Welcome to another tour of my kitchen.
I recently had a good reason to scrub my kitchen from head to toe and while it was looking so shiny I took some photos. Please note this is the uncluttered, child free version of my kitchen. In reality, it looks like this perhaps once or twice a
year.
Apples from my garden. This is not exactly a bumper crop but I don’t think I have ever been so excited about picking fruit. Growing vegetables is certainly rewarding but picking home grown fruit has taken my love of growing food to a whole new level.
I am continually amazed at just how adaptable my standard white sourdough recipe is. Over the years as I have gained more bread making confidence I have started to turn this dependable dough into several different forms of bread. Bubbly, crisp pizza bases are a favourite. Whenever I make bread these days I freeze several balls of dough to have on hand whenever the need for pizza arises. Impressively, once thawed the dough literally bounces back to life.
Sourdough grissini topped with sea salt and rosemary has been a recent bread experiment. These crunchy sticks are the perfect match for a cold beer and some chunky dip.
I have been dreaming of pesto bread ever since fellow blogger and baker Mel shared a photo of her pesto bread on Twitter. Inspired by Mel, I created these sourdough scrolls filled with homemade basil pesto. The pesto turned a little brown in the cooking process but it did not lose that distinctive pesto taste.
This delicate but pungent little leaf is from my curry tree. I have not cooked a lot with it yet, but it has an incredible aroma. Do you have any cooking suggestions for curry leaves?
Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial hosts this fun kitchen tour. Please visit her blog and explore other kitchens from all around the world.
Anne @GtSlamseysFarm
I do enjoy looking at all the good things in your kitchen and wonderful to see the space you work in too. How long does it take to thaw out your dough balls for pizza? It sounds an excellent idea.
Wish I could join you for some grissini, chunky dip and beer as your grissini looks fab.
Thanks for sharing Jane.
Jane S
Thanks Anne, for the pizza dough balls to thaw it takes an hour or two depending on the size.
heidiannie
Your kitchen looks marvelous! So smart to take pictures on the occasion of a really good clean. I love apples from your own tree- everything you make just tastes better when it was made with apples grown right outside your kitchen!
And your pizza bases and breadsticks and pesto scrolls all look scrumptious. Do you use just a basic sourdough recipe (like Celia's 101?)
heidianniexx
Jane S
Hello Heidiannie. I use a basic white sourdough recipe from the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook. I starting using this book and baking before I started reading blogs…otherwise I probably would use Celia's recipe!
passionfruitgarden.com
Hi Jane, your kitchen looks so tidy. Mine never looks like that. Even after we have done the dishes there is something not in its place and before long a dish has been used. I have netted one of my apple trees this year so I should get a few. Usually the birds get them all. BTW Your bread looks great.
Jane S
Thanks Glenda, as I said, my kitchen is not always this neat. I hope you get some apples before the birds do!
muppy
If my kitchen was that clean I'd take lots of photos too 🙂
I haven't done much experimenting with sourdough beyond a loaf
Jane S
Thanks for calling in Muppy!
Gillian
Wow those apples!
Jane S
Thanks Gillian, I hope next year I get a few more 🙂
lucent imagery
Ooh I'll sit on the chair while you cook! Such delicious homemade food too. I couldn't help but notice the copper strainer on the wall. I just inherited two copper items from the family!! Do you have any tips on how to care for them and what products to use? (p.s. Edible Selby looks amazing. Not available as a Kindle so I'll have to see if I can borrow it from someone or the library.) x
Jane S
Hello Lucent. I would love to say my strainer is copper but it is actually plain old anodised aluminium. One day I might have copper!
tea with hazel
everything looks wonderful jane..and i love the teapot on your kitchen bench! x
Jane S
Thank you Jane, I often think of you when I am looking at my enamel things!
Missy Piggy
Your kitchen looks SO clean! I really wish I had your ability to bake bread – I find the kneading so time consuming & messy.
