Little Brown Bread

October 6, 2011 // 42 Comments // Baking , Bread , Kids , Vegetarian

A few wednesdays ago, Gummi Bear announced that he was going to bake bread. He didn’t seem to care whether I was on board or not. He then proceeded to the kitchen and fished for a bowl. Next, he grabbed a wooden spoon and a stool in quick succession. After hoisting himself on the stool, so his tiny three year old self could see what was on the counter, he took a pause. Very carefully he reached out for the egg carton and dragged it towards himself. My heart puffed with pride. "He knows what he is doing!!" I thought forgiving him the mistake of grabbing some eggs for bread baking. I know he was recalling our cake making sessions and eggs seemed to symbolise baking in his head. Then he paused again and scratched his chin, "Let me Fink!" he mumbled. The he rushed off and returned with a packet of instant noodles and an apple and dumped them unceremoniously in the bowl. "Oh Boy!"

So began a gentle lecture and a chalk diagram on our massive chalkboard wall of all the ingredients needed for basic bread making. "We must use Feast!" he parroted after me. "Feast is alive!" and "Feast makes the bread fluffy and full of holes!". Having been instantly smitten by a recipe for a simple loaf of bread on Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, I had filed it away for an occasion very much like the one on hand. With no kneading required, it was the perfect bread recipe for a bright eyed budding baker who didn’t have the patience for kneading, resting, proving and all that hoopla.

With brow furrowed in concentration, Gummi bear followed my instructions to a T. He tipped and mixed gently. He "painted" the bread tin with melted butter staying within the lines at all times. Once the dough was in, he asked me how it would become bread. "With the yeast, remember?" I reminded him. "Oh yes! The Feast!" he squeaked with joy. "But how Mum?" he didn’t give up. "You have to be nice to the bread and show it love, then it rises perfectly" I told him simply. So he carefully sat down on a stool, put the bread tin on his lap and started singing to it.

Rise little bready

Feast Feast

Rain Rain go away

Bready is feeping (sleeping)

rain rain go away

come again another day

(mumbling) (more mumbling)

(high pitched humming)

His mind wanders all over the place but he can be very entertaining! Once we put the bread in the oven, he fell asleep on the couch waiting for it to rise. When he awoke an hour later, he was super excited to see it had become bread with holes. He had one bite of the butter slathered slice and announced he would eat it later. Which he did. Thank God!

It was the most fun I had had baking in the kitchen in recent times. It was one of the quickest, no fuss and simplest breads I have ever baked. It was delicious even when I forgot the salt in the recipe (can’t blame me! It is hard to concentrate when your second born is being so darned cute and asking a zillion questions!). That was easily solved by generous slatherings of churned butter by Pepe Saya. We tore bits off and relished the sweetness of honey in the bread. We toasted some slices and watched the golden butter melting in a golden pool of deliciousness. Oh we had fun with this little brown bread!

Little Brown Bread

Toasted bread with butter

Little Brown Bread

[ click for full version ]

LITTLE BROWN BREAD

Preparation Time – 15 minutes + 30 minutes (rise time)
Baking Time – 40 minutes
Makes – 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 packet dry instant yeast (7g)
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Using a pastry brush, paint the insides of an 8 inch loaf tin with melted butter. Set aside.

In a small bowl pour the warm water, sprinkle yeast over it and stir. Add honey and mix well. Set aside for few minutes until it bubbles and swells.

In a large bowl combine flours, salt and oats. Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Spoon dough into prepared tin, cover tin with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes.

(You may sing to the dough at this point.)

Take the tea towel off and put the tin the oven. Bake in pre heated oven for approximately 40 minutes until risen and cooked. Enjoy warm with lashings of salted butter.

42 Comments

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Tagged // 101 cookbooks, autumn, baking, bread, brown, heidi swanson, honey, kids, oats, wholefoods, yeast

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42 Responses to “Little Brown Bread”

Kulsum at JourneyKitchen 06. Oct, 2011 at 6:07 pm #

Sneh I’m in love with this post and your son (forgive me). He sounds like the cutest think ever. What a great post my friend.
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen´s last [type] ..Udaipur – City of Lakes

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Mrs Ergül 06. Oct, 2011 at 6:31 pm #

Can’t believe I had only just found this cute blog! Your second born is, like you said, so darn cute!!! love the photos!
Mrs Ergül´s last [type] ..Chocolate Torte Cupcakes

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a spoonful of yumm 06. Oct, 2011 at 6:35 pm #

this is the cutest post ever !!! (^o^)love the song wishing you many more happy baking moments with your son i’m sure the bread tastes delicious
a spoonful of yumm´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday : Corn Stand & Sunset – Bandstand , Bombay

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Jennifer (Delicieux) 06. Oct, 2011 at 6:43 pm #

SO adorable!!! I love that song, children are so cute.

