Artisan Bread

You don't need to be a baker, a foodie or a specialist to love the tearing of a freshly-baked loaf's crust.  So much nicer than the supermarket sliced variety.

We have put our skills into the baking of Artisan Bread.  

No what is Artisan Bread.  It is a term that is used a lot in the food world these days.  Other words that come to mind is 'craft', 'fresh' and then 'REAL' 

We believe that it is easier to digest, because of the enzymes that have had time to begin breaking down the gluten in the flour while fermenting.  

We found a recipe here and we say thanks to Leite's Culinaria for sharing their recipe.

Have used Amaranthus in the dough to give our bread the edge it needs.  Amaranth contains more protein than any other gluten-free grain.  It's a wonderful replacement for gluten allergies.   

This is our version of a braided bread or a Challah bread.
Divide the dough in three equal pieces and braid it. Don't pull the strands or stretch it during the braiding process.  You want to keep the braid lose so that the dough can expand during the baking process. The little black seeds is from the plant known as amaranthus and ancient, protien-packed seed.  A tiny poppy seed-size grain.     

The end result is very rewarding 

Ready to serve and nobody can resist it  

The options is endless here it is served with wintermelon preserve and biltong

Amaranthus growing in our garden

Wonderful and gluten free.  

Thanks for visiting 

Lots of love 

Sandra 

Kameel Stoepstorie: Van Riebeeck Chairs

The old chairs and the reason for the name

Van Riebeeck chairs are not a brand or style it merely forms part of modern history in South Africa.  

Well in short Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town. On 24 December 1651, accompanied by his wife Maria de la Quiellerie, Jan van Riebeeck set off from Texel in The Netherlands for the Cape of Good Hope. 

He was to oversee the setting up of a refreshment station to supply Dutch ships on their way to the East. Sailing on the Dromedaris with two other ships, the Rejiger and De Goede Hoop, Van Riebeeck was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women. 

Land was sighted on 5 April 1652 and the ships docked the next day. 

Their son Abraham was born on October 18, 1653, Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town

We found a beautiful piece of cloth that was printed with the Van Riebeeck story.
Hence the name of these 4 dining chairs as Van Riebeeck chairs. 

First we had to strip it down and give the wood a good treatment of oil.
This was a timeous process and we used mainly fine sandpaper and steel wool 

This was the first time we did this kind of upholstery
We must admit that we had to redo the first chair because the back was upside down.  

The first chair seat is done 

The first chair is finished 

Even the back section is showing in the right direction 

Done for the time 

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra and Hennie