Bread over Christmas

Here are a few loaves I baked over Christmas. Added some dried oregano and thyme, which gave them a nice Italian herby aroma.

2.8 Hours Later

I ran like a manic around the streets of South London last night, desperately trying to reach various safe areas without being infected. Kudos to the team of actors and volunteers who made the experience terrifyingly believable. I for one, was scared shitless by the bloody butcher.

The highlight for me and I would imagine many others was the multi story car park set piece. Running up and down dingy stairwells listening to the muffled screams of infected and survivors alike was truly harrowing.

2.8 Hours later was a fantastic experience and one that I will definitely be repeating next year.

Lunch at the Kings Head - Lewes

Next Up, New Wheels

Lasco Crankset & Tange BB

Front & Rear Brake

Dia-Compe Headset

Latest

She's back together again, sporting a new polished Dia-Compe headset and rear break calliper. I changed the front to a polished old school looking shimano calliper and replaced the brake/gear cables and housing to match the colour of the frame. All in all I'm really chuffed. Crankset and BB to follow.

Dark Chocolate Chips

Yummy! Really worked a treat.

La Flama Blanca (working title)

So, I picked up the ol' frame and forks this morning. I have to say, she looks pretty fucking sweet. I still have a huge amount to do before she's complete, but I should get her roadworthy by the end of the week. Now all I need is a little energon and a lot of luck.

Brunch

A few bits & bobs with three slices of my latest wholemeal olive bread.

Bread

A really tasty loaf.

Humpty Dumpty

I spent most of Saturday afternoon taking my bike apart in readiness of the respray on Tuesday. The company doing the paint job is called Armourtex, located in Hackney and they charge £65 for frame and forks. By all accounts, they do a good job, so looking forward to getting back a pure white frame with no branding. I must confess, I am a little nervous that I won't be able to put her back together again.

Plans for today

Dodge going out to the West End to buy natto with Yuki so I can:

1. Do some bicycle maintenance

2. Make a little bit more of my Laputa robot model



3. Bake a loaf of bread

4. Go out to the West End to buy natto with Yuki having failed to do any of the above.

Serpentine

Simon and I got together yesterday to have a bit of a zoom around London on the ol' bikes. We met up at the Serpentine where the heavens opened up for a couple of hours. Thankfully the weather turned and it ended up being a jolly nice days ride.

White Chain

So I made an impulse buy the other day and bought myself a white chain. Not entirely sure it was a good purchase as the white paint is coming off already and it's only a matter of time before it just looks tatty.

Pea and mint soup

Homemade pea and mint soup. Spankingly good, although the bread's not mine.

So far, so good

Is it bad that I want a new frame now?

Look what came in the post

I just couldn't help myself. Not the cheapest book I've ever bought, but I can imagine the entire series one day adorning my bookcase.

Pedals

Finally, my new MKS pedals are on and the front tyre has been dispatched!

Still waiting for the front tyre

Still no front tyre, which is a little annoying as it's spoiling the overall aesthetic of the bike. I did buy a new stem from Tokyo Fixed the other day and it's starting to give that bike more of a uniformed look. Next purchase will almost definitely be a chrome headset. I'm still having issues changing my pedals so might have to get it done in a shop, a cost I really want to avoid.

Late Lunch

Had to knock up a quick bite once the baguettes cooled down.

A couple of baguettes

I tried baking a couple of baguettes today. It was a bit of a nightmare getting them onto the baking tray, but I'm so chuffed with the end result.

Ser Ilyn bring me his bread!

Pears in this one

I mentioned in the previous post that I wanted to try something a little different, something that would go well with the jam I was given. So, I chopped up some pears and added them to the flour with a little dash of cinnamon. I had absolutley no idea whether it was going to work, but the loaf turned out rather well. Great toasted with a silky layer of cream cheese and a generous dollop of Macca's jam.

Scrummy Jam

Here's some homemade blackcurrant jam courtesy of Paul and Vicki. It went really well with the loaf I made for the guys last week.
I have however decided to make another loaf today, one which I hope will compliment the jam even more. Fingers crossed.

I'm starting to get the hang of this

Chopped up olives in this one and it worked a treat. Not the most handsome loaf I've made, but it tasted pretty damn good.

She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself

A slightly out of date photo as I now have a polished seatpost, seatpost clamp and MKS Sylvan Touring Pedals (still need to attach the pedals). Also have a pretty cheeky green tyre on the rear wheel, still waiting on the other though, as the shop ran out of stock.

For the guys at work

So, I put money to mouth and baked a loaf for the guys at work. Thumbs up all round which was a huge compliment/confidence booster and has spurred me on to continue making bread.

A light Saturday supper

A simple, but yummy supper of mushrooms and watercress sautéed in balsamic vinegar served on toasted homemade bread.

My latest bready offering

Who would have thought that a bit of flour, yeast, salt and water could make something so pretty.

New Bar, new shifter and new brake

I was taken to a fantastic bike shop in Tokyo back in early June. The place was like the Billingsgate Market for cycle lovers. I managed to pick up a sexy white B-Witch flat bar and green Grunge bar grips & saddle. Wanted to buy so much more, but was able to resist, just. Once back in the UK, I attached my previously bought Dia-Compe Dirty Harry Brake Lever and SRAM Attack shifter - Voilà.

Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte

A fine plate of food. Wonderfully rare steak, golden brown frites and a sublime buttery sauce. All washed down with a very reasonable house red.

Website: Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte

London to Brighton

Fifty-four mile cycle to Brighton today. Not the easiest way to reacquaint oneself to the wonderful world of cycling.

Off with her bread!

My very first loaf of bread. Not bad eh.

500g of strong white flour
300ml of warm water
1 table spoon of yeast
1.5 table spoons of sea salt
Knead for ten minutes
Leave to rise for around 1.5 hours in a warm room
Knock back the dough, shape and leave to prove for a further 40 minutes
Bake in a hot oven for around 40 minutes

After 40 minutes, take your loaf out of the oven and give it a good tap on the bottom (watch your hands as it'll be hot), if it sounds hollow, you're sorted. Enjoy hot out of the oven or let it cool down for later.

Wardrobe Change

She looks sad, unloved and unused. I think it's time for a slight shift in colour scheme. white, chrome and green for openers.