Sounds like you had great fun baking with your son and I am sure he had an amazing time too. It’s fantastic how much children love cooking….until they get bored and want to go do something else halfway though

By the way, I know how distracting all the questions can be and how it can lead to forgetting ingredients. My stepson, who is 11, is full of questions. We know joke that Question is his middle name
Jennifer (Delicieux)´s last [type] ..Caramelised Onion, Tomato and Basil Tart

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pickyin @ LifeIsGreat 06. Oct, 2011 at 6:45 pm #

My favorite post from your blog as of now. When I bake bread, I don’t sit it on my lap and watch it, but during the proofing I’d take a peak… like… every 15 minutes. My other half gets worried sometimes.
pickyin @ LifeIsGreat´s last [type] ..Nutty Chocolate Pavlova

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Lisa H. 06. Oct, 2011 at 7:01 pm #

Your post crack me up n he is an Entertainer… super gorgeous boy. I can imagine hin lullabying the bread … LOL
Well done Gummy Bear
Lisa H.´s last [type] ..Middle Eastern Fish Casserole

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Anamika 06. Oct, 2011 at 7:40 pm #

This is such an adorable post and ur son it damn cute..my 3year old too loves to give lots of helping hands (more that I need) in the kitchen, but actually singing to bread & “feast” is a heartache
Anamika´s last [type] ..Indian Shortbread – Cardamom & Saffron Nankhatai

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Fahad Khan (@PharaohKhan) 06. Oct, 2011 at 8:33 pm #

Even though all your posts I have been through were fantastic,this one truly takes the cake!Ummm..Bread I mean!Very cute post,the bread looks delicious and thanks to you,I learnt about cultured butter!
Cannot wait to give this a try..
Fahad Khan (@PharaohKhan)´s last [type] ..Potpourri Of Flavors: Thai Food

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chinmayie @ love food eat 06. Oct, 2011 at 8:45 pm #

I LOVE this post and photos!! Such handsome boy!!
chinmayie @ love food eat´s last [type] ..Black Pepper Pods on Vine

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Magda's Cauldron 06. Oct, 2011 at 9:27 pm #

Oh, so cute story. One girl one day will be lucky to have him
Magda’s Cauldron´s last [type] ..Bread for Toast

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Valeria 06. Oct, 2011 at 9:55 pm #

Oh that’s so sweet! I should try your technique with my (grown-up) gummy bear! )) Maybe he’ll start liking it and I’ll have fresh bread w/o effort forever! no singing for him, though!
Valeria´s last [type] ..Chocolate Pistachio Cake || Torta Cioccolato Pistacchio

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Pia 06. Oct, 2011 at 9:59 pm #

It’s the sweetest post I’ve read in a long time. Little brown eyed boy with his little brown bread. I’m still smiling

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Sanjeeta kk 06. Oct, 2011 at 10:07 pm #

The bread..the post and the little price..all are just awesome!
Sanjeeta kk´s last [type] ..Peas & More – A Few Fresh Pea Recipes with Spinach, Cottage Cheese and Spices

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Nellie 06. Oct, 2011 at 10:07 pm #

Utterly beautiful – both the bread & these precious moments with your son. I loved this post. He melts a heart with those eyes! Well done.

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Anita Menon 06. Oct, 2011 at 10:08 pm #

Sweetest post ever! This could easily go down as your best baking memory.

Your son is so handsome. God bless.
Anita Menon´s last [type] ..Muffin Mondays: Zucchini & Sesame Seeds Muffins

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Vivian - vxdollface 06. Oct, 2011 at 11:01 pm #

Such a sweet post hehe singing to the dough ^^

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penny aka jeroxie 06. Oct, 2011 at 11:30 pm #

Beautifully captured! I shall try singing to my bread dough next time
penny aka jeroxie´s last [type] ..Blood orange chocolate ganache tart

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Baker Street 07. Oct, 2011 at 12:17 am #

Adorable! I absolutely love this post!
Baker Street´s last [type] ..Flourless Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

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Nelly Rodriguez 07. Oct, 2011 at 12:30 am #

Gorgeous, candid pictures and I am in LOVE with that wooden knife!
Nelly Rodriguez´s last [type] ..What’s your favorite street food?

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Anushruti | Divinetaste 07. Oct, 2011 at 12:44 am #

This looks gorgeous and hearty! Love the pictures of your little one!
Anushruti | Divinetaste´s last [type] ..Eggless Blueberry Muffins

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Gagan 07. Oct, 2011 at 1:16 am #

This has to be the most adorable post I’ve read in a looooong time! I really like the tip on singing to the bread. If it works for plants, it must work for yeast too right? They are primordial plants, kinda-sorta….

