“Mama, this tastes better than cupcakes!”
Recently while watching Italian Food Safari a few weeks ago, they cooked up a wonderful looking Ricotta Bread but they hadn’t laid out any recipes on the website- much to my disappointment. Not finding any other recipes elsewhere that seemed just right, I decided to venture out in to the unknown by myself.
It was a little nerve-wracking, there was a dash of timidness, and a sprinkling of hope. I have only been playing around with breads a relatively short time, and I wasn’t exactly sure it was time to be branching off and making stuff up just yet… hasn’t stopped me before though. So feet first (so to speak of course) I dove into that dough. I figured at worst, it will be stodgy little brick and I will still have to eat it. At best, it will be delicious bready loaf and everyone gets to eat it.
Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial had given me the heads up on a place that sold bulk bakers flour. So with 12.5 kilos of strong bakers flour sitting on my kitchen bench, it was time to get crackin’.
Honey Ricotta Bread
1 cup polenta
2 1/2 cups strong bakers flour
2 tps dried yeast
2 tps salt
250g ricotta
4 tbs honey
400ml water
With a dough hook, mixed everything up in the mixmaster. Once thoroughly mixed through, I left it for 10 minutes. A gentle knead on a floured surface then put in slightly oiled bowl, covered with cling wrap for 1/2 an hour, (or until doubled in size.). Another gentle knead, flattening the dough to an inch thick, folding over into 1/3, then folding again from the other side. Back into the bowl and then repeating the process in another half an hours time. Form into the shape that you want to cook in and let the dough rise for another 20-30 minutes or until risen by about a 1/3. Cook at 240 C until golden and sound hollow when knocked.
(Time varies depending on the shape you have cooked it in, ie. Bread rolls vs loaf)
Outcome? It was delicious! Thats when Monkey Boy said “Mama, this tastes better than cupcakes!” Now, if that isn’t a tick of approval I don’t what is.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
Oh well done! I don’t think I’ve ever managed to “wing it” with a bread recipe and have it turn out edible! 🙂
Believe it or not, I made ricotta bread on Friday as well – trying to use up the leftover ricotta in the fridge. The recipe I use is baked in a loaf tin from straight white flour – it doesn’t turn out anywhere near as golden and rustic as yours!
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Thanks! It could have gone horribley wrong, but I was prepared to eat the brick if it did.
Ricotta is such an easy ingredient, so many things to play around with it.
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this is a great recipe. i love yeasted doughs like this. they make the best french toast. and the best bread pudding. i’ll have to remember it next time i have ricotta lying around – somehow i can’t love it. i adore cheese, but ricotta and cottage cheese give me pause. every single time i buy it if i have a bit over what the recipe asks for, it will go bad in the fridge. and i really resent wasting food – next time i’ll try this instead!
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I quite often have ricotta left over from something and never like throwing it out either so it is a perfect recipe for that. While I love ricotta, I’m with you on the cottage cheese… I just don’t understand that one. I think it would be good for a bread pudding as it is quite sweet and substantial. Ahh, so many options.
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Oh go girl go – that is a loaf to be proud of and might even tempt me to try out a yeast bread again. The colour is lovely and ricotta and honey just sound so good.
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Give it a crack. Definitely worth it!
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That does look wonderful! When you say polenta, do you mean prepared or dry?
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Just dry polenta. It gives the bread a little more textural quality.
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Great looking loaf and if your kids say it is good, it must be too!
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