recipes

Baguette

Baguette

Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour
  • 20 g yeast
  • warm water to mix
  • 10 g salt
  • 50 g butter softened

Instructions

  • Mix 200 g/7 oz of the flour with all the yeast and enough warm water to make a thick batter, then leave to rise overnight.
  • Add the rest of the flour, the salt and butter to the dough and slowly add enough water to make a soft, pliable dough.
  • Rest the dough for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Bang the air out of the dough and roll into a baguette shape.
  • Put it on the baking tray and leave to prove for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Before the dough goes into the oven, using a sharp knife, make slashes along its length.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 455 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 43 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 0.5 g
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Course Bread
Cuisine European / French

Pain de Campagne

Pain de Campagne

The French are passionate about their bread – historically, the shaving of bakers’ heads for selling underweight bread was not uncommon. This loaf typifies French bread – a big, bold, hearty loaf full of flavour. Serve toasted or with cheese, it’s a must try!
Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 400 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 100 g rye flour
  • 10 g salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 50 g butter softened
  • 1 large bunch fresh oregano destalked and chopped
  • 300 ml water

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients except the water into a bowl, then slowly add the water and mix in with your hands until all the flour on the sides of the bowl has been incorporated.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave for 2 hours.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Tip the dough out onto your floured surface and shape into a ball, then slightly flatten with your hands and dust with flour.
  • Using a knife, mark out a square shape on top of the dough, put on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 862 kcal | Carbohydrates: 107 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 44 g | Fiber: 14 g | Sugar: 14 g
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Course Bread
Cuisine European / French

Cheese Biscuits

Cheese Biscuits

These biscuits can be served as a snack or with cheese at the end of a meal. Any cheeses go well with them – they’re great.
Portions:40 thin biscuits
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Ingredients

  • 375 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 125 g butter softened
  • 40 ml water
  • 2 medium eggs beaten in separate bowls

For the flavourings

  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 40 g Gruyère cheese
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, butter, water and 1 beaten egg into a bowl and mix well for 5 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into three pieces, and add the poppy seeds to one, the Gruyère to the second, and the caraway seeds to the third.
  • Wrap each piece in clingfilm and chill for 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm/1⁄8 inch thick.
  • Using a round cutter of your choice (I use one 7.
  • 5 cm/3 inches wide), cut out the dough.
  • Place the discs on the baking tray and brush with the remaining beaten egg.
  • Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

Serve warm or cold.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 29 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 0.2 g | Fat: 3 g | Fiber: 0.3 g | Sugar: 0.1 g
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Course Cheese / Coockies / Biscuit

Cheese Scones

Cheese Scones

Cheese and scones is a marriage made in heaven. You can add 30 g/ 1 oz of sultanas to the dough if you like.
Portions:15 scones
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 30 g baking powder
  • 75 g butter softened
  • 2 eggs beaten together, plus 1 egg, beaten, for eggwash
  • 240 ml milk
  • 100 g Cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

  • Line a baking tray.
  • Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, the 2 beaten eggs and the milk into a bowl and bring together gently with your hands.
  • When the dough has formed, add most of the cheese (reserving a little for sprinkling) and mix again for 5 minutes.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4 minutes until the dough is smooth.
  • Roll out the dough to 4 cm/ 11⁄2 inches thick and, using a cutter size of your choice, cut out the scones.
  • Put the scones on the baking tray, brush the tops with the eggwash and put in the fridge for 30 minutes (this helps the scone to rise up straight).
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Remove the scones from the fridge and brush the tops again with eggwash, being careful not to let it dribble down the sides as this will hinder their rise in the oven.
  • Sprinkle a little cheese onto each scone and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 60 kcal | Carbohydrates: 3 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 5 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g
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Course Bread / Cheese

Wholemeal Scones

Wholemeal Scones

These are a particular favourite of a friend of mine, Chris Davies, who insisted I put the recipe in the book. If preferred you may add 50 g/ 2 oz sultanas to the dough when it has been formed.
Portions:18 scones
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Ingredients

  • 250 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 250 g wholemeal flour
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • 30 g baking powder
  • 75 g butter softened
  • 2 medium eggs beaten, plus 1 egg, beaten, for eggwash
  • 270 ml milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Put the flours, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl and mix together.
  • Add the butter, eggs and milk and, using your hands, mix together thoroughly for 6 minutes.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, flatten it to about 5 cm/2 inches thick.
  • Using a round cutter (any size you like – I prefer to use 5–7.
  • 5 cm/2–3 inch cutters), cut out the scones.
  • Put the scones on the baking tray and brush with the eggwash.
  • If you’ve the time, chill the eggwashed scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help with a straight rise.
  • Remove the scones from the fridge and brush the tops again with eggwash, being careful not to let it dribble down the sides as this will hinder their rise in the oven.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.
  • Serve cool with strawberry jam.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 95 kcal | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 4 g | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 1 g
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Course Bread

