Roxy's Bakehouse

Ahhh finally, scarf season has arrived. Where has the year gone?! After an unseasonably warm autumn (some days were still reaching maximum 30 Celsius - not that I was complaining), I now definitely know winter has arrived. It's those few months of inserting your icy toes between your soundly sleeping spouse's legs, battling between staying under your warm covers or facing that hard, frosty toilet seat (whilst busting to pee of course), and getting vitamin D deficiency because it's dark when you get to work and when you leave work.

I find a nice way to turn your home toasty is to bake! Bake several things simultaneously or one after the other - cookies, cakes, bread, pies, slow-roasted meat... the longer the oven is on, the warmer! (not to mention a higher electricity bill)

I made some bread again - actually overcooked it because I left it 5 minutes too long! I think the darker brown is actually quite attractive though! Because of the colder weather it's hard to find a cozy place for your dough to sleep! I know a technique is to place the dough on a stool in front of an open oven (the oven would be turned off but previously heated) - but I do not have a stool and my oven is at floor level! So I put it on the TV entertainment unit! The heat generated from the TV, DVD player and computer seem to do the trick!

I really like my dough hook attachment
on my KitchenAid
Dough is done when you imprint a thumb
and the dough springs back!

After being left to rise for 1 hour

A sharp knife used to slash the surface
Bake at 220 Celcius
Chuck a handful of ice cubes in a baking
tin at the bottom of the oven to achieve
a crunchy crust!

A darker brown from being baked 5 mins
overtime but I actually like the colour!

Feel like baking but not in the mood or no time for messy prep work? I overcome this particular first world problem by preparing cookie dough ahead of time! Same concept as the cookie dough logs you can purchase at the grocery store.

Shape your prepared cookie dough into a log
on a sheet of baking paper

Roll the paper up and seal the ends like bonbons!
Store in the fridge until needed - simply slice and bake :)