We know it's Spring in Cyprus...

It is definitely Spring. Not just because of the yellow flowers everywhere. Not just because it's now Lent in both Eastern and Western calculations. Not just because the evenings are getting lighter...

No. I know it's spring, because I have to re-think the temperature for the fluids added to our breadmaker ingredients. All through winter, I've heated the soya milk for about 40 seconds in the microwave, and used slightly warm water. When the kitchen is only about 12C, it needs the extra boost of more-than-hand-hot fluids.

But earlier this week, we had a loaf that looked like this:



- I had forgotten about this problem. When the ingredients are too warm, the bread rises too fast and then sinks. The kitchen is now regularly at 18-19C; still not sufficiently warm to use ice-cold ingredients, but somehow I need to find an intermediate temperature.