Jane S
Thank you Mel. Baking always involves a little bit of mess, but even the mess gets more manageable with practice!
e / dig in
jane, that is not how i imagined your kitchen to look – i thought it would be an older country style one. it's lovely – the right blend of modern clear white surfaces and the old enamel teapot and colanders on the wall is so personal. i would love workign on with that benchspace!
thank you for the idea about freezing pizza dough. i love homemade pizza, but most recipes for the dough are for two huge pizzas – and as i am single, i could never eat that much pizza myself. would you recommend freezeing it at the stage right at the end – so all you have to do is thaw, roll out and top/bake? you dont know how much my life could change with this bit of information. thank you jane!
Jane S
Thanks e, exactly right on the dough. Get it to the ready to use stage (just prior to rolling out) and then freeze. Thaw, roll out, top and bake. So easy. You could make it just the right size for a single pizza, but you knew that already! Happy cooking 🙂
Mama Smith
Your kitchen is beautiful, I'm envious! And your baking is making me drool as always.
xox Lilly
Jane S
Thanks Lilly, I wish I could share some bread with you 🙂
Zara
Those colanders looks great displayed on the wall.
The pesto rolls are a great idea.
x
Jane S
Thank you Zara!
Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy
Lovely to see another part of your fabulous home Jane. I love the look of your grissini. I am very envious of your exception baking skills. I tried very hard to master sour dough and it just wasn't to be, I had to admit defeat 🙁
Jane S
I am not sure my baking skills are exceptional Kyrstie, it really is a lot of trial and error! Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Lizzy (Good Things)
Love the peek into your kitchen, Jane. It looks like a happy place! Mine is only beautifully clear of bits of pieces about once a year too (and I don't have little ones). Love all your baked goods… I freeze balls of pizza dough too and have been delighted at how beautifully they perform. How about those apples! Crunch!
Jane S
Thank you Lizzy, have a lovely weekend!
celia
Gorgeous post, as always, Jane! And look how clean your kitchen looks! I'd have taken photos too! It looks like something from a magazine shoot.. 🙂
We tried but couldn't grow apples, so I'm in awe of yours. And I love seeing all your gorgeous bread, you're so good with sourdough. My mother brings huge branches of curry leaves over from her giant tree – I dry them off and strip them (sometimes my friend Nic uses the twigs to weave baskets), but then I end up with a huge box of leaves, and we only ever use a small handful in any curry.. 😉
Jane S
Thanks Celia, the apples have been a long time coming and it is early days but it makes me happy anyway! I need to embrace my curry tree!
Kylie
Hi Jane, isn't it nice to have everything all clean and sparkly. I often look at interior mags and think to myself they must've had the cleaners in, because unless you really live and use your house it could never look like they do (even mine and I'm a clean FREAK!) I love that red chair and the old utensils on your wall, is it a collection your working on? Let me know if it is, I might have something(s) to add to it…
Jane S
Hi Kylie, yes a clean kitchen does give me a certain sense of satisfaction…but it never lasts long! I have 7 of those red chairs, I rescued them from the rubbish tip and our shearer's huts and had them re-covered. I love them too 🙂 Of course, yes, to any old utensils you want to part with, that is very generous of you! I will email you.
Paula
Oh Jane another wonderful blog. Your apples look beautiful 🙂 so much nicer than shop bought and I can`t wait to taste your grissini they look so delicious and rustic. Your kitchen looks lovely.
Jane S
Thanks Paula…I cant wait to cook them for you! I love a big baking job 🙂
Kate @ Kate Writes
Well done with your apples Jane. Will you bake with them or just crunch them do you think? I have only had one on my tree this year but I guess that is better than none!
Jane S
One is certainly better than none Kate! I have a salted caramel apple pie on the menu for the precious few apples that are left, stay tuned 🙂
Anonymous
i would be so proud of those apples Jane …. ♥
Jane S
Is that you Trish?! Thanks x
Pat Machin
What a sense of pride you must have had getting your kitchen to look like that!
I've been playing with Grissini recently. It's so much better than the bought stuff – and cheaper too. I also love the pesto bread – but I'm a pesto addict and will eat it by the spoonful.
Jane S
Thank you Pat!
Herb Koguchi
Your kitchen looks nice! With the huge space you have there, it’s no wonder that it’s easier for you to create delicious pizza and other treats. I wish I could have a taste of those. 😀 I can also see in the photos that your kitchen is complete with utensils you need for baking bread. That’s awesome!