LM Burgers on Holly Bell's Walnut Bread

Over the last few momths my obsession with cooking vegetarian food has grown to include baking. In fact, baking bread has been a dream of mine for quite a while. And thanks to Holly Bell and a Kenwood Chef Santa got me for Christmas, it's now become a reality. Holly, The 2011 Great British Bake Off finalist, maintains a blog called recipesfromanormalmum with loads of recipes and frequently tweets with her many followers of which yours truly is one. This was how I came across her recipe and decided to give it ago.  And to my delight it came out perfect first time.  I have since tried it a few more times and each time the bread has got better and better.  I'll giver you a link to her page shortly.  But here is what I do to end up with a loaf like this.

Ingredients :
500g Strong White Bread Flour
50g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
60g Chopped Walnuts
13g Easy Bake Dried Yeast
5g Salt
250ml Milk (I use soya)
60g Unsalted Butter
4 Tbs luke warm water

Method:
1. Put the flour, salt and sugar into the mixing bowl of your mixer and with the dough hook combine the ingredients by using the lowest speed for a couple of minutes. I usually stop the machine half way to scrape the sides.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to turn brown, then pour into a measuring jug.
2. Warm the milk in the same saucepan until it is about blood temperature, then pour this into the measuring jug, add the water and then stir to combine.
3. Ensuring that the milk mixture is not too hot, add the yeast to the milk mixture and stir.
4. Allow the milk mixture to rest for around 10 minutes.  This will allow the yeast to go to work and will result in a bubbly froth on the top.
5. Again turn the food mixer on to its lowerst speed. As the dough hook stirs the flour and sugar mixture, pour the milk mixture into the flour. After about 2/3 minutes the mixture will become sticky; at this point add the chopped nuts while the mixer is still stirring the flour and milk mixture.
6. After about 4 minutes the dough should have formed around the hook. Stop the machine and press the dough with your finger.  The indention should bounce back and the dough should not be sticky.  If it is still sticky, give it another minute or so.
7. Now pull the dough off the hook, roll into a ball in your hand and place in a large bowl.
8. Cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel and place in a wamr place away from droughs.
9. Allow the dough to double in size.  This should take about an hour.  Maybe a little longer if the room is cold.
10. Now punch the dough while it is still in the bowl to deflate the ball. Remove the dough and roll into an oblong shape in your hands by folding from the ends.
11. Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin (or as I do, place a silicon loaf liner in the tin.)
12. Place the dough into the tin (or liner).
13. Again cover the tin with cling film and tea towel and allow to double in size (around 45 minutes).
14. About five minutes before the dough is ready, turn the oven on 240 degrees.
15. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the cling film and tea towel and place in the middle of the oven.
16. After about 10 minutes, I turn the oven down about 20 degrees and turn the loaf around.
17. Bake for another 25 minutes and then remove.  The bread should look like the loaf above.
18. Tip onto a wire tray and allow to cool.  You're done bar the slicing, buttering and eating.

If you want to follow Holly's recipe, click on the link here.  Even if you you're happy with my interpretation, please check it out anyway.  Her narration alone is worth the visit. And my apologies for tweaking Holly's method.  As Dawn knows, I never ever stick to the recipe.  But thankfully it works.  Apologies Holly.

Anyway, once you have baked the above bread, you can then create your open-faced veggie burger dish with sliced tomatoes and caramalised onions.
To make my open-faced burgers for two, you'll need the following:
A box of Linda McCartney's Mozzeralla 1/4 pound burgers, a large juicy tomato (sliced), a large onion (sliced), your favorite mayo, some ketchup, olive oil and butter (or margarine). Not to mention four slices of walnut bread.

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
2. Place the frozen burgers on a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes, turning once half way through.
3. While the burgers cook, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a hot pan and add the sliced onion. After a few minutes, turn the heat down to medium and add a knob of butter and allow the onions to caramalise. I usually turn the onions with a spatula every few minutes and add a couple of tablespoons of water every seven minutes to keep the moisture in the onions. Then season with salt and pepper before removing from the heat.
4. Just before the burgers are done, throw the four slices of bread under the grill and brown lightly on one side.
5. Lay the bread toasted side face down on a plate and spread some mayo over the bread.
6. Slice the burgers in half and lay a slice on each piece of bread.
7. Lay the sliced tomotoes on the burgers.
8. Spoon the caramlised onions onto the sliced tomtatoes.
9. Top the onions with a dollop of ketchup and enjoy.

Give it a go and see how it comes out.  And please drop me a line, as I'd love to know what you think of both the bread and the meatless burgers.  Healthy and tasty.  Definately a win-win.