almond bread

I was tickled when I gave several slices of almond bread to the three handsome boys who live opposite Da and I in our apartment block. The youngest of the three boys, Hng Hng, seemed to be inspecting the bread. He turned the container this way and that way, seemingly scrutinising the bread.

What was it in the bread that caught little Hng Hng's interest? The answer - almond flakes embedded in the bread.

When Da and I left our home a short while later to go out, little Hng Hng came to his door and showed me what he was eating - a slice of almond bread.

This bread is sweet on its own and as such, if you do not like almond, you may still want to give this recipe a try but omit the ground almond and almond flakes.

INGREDIENTS


1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1/3 cup castor sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup ground almond
3 3/4 cup bread flour
2 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 cup almond flakes

METHOD

1. Place all the ingredients (except the bread flour, yeast and almond flakes) in the bucket of the breadmaker machine.

2. Add the bread flour, making sure that the wet ingredients are totally covered.

3. Add the yeast.

4. Place the bucket in the breadmaker machine and set to "dough" cycle. Start the cycle.

5. Fifteen minutes into the cycle, open the lid of the breadmaker machine and pour the almond flakes into the bucket without stopping the cycle. Close the lid and let the cycle continue.

6. When the cycle has been completed, turn the dough onto a floured board. Using floured hands, knead the dough about 5 times.

7. Place the dough in a 9" x 6" loaf pan that has been greased and lined with baking paper.

8. Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and leave for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

9. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 degrees celsius for 35 minutes.