Page 9

THE WINDMILL
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  Behold! a giant am I!
Aloft here in my tower,
With my granite jaws I devour
The maize, and the wheat, and the rye,
And grind them into flour. 

 I look down over the farms;
In the fields the grain I see
The harvest that is to be,
And I fling to the air my arms,
For I know it is all for me.

  I hear the sound of flails
Far off, from the threshing floors
In barns, With their open doors,
And the wind, the wind in my sails,
Louder and louder roars.

  I stand here in my place,
With my foot on the rock below,
And whichever way it may blow,
I meet it face to face,
As a brave man meets his foe.

 And while we wrestle and strive,
My master the miller, stands
And feeds me with his hands;
For he knows who makes him thrive,
Who makes him lord of lands.

 On Sundays I take a rest;
Church-going bells begin
Their low, Melodious din;
I cross my arms on my breast,
And all is peace within.

Hot cross buns

1 lb or 450g   Stoneground Wholemeal Flour 
1½ oz or 45g   Brown Sugar
2oz  or 55g     Mixed Peel 
2oz or 55g      Butter
4oz  or 110g  Currants
1 teaspoon     Sea Salt
½ oz  or 15g   Dried Yeast 
1½ teaspoons   Mixed Spice 
1 Large Beaten Free Range Egg 
½  teaspoon      Cinnamon 
½ pint  or 250ml  Lukewarm Milk 
1 x 25mg   Vitamin C Tablet 

Mix the yeast and vitamin C tablet with a little sugar and a little milk.  Leave in a warm place for 10 - 15 minutes until  frothy.

Mix the flour, sea salt and spices in a large bowl.  Rub in the butter then add the currants, peel and sugar.

Mix together then make a well in the centre and pour the milk, egg and yeast mix into the well and blend in.  When mixed to a soft dough, knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth.

Divide dough into 15 pieces and roll each into a round bun.

Place on a well greased baking tray. Mark a cross on top - either by cutting with a knife or making a cross out of a flour and water paste cut into thin strips.

Leave the baking tray in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Now heat the oven to 450 degrees F/ Gas mark 8/230 degrees C.

Dissolve a large spoonful of sugar in a large spoonful of water and boil for one minute.  Use this to glaze the buns bushing over just before they go in the oven then repeat glazing as soon as you remove them from the oven.

 As with all yeast baking, don’t be tempted to eat them before they have cooled then enjoy to your heart’s content. 

TOPICAL TIPS:  Did you know that the Julian Graves chain of shops sell packets of mixed pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, linseeds and sunflower kernels called Omega Seed Mix - so handy for making your own mixed seed bread or rolls at home.

Vitamin C is vital to helping dried yeast pump up wholemeal flour but take care when purchasing that you don’t buy tablets coated with orange flavour or marked “chewable”.  Choose (don’t chew) Plain tablets or powder to avoid adding unwanted extras to your dough.