Loved this post!
Gagan´s last [type] ..Where I’ve been these past few days….

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kitchenMage 07. Oct, 2011 at 2:31 am #

Oh my, that is one adorable baker. Singing to the make the yeast happy is the cutest thing I have read in a long time.
kitchenMage´s last [type] ..#anAppleForSteve

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Becky @ Skinnyfat Girls 07. Oct, 2011 at 3:38 am #

Wow. Beautiful recipe, beautiful photos, beautiful BOY! He is just darling. And now I’m longing for some simple bread with melty butter. Making this tonight, thanks!

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Nicola @41feasts 07. Oct, 2011 at 7:59 am #

Thank you for sharing this joy with us. My husband and I, as the parents of a two year old who loves making bread, have smiled so much at this! For Jessica, it is about smelling the ‘feast’ – sometimes her drippy nose gets a little too close, not so cute! The simplicity of bread makes it great for kids.

I like his recommendation of a little nap during the waiting too!
Nicola @41feasts´s last [type] ..Not Paul’s Focaccia

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Soma 07. Oct, 2011 at 8:02 am #

i heart this post and i know i will come back to read this a zillion times.

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Nash at Plateful 07. Oct, 2011 at 9:57 am #

Oh Sneha, your baby’s a cutie pie and so so adorable–god bless! Your account of his baking antics brought a smile to my face I have two boys myself and I have to tell you that the pre-school years are the best. So enjoy your time with your lil one ‘cos these are gonna be just memories soon, ah. Loved the idea of making a no knead bread and you know what? You’ve just inspired me to get it into the oven with the kids! Also, loved the special effect on these images, adds a special charm to the story. Lovely post!
Nash at Plateful´s last [type] ..Seduced by a glorious getaway. To God’s Own Country.

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kankana 07. Oct, 2011 at 12:00 pm #

SO SO SO cute. Every thing ,. every single tiny bit in this post screams CUTE!
I even liked the way you presented it .. the color, the composition .. LOVED IT!
kankana´s last [type] ..Raskadam (An Indian Sweet made with milk and sugar) – A Guest Post for Radhika

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Insensate 07. Oct, 2011 at 6:05 pm #

love the post and the pictures are beautiful

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Anna 07. Oct, 2011 at 11:50 pm #

Your little boy is so cute! Gee! I am living life using your bread wisdoms…I am thinking of what song to sing to my dough…Thanks for the recipe!

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julia @ Simpletruths 08. Oct, 2011 at 3:00 am #

This is officially my favorite bread baking story – ever. Love.
julia @ Simpletruths´s last [type] ..Well, hello there!

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Russell at Chasing Delicious 08. Oct, 2011 at 3:21 am #

This post is adorable. And your photographs are incredible! Not to mention this recipe sounds scrumptious.
Russell at Chasing Delicious´s last [type] ..Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

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Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen 08. Oct, 2011 at 1:09 pm #

Okay seriously he is too cute!! I love all the photos, he’s got a great mischievous smile.

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Petra 08. Oct, 2011 at 6:25 pm #

I made this bread yesterday for lunch – it was very easy and delicious. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my kids to sing for it

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athena 10. Oct, 2011 at 9:00 am #

This post made me smile! Your son is adorable and how cute that he sang to the bread. I’ll have to teach my 4yo to do the same

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Martyna@WholesomeCook 10. Oct, 2011 at 5:07 pm #

I’m speechless Sneh! What a gorgeous post! Love everything about it, and Gummi Bear!!! He is amazing, he can come and sing to our bread any time!
Martyna@WholesomeCook´s last [type] ..{Day 10} Coconut pandan and mango Bombe Alaska

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Tanvi@SinfullySpicy 15. Oct, 2011 at 5:47 am #

Oh my God Sneh…I cant tell you how much I love the first picture of and the one where “you need to sing to the dough”…what a cute cute post…okay I ll scroll up again (for the 5th time) & have a look!
P.S. – You boy is so so cute..I love him
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy´s last [type] ..Almond – Cardamom Cookies (Eggless)

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Online Canteen Ordering 20. Oct, 2011 at 6:41 pm #

Awesome post specially your son , very very cute and innocent, All photographs are incredible but the first one is awesome.

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Patricia Scarpin 02. Nov, 2011 at 2:17 am #

This post is so adorable and cute I don’t even have works to comment! Absolutely lovely! (and the bread looks delicious).

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Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen 21. Nov, 2011 at 8:25 pm #

Handsome little boy, singing to a delicious brown bread…. Wow…. Heartwarmth felt right through!

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Willow 23. Nov, 2011 at 2:53 pm #

This might just be the sweetest blog post I’ve ever read. Your photography is gorgeous, and so is your boy! I’m bookmarking the recipe, too – thanks for sharing!

-Willow

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