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Bread

Good bread is the most satisfying of all foods and the smell of freshly baked bread whets the appetite more than any other. Bread making is not difficult, nor as time-consuming as many people suppose. The bread needs time and warmth for the yeast to do its work, but that does not require your time. Many non-yeast breads and quick breads are mixed and baked within an hour. The basic ingredients for bread are flour, water, salt and yeast or another leavening agent - a sourdough starter or baking soda, baking powder or cream of tartar. Bread can be enriched with milk, buttermilk or yogurt, oil or melted butter, eggs, sugar or molasses, dried fruit or nuts, herbs or spices.

Flours

Flours are ground from seeds, principally from cereals. Wheat flour is the most adaptable and most widely used for baking. A wheat kernel consists of three parts: the bran or outer husk, the germ or embryo of the future plant, and the inner part of the kernel or endosperm that is full of starch and proteins. Flours milled from different types of wheat have different uses.

Wholemeal flour contains all of the grain. It tastes slightly nutty and has a high fibre content from the husk, and vitamins and oils from the germ. Wholemeal flour is primarily used for bread making. The particles of bran inhibit aeration, so wholemeal breads are heavier than white. Stoneground wholemeal is ground in the old way between circular stones and generally has a better flavour than roller-milled flour. Roller-milling produces a wholemeal that is finer in texture; the bran and germ are extracted during processing and then returned to the flour.

Any flour containing the wheat germ and its oil will not keep for more than 3–4 months without turning rancid.

White flours are milled from the inner part of the grain only. Stored in a cool dry place, white flours will keep for at least a year.

Strong plain white flour, also called bread flour, is mostly milled from hard wheat that has a high gluten potential. The proteins in wheat flour form gluten when liquid is added. Gluten expands during kneading, trapping the air, to produce an elastic dough that gives a lighter loaf that holds its shape well. Strong plain flour may be bleached or unbleached. It is usually roller-milled, but some stoneground flour is available.

Durum flour, or fine semolina, is a high-gluten flour from durum (the hardest) wheat, ground twice to produce a silky flour used primarily for making pasta. It also makes good bread if combined with unbleached plain flour.

OO and O flours. Italian hard wheat flours are classified by how much bran and grain have been removed in the milling process. OO is the most refined, a white, silky flour. O is less fine and contains more of the grain. Both are finer than English plain flour.

Plain flour is multi-purpose flour. Usually made with a high proportion of soft low-gluten wheat, it is frequently bleached. It absorbs less water than strong flour. Plain flour is good for pastry, cakes and batters, but bread made with plain flour goes stale quickly.

Self-raising flour is plain flour to which baking powder has been added. If the flour is old or has been badly stored, the aerating properties will be affected. It is generally better to use plain flour and add the necessary amount of baking powder according to the recipe.

Granary flour is a blend of wholemeal, white and rye flours with the addition of malted grains which give bread made with it a sweetish flavour.

Rye flour, which may be dark or light, inhibits gluten development. It is widely used for bread making in Scandinavia and northern Europe. Rye breads are very dense unless a blend of rye and wheat flours is used.

Barley flour lacks gluten and is best mixed with wheat flour. It adds an interesting earthy tang to bread.

Oatmeal also lacks gluten and is mostly used with wheat flour to give bread a more crunchy texture.

Cornmeal or maize meal is another gluten-free meal. It is used primarily in Italy and parts of the Balkans to make polenta (p. 197) and in the Americas to make non-yeast breads (p. 199). It has a gritty texture and sweetish taste.

Corn flour is milled from the endosperm of the maize kernels and is almost pure starch. Sometimes used with plain flour for baking, it is principally used for thickening sauces.

Buckwheat flour is speckled greyish brown and has a slightly bitter flavour. Gluten-free, it can be combined with wheat flour to make bread; it is also used for pancakes and noodles. Buckwheat flour will keep for 6 months.

Gram flour, also called besan, is made from a small variety of chick pea. Beige in colour, with an earthy note, the taste is pleasantly nutty. It gives a good flavour to flat breads. In India, it is used for the batter for fritters and vegetable bhajias, and is mixed with wheat flour for breads. Gram flour will keep for 6–9 months.