Scones

Scones

A traditional afternoon tea favourite, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. I’ve worked in several five-star hotels and, as far as I‘m concerned, afternoon tea is the best snack of the day – especially at Cliveden.
Portions:18 scones
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 2 medium eggs beaten, plus 1 egg, beaten, for eggwash
  • 75 gcaster sugar
  • 30 g baking powder
  • 75 g butter softened
  • 230 ml milk
  • 100 g sultanas

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Put all the ingredients except the eggwash and sultanas into a food mixer and, using a paddle blade, mix for about 2 minutes on slow speed.
  • If mixing by hand this will take about 5 minutes.
  • Incorporate the sultanas into the dough and tip out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 5 cm/2 inches thick, then, using a round cutter, cut out the scones.
  • (I normally use a 5–7. 5 cm/ 2–3 inch cutter for the hotel-size scone.)
  • Put the scones on the baking tray and brush with the eggwash.
  • If you’ve the time, chill the eggwashed scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help with a straight rise.
  • Remove the scones from the fridge and brush the tops again with eggwash, being careful not to let it dribble down the sides as this will hinder their rise in the oven.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.
  • Serve warm.
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Course Bread

Mixed Rolls

Mixed Rolls

These rolls are great for dinner parties – with three flavours to choose from, there’s one to appeal to everyone.
Portions:20 rolls
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Ingredients

For the dough

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 10 g salt
  • 60 g butter softened
  • 20 g yeast
  • 300 ml pint water

For the flavourings

  • 20 gred or green peppers deseeded and finely chopped, and 20 g/3⁄4 oz onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 20 g Stilton crumbled, and 30 g/ 1 oz chopped walnuts
  • 75 g Brie chopped, and a good handful freshly chopped basil

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients for the dough into a bowl and mix until all the flour has been picked up.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, then put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.
  • Line baking trays and dust with a little flour.
  • Divide the dough into three pieces.
  • Incorporate the peppers and onions into one piece and divide into 75 g/3 oz balls.
  • Place on a baking tray, then cut a cross on the top of each one.
  • Incorporate the Stilton and walnuts into the second piece of dough, then divide the dough into 75 g/3 oz pieces.
  • Roll each into a sausage and tie in a knot, then place on a baking tray.
  • Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a rectangle 1 cm/1⁄2 inch thick and scatter the top with the Brie and basil.
  • Starting from the long side, roll up the rectangle and press lightly on the edge to seal.
  • Cut through the sausage every 5 cm/2 inches and place each piece, cut-side down, on a baking tray.
  • Leave all the rolls to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread

Farl

Farl

This bread is a very English loaf, traditionally baked on the bottom of the oven, hence its other name: oven bottoms!
Portions:1 large loaf
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Ingredients

  • 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 10 g salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 60 g butter softened
  • 300 ml water

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix for 4 minutes.
  • Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable.
  • Leave in the bowl to rise for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Tip the dough out onto your floured surface and shape into a ball, then flatten into a circle about 5 cm/2 inches thick.
  • Put on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Cover the top of the dough with flour and, starting from the middle, make vertical slashes down the dough all the way round.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread

Stilton and Walnut Wholemeal Loaf

Stilton and Walnut Wholemeal Loaf

This bread was one of the first breads I made when I worked at the Chester Grosvenor Hotel. It was produced for the restaurant and went well with the cheeseboard. It’s a real old favourite. You can also make this bread with 100 per cent white flour. This will give a slightly different texture.
Portions:1 loaf
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Ingredients

  • 100 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
  • 400 g wholemeal flour
  • 10 g salt
  • 20 g yeast
  • 50 g butter softened
  • 300 ml water
  • 100 g Stilton cheese crumbled
  • 125 gwalnuts chopped

Instructions

  • Put the flours, salt, yeast and butter into a bowl.
  • Add the water, a little at a time, and gradually incorporate all the flour from the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable.
  • Put back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Add the Stilton and walnuts to the dough and mix well together.
  • Divide the dough into three pieces and roll each one into a long sausage.
  • Plait the dough – place the three strips side by side and join them at the top, then bring the right strip over the middle strip, then the left strip over, and continue until the plait is complete.
  • Put on the tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.
  • Bake the loaf for 30 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course Bread / Cheese / Nuts

Multi-flavoured Bread

Multi-flavoured Bread

Portions:4 loaves
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Ingredients

For the toppings

  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • flour
  • grated cheese

Instructions

  • Line 2 baking trays.
  • Make the doughs and divide them into 100 g/31⁄2 oz pieces, then shape them into balls.
  • Place one ball of dough on the tray and surround with 5 balls of different flavours.
  • Make similar circles with the remaining balls, then leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • The individual circles of dough will join up to form loaves.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Et voila – multi flavours!
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Course Bread