Poppy seed roses
Makes a 9 inch round cake
Every week I buy flowers for the restaurant at the stall outside Brixton tube; and every week I am surprised to find people on the tube smiling at me as I head to work with them. I am not sure if it is the blooms themselves that get the smiles or the comedy of a fat man trying to negotiate the Victoria line at rush hour with a massive bunch of flowers. My relationship with the stallholder was initially rather strange. Sometimes he would recognize me and be very friendly—have a chat, even throw in the occasional bunch for free; other times he’d act as if he’d never seen me before. I put it down to eccentricity until I saw the two of them together one day. Twins.
1 batch yeast dough (here)
a little egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of table salt), if you like
200g/ml base sugar syrup (here)
For the filling
150g poppy seeds, ground (use a spice or coffee grinder)
150g/ml milk
150g granulated sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp dried currants
zest of a lemon
35g unsalted butter
1 egg
Combine the poppy seeds with the milk and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the mix has come together in a gloopy paste, add the honey, currants and lemon zest. Bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally. When it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it melts. Set aside for 15–30 minutes, then mix in the egg until the filling is shiny and well-combined.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle of about 16 inches × 12 inches. Spread the filling over the dough, reaching right to the corners, then roll up tightly from one of the longer sides, so that you end up with a 16-inch-long log. Lift the log onto a tray and place in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to chill and firm up. While you are waiting, lightly grease a 9 inch round cake tin and line with baking parchment.
Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the log into seven slices, each about 2 inches wide. Place one in the center of the tin with the filling spiral facing upwards, then place the others (also spiral-upwards) in a circle around it, leaving a little space between each. Leave to rise in a warm place until the dough is fluffy, soft and doubled in size (this should take about 1–1½ hours).
Preheat the oven to 425°F/400°F convection. If you are using the egg wash, brush over the surface of the dough spirals. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup all over the hot cake. Leave to rest in the tin. It will be ready to eat in 10 minutes, but beware: it will be hot. To serve, simply cut a wedge or pull a rose out.
Tahini & white chocolate plait
Fills a (2lb) 8½ × 4½ inch loaf tin
1 batch yeast dough (here)
a little egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of table salt), if you like
200g/ml base sugar syrup (here)
For the filling
200g tahini paste
200g/ml heavy cream
100g granulated sugar
100g white chocolate, cut in small pieces
Mix the tahini with the cream and sugar in a bowl until combined. Butter the loaf tin and line the base and long sides with a sheet of baking parchment, making sure that there is an overhang so that you will be able to lift the baked plait out easily.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle of about 16 inches × 24 inches (the longer edge closest to you). Spread the filling over the dough, then sprinkle with the pieces of white chocolate. Roll up the dough from the long edge closest to you until you reach the center of the rectangle, then stop. Now roll down from the long edge furthest away from you, continuing until you meet the first log in the middle. The two logs should be of the same thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut through the dough connecting the logs and separate them. Then simply twist the two logs over each other to create a plait. Lift into the lined baking tin and leave to proof in a warm place until the plait looks taut, feels soft and has doubled in size (about 1½ hours).
Preheat the oven to 425°F/400°F convection. If you are using the egg wash, brush over the surface of the plait. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F/325°F convection and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup all over the hot plait. You can make a couple of holes with a skewer or toothpick to speed this up, or just be patient and allow the syrup to seep slowly in. Once all the syrup has been absorbed and the cake has rested in the tin for at least 30 minutes, it is ready to eat.
Chocolate, hazelnut & cinnamon krantz loaf
Fills a (2lb) 8½ × 4½ inch loaf tin
1 batch yeast dough (here)
a little egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of table salt), if you like
200g/ml base sugar syrup (here)
For the filling
100g unsalted butter
190g granulated sugar
80g 70% dark chocolate, chopped in small chunks
40g unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Remove from the heat, tip the sugar in and stir to dissolve. Add the chocolate, cocoa and cinnamon and mix to combine. Set aside to cool a little at room temperature (don’t place it in the fridge, as it will set solid).
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle of about 20 inches × 12 inches. Spread the filling over the dough, reaching right to the corners, then sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Roll up tightly from one of the longer sides, so that you end up with a 20-inch-long log. If the dough has softened too much for you to handle it, place on a tray and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. While you are waiting, butter the loaf tin and line the base and long sides with baking parchment, making sure that there is an overhang so that you will be able to lift the baked loaf out easily.
Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the log in half along its length to expose the layers. Place the halves with the cut sides facing upwards. Lift one halved log over the other so that they form a cross at their midpoints, with the filling layers still pointing upwards. Continue to twist the strands over each other until the dough looks like a lovely twisted plait. Place in the lined baking tin and leave to rise in a warm place until the dough is fluffy, soft and doubled in size. This will take about 1½ hours in a warm kitchen, or up to 2 hours if it is chilly.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/400°F convection. If you are using the egg wash, brush all over the surface. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F/350°F convection and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup all over the hot cake. You must let this cool in the tin or it will fall apart. I know this is hard, but practice some restraint. It will be worth the wait.