Rice flour is gluten-free but has more starch than wheat flour. It is easy to digest.

Potato flour is often used with other flours or alone to make sponge cakes. It has a light, creamy taste and is gluten-free. It is also used as a thickening agent.

Gluten-free flour is a blend of flours – usually rice, potato, buckwheat and cornmeal. It absorbs more water than wheat flours and can be used for all types of baking except yeast baking.

Tins and trays for baking

Non-stick are best but even non-stick tins sometimes stick, so it is best to grease them. For bread, use 500g or 1kg loaf tins or bake free-form loaves on trays dusted with flour or cornmeal. A re-usable cooking liner can be useful too. Muffins can be made in shaped trays or in paper cases.

Yeasts

Working with yeast is the aspect of bread making that many people find daunting, and I would recommend first time bread makers to use easy-blend yeast. These are tiny granules that are stirred into the flour with the salt. Fresh and dried yeasts must first be dissolved in water.

Fresh yeast is the yeast I prefer to work with. A few supermarkets and some bakers sell it. If you buy a quantity, cut it into 30g pieces and freeze them. The yeast remains in good condition for at least 6 months. Fresh yeast is dissolved in water heated to blood temperature (38°C, 100°F) before being added to the flour. If you can put your finger into the water and it feels to be the same temperature, you can add the yeast. Water that is too hot kills off the yeast.

Dried yeast is also reactivated by soaking in warm water. It needs 15–20 minutes for the granules to absorb enough water and make a frothy cream.

Easy-blend yeast is sprinkled over the flour and well mixed in. The addition of liquid activates it. As easy to use as the name indicates, it is a better choice than ordinary dried yeast.

Time and temperature are as important as the amount of yeast when it comes to how much yeast to use. For plain bread, 30g of fresh yeast will leaven 1.5kg flour in 2–3 hours. A yeast dough rises fastest in a warm room, but too much heat slows it down. The ideal rising time is 4–5 hours in a cool place; you can also leave the dough all day or overnight. In very cold weather, stand the bowl on a thick wodge of newspaper or tea towels on the central heating boiler.

For a long slow fermentation, 15g yeast will be enough for 1.5kg flour. Bread that has a long fermentation period has a better texture, more complex flavours and stays moist longer. To slow down the fermentation, put the dough in the refrigerator, but let it come back to room temperature before attempting to knead it. A larger amount of yeast does not make for a better loaf, it simply enables the dough to rise more quickly but, without the maturing provided by time, moisture and warmth, flavour does not develop in the bread. Too much yeast also makes the bread go dry and stale quickly.

Dried yeast is much more potent than fresh, and only one-third to half the amount (10–15g) is required for 1.5kg flour. For a small amount of dough for a pizza or small loaf, ¼ tsp granules is enough.

Easy-blend yeast is twice as potent as dried yeast, so you only need a quarter (7g or 1 sachet) or less of the amount of fresh yeast to 1.5kg flour.

Enriched doughs made with eggs, butter and fruit need more yeast than plain breads, but the proportions of 30g fresh yeast: 15g dried yeast: 7g easy-blend yeast still apply.

Chemical leavens

Breads raised with chemical leavens are easy and quick to make, require no or little kneading, but do not keep as well as yeasted breads.

Bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda, is the most widely used non-yeast leaven. In combination with an acidic liquid such as sour milk or buttermilk, it gives off carbon dioxide which expands the dough during baking and makes the bread rise.

Baking powder is bicarbonate of soda mixed with cream of tartar, an acid which causes the same reaction as the sour milk.

Making the bread

Mixing and kneading

Mix the basic ingredients in a large bowl. Flour varies in its ability to absorb water, so add the water a little at a time, especially towards the end. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour; if too dry, add a little more water. The dough should be sticky, not runny or stiff. It is then ready to be kneaded.

