Myriam's bread

My friend Myriam is the cookery expert and presenter for Swiss National Radio. She's recently started a blog and I have nicked this lovely recipe and even her picure from it to show you.

Pain de Mie
Makes 2 loaves
10g butter
20g fresh yeast
500g strong white flour
50g (or 50ml) milk
300g (or 300ml) lukewarm water
a little butter for greasing

grease 25cm loaf tins with a little butter.

put flour in a big bowl and rub fresh yeast and butter into flour. use your fingertips to do so until it disappears (or looks like very fine breadcrumbs). add the water & milk and mix until the dough starts to form. the dough will feel quite moist and probably stick to your fingers (or the hook of the kitchen aid machine) - but keep on kneading until you have a smooth, elastic but slightly sticky ball of dough. grease the mixing-bowl with some butter, put dough in and cover with clingfilm. let rest in a draught free place until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. mould each piece tightly into a loaf shape. once in their tins, leave to prove in a warm place for another hour. cover the tins with a clean baking sheet (and put something heavy on top), so they wont rise too much.

preheat the oven to 250 C°, reduce to 220 C°, put tins (covered with baking sheet and something heavy like a le creuset pot on top) into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. remove baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes until loaves are golden brown. remove from tins and let cool on a cooling rack.

this bread tastes wonderful with some fresh butter. a drop of honey or - i know i am terrible - a guacamole with loads of lime juice and some finely chopped red onion.