Maple-honey granola

I think I mentioned a few months ago that I placed an order with the Ottolenghi webshop, in the UK? Well, I did. And I ordered their granola. And I loved it. I usually don't like granola all that much, it's either not crunchy enough, or filled with somewhat icky stuff, or with lots of fruit in it, or.. just something. I end up eating it a few times, throwing out the rest. Not so with the Ottolenghi stuff. It was divine. However, it had brazil nuts which I don't particularly cared for... and it was pretty expensive. Especially to ship over from the UK. Not an option in the long run, obviously.

So I made my own - I drew some inspiration from the ottolenghi cookbook, and some from online sources, but finally ended up with this. It's not the healthiest of granolas, I know. It is, however, one that I will finish. And that's pretty good.

Maple-honey granola
300 g oats

200 g mixed nuts (almond, cashew, hazelnuts)

25 g sunflower seeds

75 g honey

75 g maple syrup 

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp water

Pinch of salt

Place the oats, nuts and seeds in a big bowl. Combine honey, maple syrup, oil, water and salt and then mix this into the rest of the ingredients. Use your hands to make sure everything is well covered. Spread on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 140°C for about 35-40 minutes. Check it every ten minutes or so, you might need to stir it a little, and while you do want it to turn golden, you don't want it to burn even a little. 

We don't have any bread-Bread

I like good bread for my breakfast. Sure, some toast will do, but I really prefer nice, fluffy bread, or a good crusty loaf. Especially on the weekends, when I'm more eager to have a relaxed, full breakfast. So, we often buy bread in the morning from our favorite bakery, or we make sure to do so in advance.

However, we don't always feel like it. And I don't always remember to start a dough on the night before, either. On such occasions, it's good to know that you can actually make bread in just an hour, or even a little less than that. Real bread, not just scones, or something made with baking powder.

This bread makes soft, fluffy buns - perfect to serve with butter and a slice of cheese, and perhaps a little bit of homemade jam.

Quick Morning Bread
20 small buns

50 g fresh yeast
50 g butter
500 ml water
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
8-900 g flour (I used a mix of regular white flour and spelt flour)

Crumble the yeast into a bowl. Melt the butter, and add the water. Heat until the mixture is about 37°C - definitely not warmer than 40°C, or the yeast will die. Pour this onto the yeast and stir until it's dissolved. Add the salt, sugar and flour, and work into a soft dough. It should be un-sticky enough to roll immediately, so add as much flour as you need to accomplish that.

Now, divide into 20 equal parts, and roll into small buns. Place on a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel for about 20 minutes.
At this point, you can certainly brush them with something - butter, milk, water - and sprinkle with seeds, but I left them completely plain and that's good also. Bake at 250°C for seven minutes, and let cool slightly before slicing.