Baking bread at home — it’s enough to fill culinary novices with dread. Ikea takes the pain out of pain with its Swedish Rye Bread mix, which retails for NT$150. “Just add water,” the Web site says. Tidbits took some for a spin.
The mix comes in a carton, to which warm water is added, and then shaken. The carton shakers at Ikea must be Olympians, as after three attempts globs of unmixed flour stuck to the corners. Far easier to plop the lot into a glass bowl for a thorough mix through.
Next, let it rise. Left to its own devices in the carton, the rise wasn’t much of one. For superior results, put the bowl in the oven at 50°C. And finally the baking. The instructions call for a greased loaf tin — a 12-inch by 5-inch one works well. But if left uncovered, a thick crust develops, which makes the loaf difficult to cut. To avoid this, cover the tin with aluminum foil. The result: freshly baked, nutty rye bread, with no artificial additives or preservatives, a glow of satisfaction and a home filled with a wholesome aroma.
The lesson learned: recipes are made to be broken.
In next week’s Around Town, we review Hook, a restaurant and bar on Zhongxiao East Road (忠孝東路) that specializes in hot dogs, and Barefoot Beach Bar in Baishawan (白沙灣).
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