Imbolc Plain Buttermilk Bread

So you've made my quick and easy goats-milk ricotta, and now you have a pot of warm, leftover whey. This simple bread recipe is a great use of the whey, and goes very well with my cheese! Please note that measurements for flour and whey are approximate - I cook by eye, not by scale! A great and simple recipe, with minimal kneading, to enjoy at Imbolc.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 5  cups flour
• 1  pinch salt
• 1  teaspoon  yeast
• 2 -3  cups  whey
• 1  teaspoon sugar

Directions

1. Combine the yeast and sugar, and add a few teaspoons of whey. Leave the yeast culture to stand for a few minutes, or until the mixture becomes frothy.
2. Add 4 cups of flour to a bowl and blend with the salt. Make a small well in the centre.
3. Pour the 2-3 cups of whey into the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between cups. Add the yeast culture with the second 1/2 cup of whey. Continue adding whey until the dough is very frothy and seems somewhat between a dough and a batter.
4. Sprinke the remaining cup of flour onto a surface, thickly, and coat hands with the flour. Pour the dough/batter onto the floured surface.
5. Keeping your hands thickly floured, knead the dough into the floured surface, folding in more flour from the surface as you go. In just a couple of minutes, the dough should be smooth and elastic, and you will likely find that most of the leftover flour has not been used.
6. Let the dough rise for approximately 30 minutes, before shaping as desired. The bread can be shaped into 2 large cottage loaves, 1 very large plait, or several small rolls.
7. If you still have leftover whey, brush a little of this over the formed loaves before baking on 180C, until golden brown on top, and until the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath.