Are any other HR people feeling a bit lonely in all this :(

For those colleagues engaging in the violent pummeling of home-made bread as a therapeutic stress relief during the current crisis, rather then doing the same to other managers (see sections earlier in this thread), I have discovered a new recipe you might like to try: Rosemary bread!

At the present time wholemeal bread flour seems to have almost vanished from existence and although white bread flour also seems in short supply, it can still be found. However, given the lack of flavour in plain white bread, eking out the wholemeal can still add some flavour and this recipe adds even more.

For a 500gm (large) loaf:
100gm strong Wholemeal bread flour;
400gm strong White flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp dried yeast or instant (quick) yeast
1 (good) tsp dried rosemary crushed or chopped into small fragments
300 ml warm water
1 tsp corn oil

If using dried yeast, mix sugar, yeast and 100 ml of water and stand to one side to activate for about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, add sugar and yeast to flours.

Mix flours, salt, and rosemary thoroughly in a large bowl; add remaining water/yeast and water, and oil.

Imagining favourite manager who cannot read the latest furlough instructions for themselves, pummel, beat and strangle the initially sticky mass into cowed and smooth submission (this is technically called "kneading the dough" and usually takes about 15 minutes). When the dough is elastic, pliable and no longer sticky (as one would wish manager to be), set aside in a warm place to rise. This normally takes about an hour (plenty of time for a now cheerful meeting with that manager on-line).

Prepare your loaf-tin if you have one, or grease a baking sheet with a little oil

When the dough is approximately doubled in size remove from bowl and briefly knead again (if meeting has gone well, or try not to pummel it too hard if it has not). The idea is to get rid of excess bubbles of gas in the bread (a bit like the manager), but not to flatten it back into a single quivering mass (save that for manager's next furlough question).

When again smooth but still springy place in baking tin, or on baking sheet as a single "cottage" loaf, two baguettes, or smaller rolls. Score the top of large loaves with a very sharp knife to avoid split "fly-away" crusts. Set aside to rise again for about 30 minutes while heating oven to 220 degrees/200 degrees fan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crusts brown and when tapped the bottom of the loaf sounds "hollow" and drum-like.

Allow to cool (more or less) and eat either by itself with butter or with cheese, ham, or honey. (But try not to eat the whole loaf at once; it is very more-ish).

P

For those colleagues engaging in the violent pummeling of home-made bread as a therapeutic stress relief during the current crisis, rather then doing the same to other managers (see sections earlier in this thread), I have discovered a new recipe you might like to try: Rosemary bread!

At the present time wholemeal bread flour seems to have almost vanished from existence and although white bread flour also seems in short supply, it can still be found. However, given the lack of flavour in plain white bread, eking out the wholemeal can still add some flavour and this recipe adds even more.

For a 500gm (large) loaf:
100gm strong Wholemeal bread flour;
400gm strong White flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp dried yeast or instant (quick) yeast
1 (good) tsp dried rosemary crushed or chopped into small fragments
300 ml warm water
1 tsp corn oil

If using dried yeast, mix sugar, yeast and 100 ml of water and stand to one side to activate for about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, add sugar and yeast to flours.

Mix flours, salt, and rosemary thoroughly in a large bowl; add remaining water/yeast and water, and oil.

Imagining favourite manager who cannot read the latest furlough instructions for themselves, pummel, beat and strangle the initially sticky mass into cowed and smooth submission (this is technically called "kneading the dough" and usually takes about 15 minutes). When the dough is elastic, pliable and no longer sticky (as one would wish manager to be), set aside in a warm place to rise. This normally takes about an hour (plenty of time for a now cheerful meeting with that manager on-line).

Prepare your loaf-tin if you have one, or grease a baking sheet with a little oil

When the dough is approximately doubled in size remove from bowl and briefly knead again (if meeting has gone well, or try not to pummel it too hard if it has not). The idea is to get rid of excess bubbles of gas in the bread (a bit like the manager), but not to flatten it back into a single quivering mass (save that for manager's next furlough question).

When again smooth but still springy place in baking tin, or on baking sheet as a single "cottage" loaf, two baguettes, or smaller rolls. Score the top of large loaves with a very sharp knife to avoid split "fly-away" crusts. Set aside to rise again for about 30 minutes while heating oven to 220 degrees/200 degrees fan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crusts brown and when tapped the bottom of the loaf sounds "hollow" and drum-like.

Allow to cool (more or less) and eat either by itself with butter or with cheese, ham, or honey. (But try not to eat the whole loaf at once; it is very more-ish).

P