Here are a few ideas on what to do with ready-made breads and a recipe for a barbecue-baked bread too, cooked over the coals in a foil parcel.
The Best Traditional Garlic Butter Bread
Here is everyone’s favourite and a few other variations. It is best to use long or thin, crusty breads such as French sticks or ciabatta so that the heat can get through to the middle and melt the butter before they burn on the outside.
Serves 6–8
1 long fat French stick
3 garlic cloves
75 g (3 oz) slightly salted butter, softened
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the bread diagonally into 2.5 cm (1 in) thick slices without cutting right through, keeping the loaf in shape as you go.
Peel the garlic, place it on a chopping board and lightly crush the cloves with the blade of a large knife. Sprinkle them with a little salt and continue to crush them using the side of the knife until they form a smooth paste.
Mix the butter with the garlic, parsley and some pepper.
Spread both sides of each slice of bread with a thin layer of the garlic butter and reassemble the loaf on one large or two smaller sheets of extra-thick foil.
Pleat the edges of the foil together well and leave the parcel on the side of the barbecue for 10–12 minutes, turning regularly, until crisp and hot.
VARIATIONS
Hot Herb and Sesame Bread Replace the French stick with a Parisienne or other long rustic French loaf. Omit the garlic and mix 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, only 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley, 3 thinly sliced spring onions, the finely grated rind and juice of ½ small lemon and 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds into the butter.
Hot Cheese and Pesto Bread Replace the French stick with 2 loaves of ciabatta and use just 50 g (2 oz) of butter with 2 tablespoons of pesto, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil and 15 g (½ oz) of finely grated Parmesan instead of the garlic and parsley.
Hot Foccacia ‘Pizza’ Bread Replace the French stick with 2 loaves of Italian herb foccacia, each cut into 10–12 wedges. Substitute 2 tablespoons of sundried tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped black olives for the garlic and parsley.
These take a matter of minutes to make and they are so deliciously buttery and crunchy, be sure to make plenty of them. I can guarantee that they’ll soon disappear! I melt the butter in the microwave, but be careful as it only takes seconds.
Serves 6
6 sesame or white pitta bread
50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the butter in a small pan and heat gently until melted, add the garlic and parsley and just heat through. Set aside to allow the flavours to combine. Lightly slash the pittas on one side and place cut-side up on to the rack on one side of the barbecue and cook for 1 minute until lightly toasted.
Turn the pittas over and spoon over the garlic butter. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, by which time the butter will be sizzling.
Lift the pitta bread on to a board, cut into thick fingers and serve whilst still crisp and warm.
This lightly toasted bread, scented with garlic and moistened with a little oil, goes superbly with any barbecued foods. Try to use large juicy cloves of fresh garlic and the best olive oil that you have to hand because it really will make all the difference. Also, if you leave out the garlic, and use an oil flavoured with perhaps fresh herbs or lemon, it will make a wonderful dessert with a selection of fresh cheeses and fruit.
Serves 4
1 loaf of ciabatta
1 garlic clove, halved
3–4 tablespoons olive oil
Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally as if you were going to make a sandwich.
Lightly toast the bread on the barbecue for 1–2 minutes on each side. Remove it from the rack and quickly rub the cut face with the halved clove of garlic.
Drizzle over a little of the oil, cut it into chunky pieces and serve while still slightly warm.
This bread is made with beer but you could use all milk if you prefer. The texture of the finished bread is very similar to a scone and so it needs to be eaten as soon as it is made, preferably while it’s still slightly warm.
Serves 6
225 g (8 oz) plain wholemeal flour
275 g (10 oz) self-raising flour plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
45 g (1½ oz) butter
175 ml (6 fl oz) light ale or bitter
175 ml (6 fl oz) milk
225 g (8 oz) mature Cheddar or Gruyère, coarsely grated
4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced cayenne pepper
Sift the flours and salt together into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre, add the beer and milk and gradually mix together to make a soft dough.
Turn out on to a clean surface and knead briefly until smooth. Shape into a 25 cm (10 in) round and place in the centre of a large, double-thickness sheet of oiled extra-thick foil.
Score the top of the bread in a criss-cross pattern and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Bring the edges of the foil together loosely over the top of the loaf and pleat together to seal.
Place the foil parcel on to the barbecue rack and cook over medium-hot coals for 10 minutes on each side.
Open the foil parcel and fold back the edges. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the cheese, spring onions and cayenne pepper and leave for another 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the foil and serve cut into thick wedges.
Slap Hand Brazilian Cheese Buns
The expression ‘slap hand’ comes from my late mother who, every Sunday, would make slap hand rotis for lunch. I’ve taken the idea a little further.
Makes 20 rolls
300 ml (10 fl oz) milk
25 g (1 oz) butter
450 g (1 lb) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon easy-blend dried yeast
50 g (2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan
1 large egg, beaten
Gently heat the milk and butter in a small pan. Once the butter has melted, the milk has reached the right temperature.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt, yeast and Parmesan. Stir in the warm milk and then the beaten egg to make a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside for an hour or so in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
Dust a sturdy baking sheet with flour and place on a rack several inches above the barbecue coals. With floury hands, slap and shape the dough into small buns. Place them on the baking sheet and cook for about 5–8 minutes until browned and risen. Flip and cook for a further 5 minutes until cooked through. Serve hot from the barbecue.