Hollywood Bread

After the disaster of my macaroon cake i thought it best to try out another recipe in the Great British Bake Off's recipe guide. I thought it was going to be a really great cookery book and wanted to get rid of the feeling that it had failed me in the baking world!

This time i went for a recipe with Paul Hollywood's name and reputation slapped all over it: Crunchy Bacon Soda Bread. I love the idea that bread can be a full meal, and with bacon, parsley and onion in it, and slathered with butter, this is the perfect thing for lunch.

Bread is notoriously difficult, as is Mr Hollywood to please in the bake-off since the use of yeast is a tricky art, so in his words:

"Welcome to Yeast"

The recipe for this bread is uneblieveably easy! 

Step 1: Fry the bacon, onion and parsley

Step 2: Sieve flour, bicarb and salt, rub into breadcrumbs with butter

Step 3: Mix altogether with buttermilk, shape into a ball (NO KNEADING NEEDED, which i LOVE)

Step 4: Bake for just 35 minutes.

The outcome was a really nice lunch loaf, perfect with butter. I would rather add about 3 times the amount of bacon- because i do love bacon- to make a meatier, more substantial bread. Nevertheless is was surprised that such a luxurious sounding bread was so quick and easy to make and i'll definitely make it a regular. Thank god Paul pulled it out for the cookbook. Next i'll be doing the recipe for chocolate doughnuts!