Some of you have asked me about the bread that was paired with my comforting Potato and Swiss Chowder in the last post. I baked this bread with a very specific purpose in mind. Deeba of Passionate About Baking tagged me to bake a bread and bring awareness to a very worthy event BREADLINE AFRICA . Some of you are aware of my passion to alleviate hunger in the world with our World Food Day event and World Food Day-Time to be Thankful, so, this seemed like an appropriate outlet to continue raising awareness. The plight of millions of hungry in Africa and the world over is something to think long and hard about.Jeanne of Cooksister has brought this exceptional event to our attention.
This is what Jeanne says about this event:
"Breadline Africa is a charity close to my heart because it is a South African-based charity that is seeking to put a lasting end to poverty in South Africa (and further afield in Africa) by breaking the cycle of poverty and helping communities to achieve long-term self-sustainability. Breadline Africa was founded in 1993 when a group of community and social workers in South Africa (who had first-hand knowledge of the uniquely African problems that they faced) formed an alliance with like-minded colleagues in Europe (who were well-placed to source donations in valuable foreign currency). Armed with this unique combination of skills, Breadline Africa has been able to raise funds in Europe and use their local knowledge to identify which small, ground-level projects in Africa are most likely to succeed with a financial boost.
On Blog Action Day, Breadline Africa launched their Worldwide Blogger Bake-Off campaign. The aim is to raise $1 million in funds for a project to convert shipping containers into locations for food production and distribution in Africa. It is hoped that these sustainable community kitchens will not only provide food such as bread and soup to those in need, but also opportunities for skills development within poor communities."
So how does the Breadline Africa Worldwide Blogger Bake Off Campaign work? Quite simply:
Bake bread, give dough.
"Breadline Africa is a charity close to my heart because it is a South African-based charity that is seeking to put a lasting end to poverty in South Africa (and further afield in Africa) by breaking the cycle of poverty and helping communities to achieve long-term self-sustainability. Breadline Africa was founded in 1993 when a group of community and social workers in South Africa (who had first-hand knowledge of the uniquely African problems that they faced) formed an alliance with like-minded colleagues in Europe (who were well-placed to source donations in valuable foreign currency). Armed with this unique combination of skills, Breadline Africa has been able to raise funds in Europe and use their local knowledge to identify which small, ground-level projects in Africa are most likely to succeed with a financial boost.
On Blog Action Day, Breadline Africa launched their Worldwide Blogger Bake-Off campaign. The aim is to raise $1 million in funds for a project to convert shipping containers into locations for food production and distribution in Africa. It is hoped that these sustainable community kitchens will not only provide food such as bread and soup to those in need, but also opportunities for skills development within poor communities."
So how does the Breadline Africa Worldwide Blogger Bake Off Campaign work? Quite simply:
Bake bread, give dough.
You can sign up for the campaign, make a donation, upload your bread recipes and document your culinary adventures in the media center to spread the word. You don't have to donate money but simply just mention the campaign and create awareness.
Bloggers can go even further by downloading the Blogger Bake-off widget and tagging five other bloggers to do the same. Being the overachiever that I am the 10 bloggers that I am tagging for this event are:
Dharm of Dad-Baker & Chef
Ning at her blog Heart and Hearth
Susan of Food Blogga
Jenn from Leftover Queen
Ben of What's Cooking
Rosie from Rosie Bakes a Piece of Cake
Jen of A2EatWrite
Alexandra of Alexandra's Kitchen
Sue of Food Network Musings
Adam over at Baking with Dynamite
With the holidays approaching you may not have time to bake your own bread but a mention of this worthy cause on your blog would spread the word..... and even if you haven't been tagged feel free to join!!!
On to the recipe.....
With all the hype about no knead breads in the media I have turned to the quick and simple batter breads I used to bake in days gone by. These breads get their qualities and flavour from beer or require no kneading. They do have a different texture than more labour intensive bread recipes but they will fill your home with the most wonderful aromas with the least amount of effort.
This recipe makes 2 loaves, so will probably want to freeze one of them. Toast a slice and slather it with butter, apple or maple butter for a special treat!!
**Cheddar Batter Bread**
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
3 large eggs
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup precooked wild rice
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar or Swiss cheese
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for glaze
**************************
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the buttermilk and water and heat until warm to the touch (105 to 115° F). Pour mixture into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Whisk in the eggs and hot sauce.
In separate bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir dry ingredients into the liquid to make a thick batter. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup of the Cheddar (or Swiss) cheese and cooked wild rice. Lightly butter two (8 -1/2 x 4 -1/2 inch) loaf pans. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg mixture. Bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar and bake until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when removed from the pans and tapped on the bottoms, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely. (The breads can be made 2 days ahead, wrapped in aluminum foil, and stored at room temperature.)
Makes 2 loaves