Kneading develops the gluten, allowing the dough to trap the gas given off by the yeast and so to stretch and expand. Put the dough mixture on a floured surface. Hold it with one hand and with the heel of the other push the dough gently away from you until it starts to break. Fold it back and give the dough a quarter turn. Work lightly, but firmly. Set up a rhythm of pushing, folding and turning for 8–10 minutes until the dough feels firm, supple and smooth. If necessary, flour your hands lightly as you work, but do not incorporate more flour into the dough.

You can mix and knead dough in a food processor or electric mixer. Check how much your machine will hold and divide the ingredients into batches. It is important not to overheat and stress the dough, so run the machine at low speed and use the pulse function on a food processor.

If using a mixer, put in the flour and the yeast with its liquid and use the paddle to mix the dough. Add the water gradually. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and collects around the hook.

If using a food processor, use the dough blade. Put in the flour and yeast and feed the liquid in through the tube and run the machine until the dough forms a ball. Leave to rest for a few minutes, then process again for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

In both cases, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand for 2–3 minutes to improve its elasticity.

Proving and knocking back

After kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic, put it into a bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to prove. See the notes on p. 442 about temperatures and rising times. Most breads need more than one rising to achieve an even crumb. The dough will double in size; do not let it rise too much. Press the dough with your finger: when it is ready it should feel spongy and the finger indentation should not spring back too quickly. When the dough has risen, knock it back by punching it in the middle to release the gases, divide it if necessary and knead each piece into a ball and then into the appropriate shape, with the folds underneath. To form a round, cup your hands around the piece of dough and apply light pressure downwards while rotating the dough. For a long loaf, make a ball then flatten it with your hand and fold it in three. Seal the folds together with lightly floured hands and put the seam underneath. For a tin loaf, shape as a long loaf and fold under the ends to fit the tin.

Put free-form loaves on a lightly warmed and floured baking tray; dough for a tin loaf into a pre-greased tin. Cover with a cloth and leave to prove again for about 50 minutes. Dough that half filled a bread tin should have almost reached the top.

Slashing the loaf

Cuts made in the surface allow the dough to expand as it bakes without cracking along the sides. Use a very sharp knife or scalpel. Cut decisively, making slashes of equal length and of about 1cm depth. Let the cut dough rest for 5 minutes before baking.

Glazing

A loaf can be glazed just before baking; this gives the crust a finished appearance and prevents it becoming tough or dry. Use a brush to spread the glaze over the top of the dough. The simplest glazes are olive oil, milk, salted water or an egg wash made by lightly whisking an egg with a teaspoon of water. Bread can also be glazed after baking while it is warm. Just brush the crust with water or olive oil. If you glaze the dough before baking, you can sprinkle it with nuts or seeds.

Baking the loaf

Heat the oven while the dough is proving for the second time. Bake for the time given in the recipe. To test whether the bread is done, turn the loaf upside down and rap the bottom with your knuckles. If it sounds hollow the bread is ready; if it doesn’t, put it back and bake for a little longer. Cool the bread on a wire rack.

A steamy oven helps delay the formation of the crust, allowing the maximum expansion of the dough which improves the texture of the bread and eventually produces a crisp crust. Put a wide dish in the bottom of the oven and fill it with hot water. Using a plant sprayer, spray the inside of the oven before putting in the dough. Although not essential to producing good bread, this little extra trouble is worthwhile.

Problems that can occur when making bread

• Dough doesn’t rise: stale yeast, not enough yeast, or water for creaming too hot.

• Sour-smelling dough: too much yeast or over-proved.

• Bread doesn’t rise: the water for creaming the yeast may have been too hot, or the mixture was not kneaded enough. Using plain rather than strong flour can also give a poor rise. Doughs rich in fruit, butter and eggs may not rise if they have insufficient yeast.

• Cracked crust: not proved enough or not well shaped; oven too hot (crust sets while inner dough is still expanding).

• Heavy bread: too much liquid in the dough, or the dough did not rise enough before baking.

Storing and freezing bread

Store bread in a bin or tin with air holes; if kept in a sealed polythene bag or box it gives out moisture causing mould to form within a day or two.

