There’s the tale of Goldmarie, who tumbled down a well into Lady Holle’s land. There she helped around the house, shook the pillows out the window so snow would fall upon the world, tickled the apple tree until it dropped its ripe fruit into her basket, and rescued the loaves that screamed to be taken from the oven before they burned. Whatever task she faced, she mastered it with care and cheer.
After a year had passed, Lady Holle sent her back home – and as Goldmarie stepped through the gate, she was showered in gold.
Moral of the story: take the bread out of the oven on time.
What you’ll need
- A kilo of good quality flour, I took a full grain wheat here
- If available, half a litre of whey, alternatively warm water
- Sea salt
- 10g of dried yeast
- A good dash of rapeseed oil
How you bake it
Place the flour in a wide bowl, shape a well in the middle into which you add almost all the whey/water, salt, yeast and oil. Knead with the kitchen robot or by hand until you obtain a smooth dough that won’t stick, add liquid in case it’s needed.
Let rise in a cool spot over night.
The next day shape 2-3 breads, let rise in a warm spot for another hour. Once they’re up, cut a cross into the bread. Bake for 35 min at 200°C. Baking time may vary with different types of ovens, best keep an eye on the baking.
How you eat it
Fresh from the oven, still warm, with really too much butter on top.
*This is Les Poissonchats Wondrous Advent Calendar! Advent calendars are a big tradition where I come from: every day until Christmas Day you prepare a small gift for a loved one, fourandtwenty little surprises. Advent calendars come in beautifully old fashioned prints on cardboard, extra glitter and glory, and each day there’s a little perforated window waiting for you be opened. Others are more elaborate, pretty baskets filled with twenty four numbered parcels, red velvet ribbons and sprigs of fir. The one I’m making for you this season is a different one altogether, it comes in digital form. Unless specially marked, all content is hand-stitched by myself, lovingly compiled and written for your amusement.
Les Poissonchats 