Old fashioned flowerpot bread recipe

A recipe for flowerpot bread

Using a terracotta flowerpot as a mould for your bread is a fun and old-fashioned way to get your children involved in the kitchen. It’s like those ‘cake in a mug’ but with a rustic twist!

You can experiment with all kinds of bread and adapt regular recipes to create unique and delicious ‘wild bread’ versions. Add hogweed or fennel seeds, finely chopped wild garlic, or blackberries and bilberries for a fruity bread. The possibilities are endless!

When using flowerpots, of course always use new ones that haven’t been used for plants before. It’s important to season the pots the first time you use them to prevent them from drawing moisture from your dough.

Seasoning your pots is easy. Wash them in soapy water and let them dry at room temperature. Rub the pots with vegetable oil and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes (you can do this while baking something else to save energy). Allow the pots to cool and repeat the process again. Now you’re ready to bake bread!

Ingredients

Recipe for 2 loaves of 15cm flowerpots:

• 450 g bread flour
• 50 g melted butter
• 270 ml water
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp dried yeast
• 1 beaten egg for glazing

Directions

1. start by dissolving the yeast in warm water and let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt, and create a well in the centre.
3. Next, pour the yeast-water mixture and melted butter (add herbs and spices if desired) into the well and mix all ingredients together to form a slightly sticky dough.
4. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it prove in a warm room for an hour or until it doubles in size.
6. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a surface and knead it again for a minute to remove the air.
7. Divide the dough into two and fill your butter-greased flowerpots.
8. Cover the pots and leave them in a warm room to rise once again.
9. Before baking, brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle some seeds if desired.
10. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the loaves at 200°C until the tops are golden, which should take around 40 minutes.
11. Allow them to cool before serving, and enjoy your delicious homemade bread!