The freezer is an excellent place to keep bread. It remains moist and fresh, although some of the crust may come loose. Thaw bread slowly at room temperature unless you have a microwave; in the microwave, bread thaws fast and the crust stays intact. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Wrap the bread in a clean cloth for 10–15 minutes when it comes out of the microwave.

Basic bread

This bread is made with a mixture of wholemeal flour, preferably stoneground, and strong white flour. You can, however, vary the proportions or use all wholemeal or all white flour. The olive oil suggested for inclusion makes a slightly richer loaf.

To make the bread in a mixer or food processor, see p. 444.

For 2 loaves

750g wholemeal flour

250g strong plain white flour

20g fresh, 10g dried or 5g easy-blend yeast

1–2 tsp salt

approximately 700ml warm water

2 tbs olive oil (optional)

Mix together the flours. Prove fresh or dried yeast in a little of the water (p. 442). Stir the salt and easy-blend yeast into the flour. Fresh yeast will prove in 5–10 minutes, dried will need 15 minutes or more. Make a well in the centre of the flour, stir the yeast to a cream and pour it into the well. Add a little more water, the olive oil if you are using it, and stir the liquid into the flour. Now add most of the remaining water and mix together to a firm, sticky dough. If it is too dry add the remaining water; too sticky, a little more flour. You can do this mixing with a spoon or by hand. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl after a minute or two.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead (p. 444) until it is smooth and elastic. Rinse and lightly oil the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to rise for about 11/ -2 hours. It will double in volume and look spongy, and if you press your finger into the surface the dent will disappear only slowly. Punch the dough down, remove it to a lightly floured surface and slap it down hard 3 or 4 times. The more the dough is knocked back now, the better the bread will be. Cut the dough in half and knead each piece into a ball. Cup your hands around the piece of dough, press lightly downwards on the sides, and turn the dough as you do so. Tuck the edges underneath. Continue until you have an even round ball. Put each one onto a warmed baking sheet sprinkled with wholemeal flour or fine cornmeal. Cover and leave to prove again until they have doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Towards the end of the proving time, heat the oven to 230°C, 450°F, gas 8. Put a shallow dish on the bottom of the oven and fill it with hot water to create a steamy atmosphere in the oven. Cut a cross about 1cm deep in the centre of each loaf. Leave to stand for 5 minutes for the cuts to develop. Just before putting the dough into the oven spray the inside of the oven with water, using a plant sprayer.

Bake the loaves for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6 and remove the dish of water from the oven. Bake for another 30–40 minutes. When it is baked the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom with your knuckles. Leave the bread to cool completely on a rack before putting in the bread bin or cutting.

Note

The bread can be baked in two 1kg tins. Grease and warm the tins, shape the dough to fit the tins, with the folds underneath. The dough will look inadequate for the size of the tins when you put it in, but it will rise to the top while proving the second time.

Variations

White bread Use all strong flour, preferably unbleached. You will need less water.

Herb or spice bread Herbs and spices can be added to the flour. Use 4–5 tbs finely chopped fresh herbs or 2 tbs dried for this quantity of flour. Aniseed, dill, poppy and fennel seed are also good in bread; use 2 tbs seeds.

Rolls Cut pieces weighing 30–50g from the dough after proving. Form round rolls by holding the ball of dough in one hand and folding the fingers of the other hand around it to shape it. Press and rotate the dough to form a compact ball.

To form long rolls, shape each piece into a fat baton by rolling it back and forth with your fingers. Leave rolls to prove for 20 minutes before baking at 220°C, 425°F, gas 7, for 12–15 minutes.

Rye bread

Rye flour (p. 441) is mixed with wheat flour for most breads because it lacks the capacity for gluten development. Rye breads slice thinly and keep well. A loaf made with white flour and a small amount of rye produces a delicately flavoured bread. This one uses wholemeal and is made with a starter dough which gives the bread a slightly sour taste.

