[Rainey]

This looks so fabulous I had to share it. I haven't tried it and I'm on my way out of town so I won't be able to until next week. But no reason you should have to wait.

sachet = package
strong wheat = bread flour/hard wheat flour
wholemeal = whole wheat flour

A kitchen scale will get you thru the amounts or go to clotilde's site for a conversion table.

Guinness and Onion Bread

• sachet easy blend yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp warm water
• 550g strong white bread flour
• 200g strong wholemeal flour
• 15g salt
• 440ml can Guinness Extra Stout
• 2 tbsp walnut oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion finely diced
• cornmeal for dusting
• egg wash
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped walnuts

As can be seen from the picture I [blogger, Andrew Barrow, on SlashFood.com] used a bottled Guinness rather than from a can.

The first stage is to get the yeast active - put the sugar, warm water and yeast in a bowl, whisk, and leave until frothy.

Mix the white and wholemeal flour in a bowl and add the salt. Once the yeast has proved (10-20 minutes) add to the flour along with the walnut oil and stout. Mix until smooth and elastic. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for an hour or so untill doubled in bulk. After proving the yeast and mixing it with the Guinness and oil it should have rested and begin to doubled in bulk. At this stage the onions need to be gently fried; chop the small onion small and saute in butter until soft and transparent. Drain and leave to cool completely.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and then fold in the onions. Work the dough for a few minutes - stretch it but don't try to tear. This stage works the gluten. Divide the dough into two even sized pieces and roll each one into a loaf shape. Again try not to tear the dough. Mine, as pictured, can not exactly be described as equal in size!



The two loaves should be covered with cling film and again be allowed to rise until double in size. Should take about 40 minutes but I left mine for an hour; as although the oven was on to warm up the day is particularly cold and the poky kitchen more than a little drafty!

The oven should be heated to 200C/400F/G6.

Put the loaves on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Wash the loaves with eggwash and sprinkle over the chopped walnuts. Oh, a slit should be cut down the middle of each - but mine wasn't deep enough and disappeared during cooking. Still that eggwash gave a lovely deep colour.

At the same time as the loaves go in the oven put in a small pot of water to create steam and help form the crust. Bake for about 50 minutes. I turned the oven down after half an hour to 190C/375F/G5 as they seemed to be browning too quickly. They are done when the bottom gives a hollow thud when tapped.

Allow to cool before serving with plenty of butter. A couple of slices was rather good with fried egg and black pudding for a morning after remedy![says Andrew Barrow]



PS from Rainey: It's easy to avoid those burned nuts you can see in the photo. Just remove them from the surface of the loaf and push them into the bottom/interior as you pull the dough into the loaf for it's final rise/proof.
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[Donna]

I'm definitely giving Sam this recipe for tomorrow!

We're having some friends over to celebrate and help us prepare for our trip to Eire. This is one of my favorite days to have a little party. Ben used to love it when he was little because he would go around the house to find green things to decorate the table! One year we had a green sock, some grass pulled up from the yard, a pile of leaves, a green bottle (empty) and of course green sparkling cider! We understood that not much happened in Ireland for SPD, but Ben assures us that Dublin does have a celebration - and I'm sure he'll be tipping back the Guinness.

Rainey - your little tip at the end of this recipe is exactly what I do with my stollen - I just can't bear burnt raisins!

Remember EVERYONE is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!!!!

From

Donna McCreary Smith-Harrison


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L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais

[Debbie]

We are having a SPD lunch today with green food.... will be interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

This bread sounds good. Might make it for another lunch later in the year.

I also don't like the burnt bits, prefer them to be inside so they are moist and sweet and yummy.

Good one Rainey!
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If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.