The Tea Project: B’s Brown Bread
The last time I had afternoon tea on a regular basis was when I shot a movie in London and the whole set came to a halt at precisely 4:00 p.m. so everyone could sit down, slurp tea, nibble cakes and discuss world affairs for twenty minutes. Then they’d leap to their feet again, all caffeinated and carbed, and briskly continue with the task at hand.
Yesterday, I had a tea break with a friend which revived my enthusiasm for the custom. I’d consulted with my niece who lives in Ireland, where they are so much more with it than we are, tea-wise. They are constantly rushing around baking things, then sitting down to eat them with tea in mid-afternoon, with the result that they are very rational people with good skin.
Siohaan gave me a couple recipes that are great for crabby cooks (very easy), unique, and also healthy-shmealthy, a far cry from the bangers-in-buns and gooey sweetcakes on the movie set tea cart. Try this one, for starters (there’ll be another one in my next post) with a little tea (Siohan likes Barry’s Gold brand) and conversation, and you will become as rational and good-skinned as the Irish. (Wll, maybe not overnight.)
Click here for another Tea Project post. Click here for a hot weather tea recipe.
B’s Brown Bread
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup self-rising flour
¼ cup bran
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
Vegetable oil for the loaf pan
Butter and jam for serving
1. Preheat the oven to º350.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk, then combine with the flour mixture. Lightly oil a standard loaf pan and spoon the batter into the pan.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes. Allow the bread to cool slightly, and serve warm with butter and jam.
Tags: aftrenoon tea, Barry's Gold tea, bread recipe, brown bread