For 3 loaves

For the starter

125g wholemeal flour

30g rye flour

½ tsp fresh yeast or ¼ tsp dried yeast

granules or 1/8 tsp easy-blend yeast

200ml warm water

For the dough

20g fresh yeast or 10g dried yeast or 5g easy-blend yeast

approximately 500ml warm water

650g wholemeal flour

250g rye flour

1 tsp salt

the starter dough

Make the starter 18–24 hours before you intend to bake the bread. Put fresh or dried yeast to prove in the water for 10–15 minutes, then stir in the flours and mix to a dough. Add easy-blend yeast directly to the flours and mix all at once with the water to a dough. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 18–24 hours in a warm place.

To make the bread, mix fresh or dried yeast in a little of the water and leave to prove for 10–15 minutes. Mix easy-blend yeast into the flours. Mix together the flours and salt, add the starter dough, the yeast and remaining water and mix to form a dough. Knead the dough with a dough hook in a food mixer on the lowest speed. Alternatively, knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic (p. 443). Rinse and lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to it and cover with clingfilm or a cloth. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1½ – 2 hours. Punch down the dough, knead lightly, cut into 3 equal pieces and mould to fit 3 greased and warmed 500g tins. Make sure the folds are underneath.

Cover the tins and leave the dough to prove for a further 45 minutes. After 30 minutes heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Lightly dust the loaves with flour. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Turn one loaf out of the tin, rap the bottom with your knuckles; if it sounds hollow the bread is ready. Leave the loaves to cool on a wire rack.

Elizabeth David’s rice bread

This bread is very easy to mix and bake. It keeps well since the rice remains moist, and the texture is beautifully light. We often made it for taking on picnics when she was researching English Bread and Yeast Cookery.

For 1 large loaf

85g uncooked rice (round or long grain)

twice its volume of water

500g strong plain white flour

15g fresh or 7g dried or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast

15–20g salt

about 250ml water

Put the rice into a 1-litre pan, cover with the measured water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook steadily until the water is absorbed and little holes have formed over the surface of the rice. While the rice is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Cream the yeast with a little warm water (if using easy-blend yeast this is added straight into the flour). Put the salt in a measuring jug and dissolve it in 150ml very hot water, then add cold water to make up 250ml.

When the rice is cooked and while it is still very warm, amalgamate it, very thoroughly, with the flour. Now add the yeast, then the salted water, and mix the dough. It will be rather soft. Cover it and leave it to rise for 1–1½ hours, until it is at least double in volume, and bubbly.

Probably the dough will be too soft to handle very much, so it may be necessary to dry it out a little by adding more flour before breaking it down and transferring it – very little kneading is necessary – to a warmed and well-greased tin or tins. For the quantity given, I use a 1kg loaf tin. The dough should fill the tin by two-thirds. Cover it with a cloth or piece of clingfilm, and leave it until has risen above the top of the tin.

Bake the bread at 230°C, 450°F, gas 8 for 15 minutes, then at 200°C, 400°F, gas 6 for another 15 minutes, before turning the loaf out of its tin and returning it to the oven, on its side, for a final 15–20 minutes at the same temperature. If the crust shows signs of baking too hard and taking too much colour, cover the loaf with a large bowl or an inverted oval casserole.

Walnut bread

This is Sally Clarke’s recipe from Sally Clarke’s Book, Recipes from a restaurant, shop and bakery.

For 2 loaves

240g wholemeal flour

260g strong plain white flour

5g salt

15g fresh or 7g dried yeast or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast

250ml warm water

50ml walnut oil

125g walnut halves, very roughly chopped

a little extra walnut oil

In a mixer bowl, mix the flours with the salt and easy-blend yeast if you are using it. If you use fresh or dried yeast, prove it in half the warm water, then using the dough-hook attachment on your mixer at the slowest speed pour this into the bowl. Add the walnut oil and then most of the remaining warm water to produce a soft dough. Continue to knead until the dough becomes smooth, approximately 5-8 minutes, adding the remaining water if necessary. Alternatively, the mixing can be done by hand and the dough turned out and kneaded for 5–10 minutes until smooth. Place the dough in a bowl which has a light coating of walnut oil. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise to double its size. This may take up to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the kitchen and the weather.

Heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas 4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with a little wholemeal flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the walnuts on top and gently knead them in until they are evenly distributed, expelling the air in the dough at the same time. Cut in two and shape the loaves into balls or long sausage shapes and place on the baking sheet. Brush with a little walnut oil, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place to half the size again. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn up the temperature to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Bake until crisp and dark golden brown. This may take up to 40–45 minutes, by which time the bread will sound hollow when the base is knocked. Cool, and use within 2 days.

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Spiced flat bread

Throughout the Middle East there are flat breads topped with seeds or with zahtar, a blend of sesame seeds, thyme and sumac. The dried and ground berries of a sumac bush have a fruity sour flavour; sumac is available from Middle Eastern shops.

For 2 loaves

15g fresh or 7g dried or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast

about 400ml warm water

500g strong plain white flour

1 tsp salt

olive oil

For the zahtar

2 tbs sesame seeds

2 tbs fresh or 1 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs sumac

First make the zahtar. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan, stirring and shaking the pan, until they darken; they will give out a little oil and a nutty aroma. Put them in a small bowl and leave to cool. Grind the thyme to a coarse powder in a coffee grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Add the sesame when it has cooled and grind it too. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sumac. Zahtar will keep for some weeks in an airtight jar.

Prove fresh or dried yeast in a little of the warm water (p. 442), or add easy-blend yeast to the flour with the salt. Stir the yeast when it becomes creamy, make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast with enough of the remaining water to make a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until supple and elastic. If you prefer to work with the dough hook of a mixer or in the food processor, see p. 444.

Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.

Punch the dough down and divide in two. Roll the pieces out to rounds about 1cm thick and put them onto oiled baking sheets. Cover and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Brush the loaves with olive oil and sprinkle over each one a teaspoon of zahtar. Bake them for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 170°C, 325°F, gas 3 and bake for a further 20–25 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

• Use 1 tsp aniseed, fennel seed, nigella, plain sesame seed or a mixture of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes instead of zahtar.

• Add seeds to the dough instead of scattering them on the top, and leave the top with just an oil glaze.

Herb batter bread

This is a quickly-made bread with a fast rising time that I have been making for years. The original recipe was, I think, American. I now make it in a food processor, which takes no time at all, but it can be mixed by hand, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon, or in a mixer. The dough is not kneaded. I have tried a variety of herbs and find fresh rosemary, fresh or dried thyme, dried mixed provençal herbs or the dried mixed Iranian herbs mentioned on p. 183 the best.

For 1 loaf

150ml milk

½ tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

45g butter

7g fresh yeast or 3g dried yeast or ½ tsp easy-blend yeast

200ml warm water

350g strong plain white flour

1 tsp rubbed and crushed dried herbs or 2 tsp finely chopped fresh herbs

coarse salt

Heat the milk to simmering point, remove it from the heat and stir in the sugar, salt and 30g butter. Leave until lukewarm. Prove fresh or dried yeast in half of the water. Put the flour, herbs and easy-blend yeast, if you are using it, into a food processor and process for 10 seconds to sift. With the machine running on low speed, add the yeast and milk through the feed tube. When they are absorbed, add the remaining water, a little at a time as the flour absorbs it – the mixture should be quite slack and sticky. Either scrape down the sides, put the stopper in the feed tube and leave to prove for 45 minutes to – hour, or transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to rise. In a processor, pulse twice to knock it back, otherwise beat by hand for 30 seconds.

Towards the end of the proving time, heat the oven to i8o°C, 350°F, gas 4. Grease thoroughly a shallow 18–20cm tin (I use a square 18cm tin with 3cm sides or a small loaf tin). Tip the dough into the tin, shake and tap it to fill evenly. Bake at once for about 45 minutes. Melt the remaining butter, brush it over the crust and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cool on a wire rack.

Pesto bread

This recipe is adapted from Carol Field’s excellent book The Italian Baker, unfortunately not available in Britain as far as I have been able to discover.

