recipes

Cereal Rye

Cereal Rye

A German-based rye bread, full of seeds.
If this was a wine it would be a full-bodied red.
Portions:2 450 g
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Ingredients

  • 350 g dark rye flour
  • 150 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 75 ml malt extract
  • 300 ml water
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  • 75 g sunflower seeds
  • 75 g sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
  • Knead gently for 5 minutes to bring together, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your fingers and palms for 6 minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 2 hours.
  • Grease two 450 g/1 lb loaf tins.
  • Divide the dough into two pieces and form each into a sausage shape.
  • Put into the tins and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Bake the loaves for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread
Cuisine European / German

Potato and Dill Bread

Potato and Dill Bread

This bread is definitely a meal on its own – serve it as a sandwich, sliced thinly, filled with roast garlic lamb and salad leaves with a lemon dressing. It also makes a great accompaniment to a thick soup topped with cheese. You need to start this bread the day before.
Portions:2 loaves
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Ingredients

  • 20 g yeast water to mix
  • 500 g strong white flour
  • 11 ⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 8 medium new potatoes scrubbed
  • 1 garlic clove peeled and chopped
  • butter for frying
  • olive oil for frying
  • 30 g fresh dill destalked and chopped

Instructions

  • Dilute the yeast in a little warm water.
  • Put the flour and salt into a bowl, and add the diluted yeast.
  • Slowly add enough water to the flour until you have a malleable dough, then leave to rest overnight.
  • Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes, leave to cool, then cut into quarters.
  • Fry the potatoes and garlic in a little butter and oil until golden brown, then leave them to cool.
  • Grease a baking tray.
  • Divide your dough into two pieces and flatten them into an oval shape.
  • Place on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1–2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.
  • Cover the two pieces of dough equally with the potato mixture, pressing it in firmly.
  • Sprinkle some dill over the top and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread

Ricotta and Chive Loaf

Ricotta and Chive Loaf

Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 500 gstrong white flour plus extra for sprinkling
  • 11 ⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 75 ml olive oil
  • 300 ml water
  • 125 gricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons snipped chives

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil, water and cheese into a large bowl and mix with your hands for 3 minutes.
  • Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, then add the chives and knead for 3 minutes more.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a sausage shape, tapered at each end.
  • Place the bread on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Bake the bread for 25 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread / Cheese

Herb Bread

Herb Bread

Portions:2 loaves
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 10 g salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 75 ml olive oil
  • 300 ml water
  • 1 packet fresh basil
  • 1 packet fresh coriander
  • 1 packet fresh dill

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water into a bowl and, using your hands, mix together for 3 minutes.
  • When the dough has formed, tip out onto a lightly floured surface and, using your fingers and heel of your palm, knead for 6 minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Destalk all the herbs, then rip them up roughly and mix into the dough.
  • Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each into a ball.
  • Flatten slightly with your hands and cut two slashes across the top of each one.
  • Place on the baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread

Pepper and Onion Flowerpot Bread

Pepper and Onion Flowerpot Bread

The ancient Egyptians used to bake their bread in cone-shaped terracotta pots and this is the updated version, although the herbs and onions are authentic ingredients. This bread is particularly good for dinner parties – the little pots are very eye-catching and you could even try painting them for extra effect.
Portions:3 loaves
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Ingredients

  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 50 g butter softened
  • 500 g strong white flour
  • 20 g yeast warm water to mix
  • 2 large onions peeled and finely chopped
  • olive oil for frying
  • 30 g fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
  • 3 red peppers deseeded and finely chopped

Instructions

  • You will need three flowerpots for this recipe, each 10 cm/4 inches in diameter and 25. 5 cm/10 inches high.
  • Add the salt and butter to the flour and rub together.
  • Dilute the yeast in a little water and add this to the flour, then mix in enough warm water to make the dough pliable.
  • Knead the dough well for 5 minutes, until elasticated.
  • Place in a bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to rest for 1 hour.
  • Fry the onions in a little olive oil until translucent, then set aside to cool.
  • When cool, mix with the basil and peppers, add to the dough and blend together.
  • Divide the dough into three equal pieces and mould them into rounds.
  • Line the insides and bottoms of the flowerpots with silicone paper.
  • Place a ball of dough inside each pot and leave to prove for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Bake the flowerpots for 30 minutes.
  • Turn the breads out onto a wire rack to cool, then return them to the unlined flowerpots for display on your dining table.
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Course Bread
Cuisine Egyptian

