Herb Bread

I had some left over feta cheese in the fridge that needed using up, so ...

Sift together 6oz SR flour, a pinch of cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Stir in a peeled, grated potato, some cubed feta cheese, some chopped herbs and 3 or 4 chopped spring onions.

Beat together an egg and a teaspoon of whole grain mustard. Add to the mixture and mix to make a firm dough (you may well need to add one or two tablespoons of milk).

Shape with floured hands and place on a greased baking tray. Bake at gas 5 for 35-40 mins. Allow to cool for a short while before serving, delicious with butter and served with soup.

You can vary the recipe by using goats cheese and thyme, feta and rosemary ... any combination really

If you should have any left over (rarely, in this house!) it toasts well, too.

Bread Machine

I don't bake bread in my machine, but use it to make the dough. Then I knock it back and shape it, and rise it again in flexible silicon bread tins or moulds before baking it in the oven. It's a little more work, but the bread is much lighter, and there are no holes where the paddles were!

I've experimented with various recipes, and have settled on a base recipe for both white and wholemeal bread. But this Easter I made hot cross buns for the first time, and we liked them so much I now make the dough regularly – sometimes shaping it into buns, but sometimes into a loaf.

All bread machines are different, but to your normal amounts of flour and water add (in whatever order is appropriate for your machine) ...

2oz melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried milk powder
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 tablespoon castor sugar (optional)
½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1¼ teaspoons quick yeast
4 oz sultanas

Shape, rise and bake at gas 5 for 15-20 minutes before turning over to finish for a further 5 minutes (because of the sugar it will burn easily, so take care).

Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon sugar until melted. While the bread/buns are still hot, glaze with the milk.

(Don't glaze them if you intend to freeze them.)