For 2 loaves

20g fresh yeast, 10g dried yeast or 5g easy-blend yeast

500g strong plain white flour

1–2 tsp salt

250ml warm water

2 tbs olive oil

100g pesto (p. 366)

If you use fresh or dried yeast stir it into the water and leave until creamy, about 10 minutes. Mix flour and salt, and easy-blend yeast if you are using that, and with the water, oil and pesto stir to a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes (p. 444) until the dough is velvety and elastic. If you use a mixer follow the same procedure, using the basic paddle until the flour is well moistened, then change to the dough hook and knead until the dough is velvety and medium-soft, 3–4 minutes. Finish kneading briefly by hand.

With a food processor, sift the salt and flour (and easy-blend yeast if you are using it) together for 10 seconds, using the dough blade while (if you are not using easy-blend) the fresh or dried yeast is proving in 50ml water. With the machine running pour the oil, pesto and dissolved yeast through the feed tube, followed by 200ml cold water, as quickly as the flour can absorb it. Process 1 minute longer to knead, then knead for another minute by hand.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1¼ hours. Cut the dough in half, punch each piece down and knead briefly to expel air. Shape each piece into a rounded loaf. Place the loaves on an oiled baking sheet, seam side down. Cover again, let the loaves rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The dough must be very relaxed and fully risen before it is baked, so don’t rush it.

Heat the oven to 230°C, 450°F, gas 8. Place the loaves in the oven, immediately turn down the heat to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6; the initial heat helps expand the dough quickly. Bake for 30–40 minutes. The loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom if they are ready. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Variation

Tomato bread Replace the pesto by 100g sun-dried tomatoes puréed in oil.

‘Ciabatta’

This recipe for a ciabatta-like loaf baked in a flat tin was developed by the food writer Lynda Brown and Italian restaurateur Giorgio Rocca of da Felicini restaurant in Monforte d’Alba. The dough is made in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, requires no kneading and produces a flattish loaf with large holes, a somewhat crumpet-like texture and a crisp crust. It keeps for 4–5 days.

The real thing is much more difficult to make; the dough is wet and sticky and requires energetic mixing and kneading, so I have settled for buying my ciabatta, and making ‘Rocca’s pane’, as Lynda calls it, at home.

For 1 loaf

360g unbleached strong white flour

3.5g fresh yeast or ¼ tsp easy-blend yeast

½ tsp salt

4–6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

320–350ml lukewarm water

Put the flour, yeast, salt and olive oil into a food processor. With the motor running, pour the water through the feed tube and process for 1–2 minutes. Add just enough water to make a thick batter. Scrape down the lid and the sides of the processor, put the stopper in the feed tube and leave to prove for 3–6 hours. The dough will be puffy and sticky. Scrape it gently into a shallow non-stick tin (I use an 18cm square tin). The dough should just fill it. Leave to rest for 30–40 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, gas 7, with a flat baking sheet on the middle rack. Put the bread tin onto the baking sheet and bake for 35–40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown, and the hot baking sheet under the tin ensures a crisp bottom crust too. Cool the loaf on a wire rack.

In her experiments Lynda discovered that the proving time for the dough could be extended to as much as 24 hours to give the bread deeper, more complex flavours.

Focaccia with olives

Focaccia has been almost as widely adopted in Britain as its cousin the pizza. It is an easy bread to make and can be flavoured with aromatic herbs – thyme, oregano, rosemary or sage – with sautéed onions or with a topping of coarse sea salt. Use small olives, either all black or a combination of black and green.

For 1 focaccia

15g fresh or 7g dried or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast

375g strong plain white flour

250ml warm water

1 tsp salt

4–5 tbs olive oil

180g small olives, stoned

Put fresh or dried yeast to prove in half of the water for 10–15 minutes, or sprinkle the easy-blend yeast over the flour with the salt. Stir the yeast mixture until creamy and add it to the flour with 3 tbs olive oil. Stir in the remaining water a little at a time to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic and springy (p. 444). You can prepare the dough by hand or with the dough hook of a mixer on the lowest speed. In a food processor, pulse for 1 minute, adding the water through the feed tube. Once the dough has gathered together, pulse 15 seconds longer to knead it to a sticky ball, then finish the kneading by hand.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until it has doubled in volume. Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Oil a baking sheet.

