Tear and Share Granary Bread Rolls Recipe

I'm experimenting with the Thermomix TM5 and comparing it to my other kitchen gadgets, halving the quantities in a bread recipe was this weeks project.  It's certainly a great machine for mixing and kneading the dough but if you're contemplating buying one please be aware that you can't leave the machine unattended whilst it's mixing dough because it will move and bounce around from time to time.  I've got a sturdy food mixer that will make dough without moving, although I wouldn't leave it unattended, whilst my bread machine just gets on with it.

The Thermomix takes 6 minutes to knead and achieve the windowpane test.  My food mixer 10 minutes or so and the bread machine 2 hours 20 minutes but that does include the first prove.

If I was to give them a score for the finished product it would be Thermomix 10, bread machine 9 and food mixer 8.

Here we go with the Thermie by simply throwing everything into the bowl.........

The finished dough......

After the first prove I rolled them into 7 even balls to create the sunburst......

The proved and decorated rolls......

Thermomix Recipe: with conventional method in italics
½ tsp easy blend yeast
150g strong white bread flour
100g strong malted bread flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ tbsp runny honey
75ml water
75ml milk
Sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds for decoration

1. Mix the water and milk together and warm to lukewarm.  Place the wet and dry ingredients into the jug.
Place the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, add the water and milk mixture heated to lukewarm.
2. TM Setting Knead/6 minutes.
Fit the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out into a greased bowl and leave covered to rise until double in size.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and cut into 7 pieces and shape into rolls.
5. Place them onto either a greased, floured or lined baking tray and arrange them into a sunburst shape. Cover and leave to prove until double in size.
6. Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C.
7. Brush the rolls with water and scatter over sesame seeds to the outer rolls. The middle roll may be decorated with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
9. Place the rolls onto a wire rack to cool.

More recipes:
How to make finger rolls
Fougasse
Apricot Couronne
Red Onion Focaccia

Raspberry Bakewell Cake Recipe

This cake is the perfect rainy day bake, it's easy to make, cuts well and can be frozen in slices.
I love a cake that can be eaten as dessert too and a dollop of either cream or creme fraiche on the side is the perfect accompaniment.

This cake looks pretty even before it gets to the baking stage. I decided to gently press the raspberries into the batter just in case they sank but guess what not one single raspberry sank. If you make this cake I'd definitely recommend stirring a few raspberries through the batter before baking.

The cake can be made successfully in one bowl using the all in one method if you wish to save time or made in a food processor by mixing everything but the fresh raspberries and flaked almonds together until blended.  On this occasion I used the Thermomix and I've included the method for this too.

You will need: 20cm springform buttered and lined with baking parchment.

150 g butter, softened
150 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
50 ml milk at room temperature
150 g self-raising flour
150 g ground almonds
150 g fresh raspberries
25 g flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2. Cream the butter until soft using a food mixer. Add the sugar to the bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and the almond extract together then gradually add the eggs beating all the time. Beat in the milk.
3. Add the flour and ground almonds to the batter and gently fold in. Add the raspberries and fold in carefully trying not to break them up too much.
4. Pour the cake batter into the tin, then scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.  Dust with icing sugar.

Thermomix method:

1. Place room temperature butter and caster sugar into the bowl. Cream together 20 Sec/Speed 4.
2. Add the eggs, almond extract, milk, self raising flour and ground almonds mix 20 Sec/Speed 5.
3. Scrape down the mixture in the bowl.
4. Mix 20 Sec/Speed 5.
5. Pour the batter into a mixing bowl, add the flaked almonds and raspberries and gently combine.
6. Continue using the conventional method from 4. above.

You may also like:
Raspberry, Almond and Custard Cake
The Perfect Raspberry and Almond Cake
Fresh Raspberry and Almond Traybake
Raspberry, Chocolate and Almond Cake
Bakewell Tart