The Great Sunday Bake Break

 Read more Oily Rag articles by Frank and Muriel Newman 

Every Sunday thousands (millions!) of people living off the smell of an oily rag diligently and religiously engage in the Great Sunday Bake Break. It’s a convivial and team building family thing – a ritual to many – where all members of an oily rag household invade the kitchen and throw about ingredients, knead dough and get the appliances whizzing and whirling to produce a week’s supply of their favourite baked goods at a fraction of the cost that these treats would cost in stores and tuck shops.

Here are some ideas and recipes for things to make:

• Here’s a simple, failsafe bread recipe (well, almost failsafe!). To make two loaves you need: 5 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons active yeast, 1 cup cold water, 1 cup boiling water and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. In a bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the salt, sugar and yeast. Add the cold water and then the cup of boiling water. Stir to form a paste. Leave to stand for a few minutes, then add the remaining flour slowly to form a soft – but not sticky – dough. Knead the dough for between 5 and 10 minutes. Form the dough into the required shape, cover, and leave to stand in a warm place until it rises to at least twice its original size, which will take about 45 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for about 30 minutes.

• Or try these marvellous muffins, which are great for school lunch boxes. To make a basic muffin mix you will need 2 cups flour, 3 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 egg, 1 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add previously mixed egg, milk and oil mixture. Stir quickly until dry ingredients are just moistened – the batter should be lumpy. Place large teaspoonfuls in greased muffin or patty pans. Bake at 200 C for about 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 10 to 12 muffins. The secret to making light muffins is to not over-mix the ingredients.

• Tex from Christchurch uses this basic scone mix. “Scones are so versatile you can add in whatever you like. Dried fruits, nuts, spices, onion, pineapple, bacon bits. Use your imagination. 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. If using dried fruit I find covering with water and soaking the fruit in a 500ml container gives sufficient moisture to make the scones. Mix well by hand or use a mixer. The dough should become "plasticy" pliable and dry to the touch. Bake 12 min at 220°C. Savoury or plain mixes can be dropped into stews to make dumplings. All scones mixes can be frozen. Gives a wide variety made simply and inexpensively.”

• Each week Tex also makes a date and banana loaf. Here is his recipe: “3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup bran flakes. Butter or margarine, 3 teaspoons baking powder, spices (Cassia, mixed spices or others). One overripe banana cut into pieces. I whirl the lot in my food processor and add sufficient water to make a very thick moist mixture. Place in a greased ovenproof dish, and bake for 2 hours in a slow oven. Add or remove ingredients like dates, bran, sultanas or what have you. Makes a large loaf which will last ages. Mine does a week for two of us.”

Do you have a favourite baking recipe? Why not share it with others? You can send in your recipes, tips, comments and jokes via the oily rag website (www.oilyrag.co.nz) or write to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

* Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz. The book is available from bookstores and online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.