Punch the dough down and knead it again on a lightly floured surface. Form it into a ball and roll it into a disc or square about 1cm thick. Place it on the baking sheet, cover and leave to rise again for 20–30 minutes.

Make dimple marks in the top with your fingertips, then push the small olives into the dough. Brush with olive oil and bake for 20–25 minutes until risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack. Eat focaccia, cut into wedges or squares, warm or at room temperature the day you make it.

Breadcrumbs

Brown or white bread can be used to make crumbs and the better quality the bread, the better the crumbs, in texture as well as taste.

Fresh breadcrumbs Use bread that is 1 or 2 days old. Discard the crust. Put pieces of bread into a blender or food processor and reduce them to crumbs. Make the crumbs as coarse or as fine as you wish. Store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days or freeze for a year or more.

Dried breadcrumbs Dry bread by putting slices in a very low oven (150°C, 300°F, gas 2) for 30–40 minutes. When dry, reduce to crumbs in a blender or food processor, or crush with a rolling pin. Store in an airtight container for 6–8 months.

Croûtons and croûtes. See p. 3.

Fruit breads and muffins

These recipes use baking soda or baking powder as raising agents. Once mixed, the doughs must be baked quickly or the raising agents will not do their work effectively. Make sure to heat the oven before you start preparing the dough.

Barmbrack

A traditional Irish fruit bread that is good on its own or with butter.

For 1 loaf

200g raisins

200g sultanas

100g chopped candied peel

200g soft brown sugar

200ml strong black tea

250g plain white flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

3 eggs

Put the fruit, peel and sugar in a bowl and pour over the tea. Cover and leave to soak for several hours or overnight. Heat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, gas 3. Grease a 1kg loaf or cake tin. Sift together the flour and baking powder, add the spices. Beat the eggs. Add the flour and eggs alternately to the fruit and beat well. Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning the bread onto the rack to cool completely.

Prune and pecan loaf

For 1 loaf

150g prunes, stoned and chopped

125g raisins or sultanas

125g pecan nuts, chopped

1 tsp baking soda

150ml water

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g plain white flour

60g soft brown sugar

Heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas 4. Grease a 500g loaf tin. Put the prunes, raisins and nuts in a bowl with the baking soda and pour over 150ml boiling water. Leave to cool. Beat the egg lightly and stir in the vanilla extract. Stir the egg into the cooled fruit mixture with the flour and sugar. Add more water as necessary to make a dough of a soft consistency. Turn the mixture into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. Stand the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out the loaf to cool completely. This tea bread is best kept for a day before being cut.

Variations

• The fruit and nuts for this bread can be varied; try dates with walnuts or semi-dried apricots with pistachios or almonds.

Banana bread

For 1 loaf

90g butter

125g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

250g plain white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

grating of nutmeg

pinch salt

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

60g pecans, coarsely chopped or 60g raisins

Heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas 4 and grease a 1kg loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer and add the beaten egg. Sift together the flour and baking powder, add the spices and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar alternately with the bananas. Stir in the nuts or raisins. Pour the batter into the tin. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden and the loaf is shrinking from the sides of the tin. The bread will be ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out the loaf to cool completely.

Apple and date muffins

For 12 muffins

250g plain white flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

50g caster sugar

80g dates, stoned and chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 egg

200ml apple juice or milk

100g melted butter

Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Grease the muffin tins or use paper cases. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl and add the salt and sugar. Stir in the dates and coat them lightly with the flour to prevent them sticking together. Then stir in the apples. Whisk the egg, stir in the apple juice or milk and the melted butter. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the egg mixture and mix to a batter. It will probably look lumpy. Divide the batter between the tins or cases and bake for 15 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes then turn the muffins out onto a wire rack. Muffins are best eaten the day they are made.

Variations

Apricot and nut muffins Replace the dates and apples with 100g semi-dried apricots, chopped, and 6og pecans or walnuts, also chopped. Use milk rather than apple juice.

Blueberry muffins Replace the dates and apples with 170g blueberries and use milk rather than apple juice.