything to another location. I am back full swing but posting is always a problem. Have a lovely autumn and happy baking or cooking!
Liz
This is definitely a perfect size bread for family of four. This looks awesome! 😀
Tastes awesome too. I really loved the aroma, and taste of course. Your blog looks awesome!
Liz
I bet it does just looking at it. You make it easy to make bread. Your blog is definitely one of the blogs I’m going to visit when I need to bake bread for my family. Thanks for sharing your talent in the kitchen, Liz. 🙂
Oh Anna, you’re so kind. Thanks so much for the kind words.
Liz
My pleasure, Liz. I meant every word. 😀
Thank you, again!
My pleasure, Liz. I’ll visit your blog again tomorrow. The medicine I took for my cough is taking effect. I’m getting really sleepy. Take care, Liz . Thanks again too. 😀
I hope you slept well!
Liz
Not very well. My cough keeps waking me up at night. 😦
So sorry to hear, it will improve with time. I wish you all the best, Anna! Take good care of yourself.
Thanks, Liz as well as the sentiment. I appreciate it. I hope you are having a fabulous weekend. 🙂
Absolutely!
Liz
😀
Sniff, sniff . . . I can smell those seeds way down here! Very enticing! ;->
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Oh yes, the fennel seeds have a wonderful aroma. Bread tasted good too!
Virtual hugs, Judie.
Liz