We’ve been really busy these past few weeks!
That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped baking – in fact, spending a little time in the kitchen is both therapeutic and time efficient. When things are really frantic, I can always pull out a loaf of sourdough from the freezer and serve it with really good extra virgin olive oil and cheese, and nobody complains…
What it does mean, though, is that I haven’t really tried anything new for a couple of weeks now. So here are photos of some old favourites that have been been gracing our kitchen benches this past week.
I made a large batch of sourdough bagels – the enormous joy these bring to our ex-New York neighbours Jane and Bernie always makes the effort worthwhile…
I couldn’t find any poppy seeds in the fridge, so these were topped with a mix of sesame seeds and black salt. I wrote a yeasted bagel tutorial here, and added the sourdough version a few months later…
When I’m really busy, the breadbaking goes large scale – I made a 3.75kg batch of dough using my basic shaping dough, and turned it into eighteen rosetta rolls and three fat baguettes…
The good thing about rolls is that the teenage wolves take one or two out of the freezer at a time, rather than defrosting (and then eating) a whole loaf…
There are always eggs from the chooks, raspberries in the freezer and chocolate in the pantry, and therefore there are always friands in the kitchen…
Finally, Pete and I were out of Wednesday night, so I baked a quick slab pizza for the boys – half with olives and anchovies for Small Man, and the other half with Spanish onion and prosciutto for Big Boy. They’re both very fussy about their pizza toppings!
How are you all traveling? I hope things are calmer at your end.
I sometimes wonder whether it’s the time of year, or whether being in our late 40s with teenage sons means that this is simply a busy time of life. Either way, tomorrow is Saturday, and I’m looking forward to a little downtime.
Wishing you all a brilliant and hopefully restful weekend!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Celia, don’t even ask me… you would not like your comments jammed with my (many) adventures, not all “exciting” ;-)
I tell you one thing, I’ve never been busier, and never been so exhausted in my life. Hard to believe I just had wonderful vacations. I need to get into a normal routine ASAP, and bread baking will definitely be on my menu
great post, I loved to learn how “fussy” your sons are with their toppings – they both picked very gourmet choices! You’ve done a great job raising (and feeding) them…. ;-)
Hang in there, Sally, I know how frantic you are! I hope it all settles down soon for you.. xx
Your bagels look amazing Celia. You are such an accomplished cook. I hope your boys realise how good they’ve got it. There’s not too many homes where you can pull homemade bread rolls out of the freezer and nibble on a friand and snack on a bagel and tell mum what you’d like on your freshly cooked pizza. I’d love a slab of that prosciutto pizza right now for breakfast xx
Thanks Charlie! I used to actually make the occasional breakfast pizza – with an egg right on top. Big Boy loved it!
I’ve never made bagels. They look great.
Deb, they’re not hard, but they are a multi-step process, so they can take quite a while. Worth it though – my tribe love them, and I don’t make them nearly often enough!
Bagels are something I would love to try baking, Celia! Peter loves them and we pay a fortune for a bagful every Saturday at the market (they are worth it, mind you, but if I could save some money that’s a good thing, right?). Things are crazy busy in our world. Peter just got back from a ten day trip and is home for four then away for about ten again! Then home briefly before another big trip. My work is busy, as I gear up for my boss leaving for his Washington posting and, hence, I have been applying for positions as we are unclear as to what’s happening with his role. All will be well and things will turn out as they should. But I, too, am looking forward to a quiet weekend.
Lizzy, sounds like you guys are flat out too! Hope it all settles soon. Bagels are fun – here’s the tutorial I wrote on the yeasted ones (sourdough are a bit fiddlier):
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/bagel-making-tutorial/
wow, everything looks great! how do you find the time to make all that?!??
I find I can leave dough to rise on the bench overnight and shape and bake first thing in the morning, and it doesn’t cut into our day time activities – most of the work happens while we’re asleep! :)
And I thought I was busy…look at that kitchen of yours! Yum!
I too find the kitchen therapeutic so I can relate to your baking frenzy. We just got back from vacation and amidst all of the craziness, I can only think about the 40 lbs. of tomatoes I bought that needs to be turned into sauce. That’ll relieve some stress. Who needs to do laundry anyways!
Emilie, 40lbs of tomatoes! That’s going to make a delicious mess in your kitchen! :)
They all look wonderful Celia. Similar cooking here. Not a lot of new stuff but lots of regulars getting a look in.
As for busy… I think any age can be busy. My grandparents are in their 80’s you have to book well in advance to see them as they are always so busy! (they are currently researching a trip to Sri Lanka :-) )
Brydie, you must be especially busy with two wee ones at home! I don’t know how you manage it all! :)
Your whole street must have smelt wonderful with all that baking!
This week I had two visits to surgeons, one to physio, one to the GP, and one to hydro therapy, plus met twice with my rehab coordinator- who has time to work? This weekend will be quiet with rain predicted, so keeping us glued to the couch :)
Becca, I hope you’re on the mend, love. You’ve really had a hard time – wish you were closer and I could drop care parcels over.. xx
Me too! You’re such a sweetie!
I wish that this was what a busy week looked like in my house, rather than baked beans on toast and an overflowing ironing basket.
Baked beans on toast are a family favourite, but ironing just tends to get ignored! :D
Celia one day I hope I can bake like you! I understand the fussiness with pizza topping, everyone has their favourite!
Thanks Claire! The boys are very pedantic – and their preferences don’t overlap much – Big Boy won’t have olives and anchovies, and Small Man doesn’t like onions on his pizza.. sigh.. ;-)
What an impressive lineup! That first bread alone is wonderful, but you kept going!