Pitta Bread

Pitta Bread

A traditional Arabic bread that has been made for over 3,000 years.
Originally it was made with a sour culture in place of yeast and baked on olive domes set over fires.
Portions:7
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 30 g yeast
  • 300 ml water

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands to bind together.
  • When a dough has formed tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  • Put back in the bowl and rest the dough for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9 and put a lined baking tray inside to heat up.
  • Tip the dough out onto the table and divide into 100 g/ 31⁄2 oz pieces.
  • Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1 cm/1⁄2 inch thickness.
  • Leave to rest on the table for 5 minutes, then place on the hot baking tray in the oven and bake for 5–10 minutes.
  • The bread will balloon up, but when you bring them out of the oven they will collapse, forming the characteristic pockets of air.
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Course Bread
Cuisine Arabic

Pesach (Passover) Bread

Pesach (Passover) Bread

This recipe was given to me by Sylvia Woolf when I appeared on the This Morning show.
It has a great texture and flavour.
Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 250 gmedium matzo meal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 240 ml water
  • 120 mloil
  • 4 medium eggs

Instructions

  • Put the matzo meal, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix well.
  • Put the water and oil in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
  • Add the meal mixture and stir until the dough comes away from the sides.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir until the mixture is smooth and thick.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Flatten the dough out onto the tray and prick all over with a knife.
  • Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
  • Bake the bread for about 30 minutes until browned.
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Course Bread

Kulich

Kulich

A traditional bread made in Eastern Europe and shaped like the Russian Orthodox church. It makes a great afternoon treat.
Portions:2 loaves
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • 75 g butter softened
  • 60 g fresh yeast
  • vanilla essence
  • 2 oranges zest of it
  • 2 lemons zest of it
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 300 ml milk
  • 100 g sultanas
  • 75 g flaked almonds

for topping

  • lemon zest
  • icing sugar
  • water

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, a dash of vanilla essence, the orange and lemon zests and eggs into a bowl and blend with a little milk just to bring the ingredients together.
  • Slowly add the rest of the milk, mixing with your hands, until you have a soft dough.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Line two clean flowerpots or tins with silicone paper.
  • Incorporate the sultanas and almonds into the dough, then divide the dough into two and shape each piece so that it fits into the flowerpots or tins.
  • Leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Bake the flowerpots or tins in the oven for 25–30 minutes until golden brown, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
  • When cooled, top with a water icing made from lemon zest, icing sugar and water.
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Course Bread
Cuisine Russian

Tsoureki

Tsoureki

Cypriot Easter Bread
Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 60 g butter softened
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch mastika
  • pinch mechlebe
  • handful sultanas
  • 150 ml milk
  • 1 orange zest of it
  • 10 g salt
  • 15 gyeast
  • 150 ml warm water
  • 3 eggs hardboiled in their shells with red food colouring
  • 1 egg beaten, for eggwash

Instructions

  • Put the flour into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients except the yeast, water and eggs and mix together briefly.
  • Dilute the yeast in a little warm water and add to the mixture.
  • Slowly add the remaining warm water, mixing it in as you do, until you have a soft dough consistency.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a pliable dough.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Divide the dough into two and roll into strips.
  • Plait the strips together, put on the baking tray and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Brush the top of the bread with eggwash and place the coloured eggs along the top of the bread.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread
Cuisine Cyprus / European
Holliday Easter

Laganes Bread

Laganes Bread

A traditional bread made in Cyprus around Green Monday, the day the fasting starts before Easter. The bread is usually eaten with fresh vegetables and fruit. Try using ground fennel if mastika is difficult to get hold of, but any good health food shop should stock it.
Portions:2 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon mastika
  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 10 g salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 300 ml water
  • 100 g sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1½ tablespoons black cumin seeds

Instructions

  • Grind the mastika with a mortar and pestle to a smooth powder.
  • Put the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water into a bowl and mix together for 3 minutes.
  • Add the mastika powder to the dough, then tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Using your fingers and the heel of your palm, knead for 5 minutes, then put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, put the sesame, caraway and black cumin seeds into a bowl and pour over just enough warm water to cover.
  • Leave for 20 minutes – this balloons the seeds and releases their flavours.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Tip the dough out onto your floured surface and divide into two pieces.
  • Flatten each piece into an oval shape, 2.
  • 5–5 cm/1–2 inches thick, and turn them in the seed mixture until the dough is completely covered, top and bottom.
  • Put onto the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Using your finger, press holes over the top of the dough, then bake the loaves for 25 minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread
Cuisine Cyprus / European