Bread in the microwave

 I used to make a quick loaf in the microwave, many years ago, when the kids were all still at home. We always used to have it with soup for dinner. I had a recipe originally but I made it so often that I didn't need to look at the recipe  as I knew it by heart. Then, for whatever reason, and probably after the kids moved out, I stopped making it for a while. Then when I wanted to make some to go with some soup one day, I found that I couldn't remember the proportions to use and nor could I find the right bit of paper with the recipe on it. 

So I have spent a bit of time on the internet recently hunting for a suitable replacement recipe. The original was not a yeast bread but a quick soda bread type but with an extra twist or two to make it suitable for the microwave. I am trying to cut down on the amount of gas and electricity I use so the occasional loaf made in the microwave helps with that. Also, when you get to lunchtime and realise that you have forgotten to make a proper loaf, it helps to have a super quick microwave recipe at the ready!

The recipe I have found is from wiki:

www.wikihow.com    How to make bread in the microwave (simple method)

However, I have been tweaking the recipe so that the bread is more how we like it. Also, the wiki recipe is plain white flour and as that does not brown in the microwave, it looks very "anaemic" which is not so appetising. The white version also tastes a bit "woolly" because of the texture. The wiki recipe also allows for 2-3 tablespoons of both oil and milk so that could make for a very moist dough. I also found that the wiki version stated 5 minutes in the microwave to cook the bread. In my microwave, 4 mins 20 secs was quite sufficient for these quantities. If cooked for longer then I found that one end of the bread gets a little dry. It is quite edible but just like a slice of bread with a little bit of rusk attached to it : )

So this is my version:

3 heaped tablespoons wholemeal flour

2 heaped tablespoons plain white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons water

• Add baking powder to flours in a bowl and mix well with a whisk or a fork
• Add egg and mix
• Add milk, oil and water and mix well
• Knead the dough for 2 - 5 minutes until you can stretch a piece of the dough quite a way before it breaks
• Shape the dough into a round ball and flatten slightly
• Score an X in the top with a knife so that the bread does not crack when rising in the microwave
• Put in a microwaveable dish with a flat bottom
• Microwave on high for 4 minutes 20 seconds

Notes:

- Aldi have wholemeal bread flour at 55p for 1.5 kg as well as 45p for 1.5 kg of plain flour

- If your heaped tablespoons of flour are bigger than mine, you may need to add a touch more water

- Your microwave will be different to mine so your bread may need slightly more or less time. You can always give it a 10 or 20 sec burst extra but if you give it too much, then the rusk texture is quite pleasant, especially with cheese : )

- I have a silicon "bowl" which I found in the Lidl reduced section for 50p. It is a flexible bowl which can be used for mixing, kneading and baking and although my husband thought it a very weird thing to buy, it is invaluable for making this loaf

- I intend to try this recipe without the egg and with a little extra water and see how it does as this will make it cheaper

I have found this a very useful loaf to have in my repertoire. This quantity is sufficient for my husband and me for both lunch and breakfast the next morning. It is lovely fresh but it does not keep very well but it toasts nicely. Enjoy!