Thanks Greg! :)
I’ll bet all of your neighbours love you to pieces, Celia. I wish I lived next door to you – and not just for your cooking skills. Seems to me you are one special lady.
Amanda, that’s very kind of you! All our neighbours are gorgeous – we’re very lucky to have them!
Baking up a Storm – oh the baked goodness – has me drooling:)
Thanks Renee, it’s therapeutic! :)
I’m on vacation and making bread and rolls and cookies and full meals- no scones yet this week- :) – maybe some next week- and there will be a lot more bread to be made- there just isn’t any way I’m eating this over processed and tasteless bread!
Heidi, I don’t think we could do supermarket bread any more! Fortunately the big freezer means we never really have to buy any!
Just back from vacation and it feels like summer is already over, even though it isn’t for a few weeks! Just looking at your bread has me craving a nice thick wedge with melting butter… I can’t believe you can accomplish all this when you’re so busy.. and look after your teenaged boys!!
Smidge, you’re kind, but truth be told, they actually look after me. I just feed them. :)
:D
OMG Celia. If that is what you do when you are busy, I can’t imagine what you do when you are not. You are a marvel. You have a very lucky family indeed.
Glenda, thank you, but this is what we HAVE to do when we’re busy. I don’t have time to bake every day at the moment! :)
What a treasure trove your freezer & pantry is ;) Busy time for me also, but whenever I can I’ve been justifying my purchase of Le Creuset casserole pots by slow cooking everything, in enough quanty for a few dinners. My current favourite is a simple veal osso bucco with good quality wide ribbons of pasta served with green olives.
ED, slow cooked meals are a godsend, aren’t they? I’m doing a giant pot of curry tonight – in the oven, methinks! :)
You’re a marvel, Celia! As busy as you were, you still managed to bake bread, make bagels, etc., etc., etc. I’m going to start calling you Wonder Woman!
I made bagels one time, following another’s recipe. I’ve never had bagels that fresh. Next time I attempt it, I’ll try your recipe. I bet they’re fantastic!
John, remember that I’ve never had an “authentic” NY bagel, so I’m flying blind a bit. But our friends really like them, as do my boys, so I guess they’ll do. ;-)
Your baking leaves me feeling woefully inadequate. :) I would love to live on your street.
Hardly, Maureen, you produce some stunning desserts on your blog! :)
I find baking bread so soothing! I just did a quick loaf based on Johanna’s recipe which was based on Brydie’s recipe and served it with your President Plum jam :D
Oooh, glad you’re enjoying the jam (it really is Pete’s rather than mine, to be fair). x
The colour and the variety of your baking is amazing and I would never complain at anything you put in front of me – travelling crazily along the ups and downs of life, hope to catch up with you one day xxx
It’s been a bit crazy, hasn’t it, love? I’ve been missing you.. xxx
Wow, an impressive amount of baking being going on in your kitchen Celia. It does seem to be quite frantic all around at the moment – might be us all waking up from the cold winter…
Have a happy relaxing weekend.
:-) Mandy
I hope it’s a good busy, Mandy! xx
I love your shaped rolls and know exactly what you mean about boys taking out loaves of bread from the freezer.
Anne, thank you for understanding – I used to cut loaves in half, but rolls seem to work much better. Small Man used to defrost an entire loaf for a “snack”! :)
I wonder how your kitchen smell like when there’re delicious bake all the time :)
Tes, thank you! :) x
I must must MUST make those bagels! c
Celi, try the yeasted ones, they’re quite easy. A bit time consuming, though! The secret is to “kettle” them (boil them) before baking – it gives them their shiny thin crust…
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/bagel-making-tutorial/
I now have a use for my black salt :)
Tandy, we ended up making some with black salt, citrus salt and chilli salt – the citrus salt ones went down very well too!
Those bagels, how I would love to have a couple of them right now. I like sesame seeds on my bagel.and love the black salt idea, very clever.
Thanks Norma! I would normally use poppy seeds, but I didn’t have any this time. That’s no bad thing either, because I’ll often end up with poppy seeds all over the kitchen for weeks afterwards! :)
Such bready beauty Celia. The first picture of your bread, olive oil and cheese is my idea of a lovely relaxed, glass of wine and a chat meal. We bought a small loaf this morning from Coles supermarket. The label says it is freshly baked in store, whole grain artisan sourdough and on the back, in very tiny print it says “made in Ireland! I was quite astonished that we’re importing bread. We have very good bakers in Queensland, but obviously Coles finds it’s cost effective to import – what I imagine is – frozen dough.
Oh, and now I’m craving pizza and freshly baked bread. It all looks so delicious Celia, thank you for sharing. I’m busy and disorganised at the moment, hence the infrequent visits and postings, but I guess if you’re busy and happy then it’s all good really.
Those bagels make me want to cry!! So beautiful. I miss good bagels so very much. You have very lucky ex-NY neighbours!
You and your blog deserve a Super Sweet Award: http://laavventura.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/super-sweet-blogger-award-my-sardinian-life/
I love all your baking – your kitchen must smell amazing – and I wouldn’t complain if I was served sourdough with cheese and olive oil for dinner – it looks so delicious
All that in two weeks? Celia, you are a phenomenon. Those bagels look so scrumptious, I’d love to try a sourdough one. Actually I’d love to try a homemade one. Keep thinking I should give them a try, but never seem to find the time. Would love to try your friands too. The only ones I’ve ever had are my own, so I’ve no idea quite how they are meant to be.