The idea for this pizza came from a Sicilian friend who had moved to Cyprus, opened a pizzeria and built a beehive oven to bake the pizzas in. The secret of a good pizza is to use fresh ingredients and to keep the flavours simple – you want to be able to taste the ciabatta base and not have it overwhelmed by the toppings.
This recipe is perfect for making pizzas and garlic bread: simply flatten the dough out and use as a pizza base or brush with garlic oil and you have instant garlic bread.
Place the flour, salt, yeast and 300ml of the water in a table mixer with a dough hook and mix on slow for 3 minutes (this will bring the ingredients together).
Then slowly begin to add the remaining water and mix for a further 5–8 minutes on a medium speed.
The dough should now be wet and stretch easily when pulled.
Place the dough into an oiled 2 litre square plastic tub and leave it to double in size, this should take about 1 hour in ambient room temperature (20–24°C/68–75°F).
Tip the dough out onto a heavily-floured surface and coat the top of the dough all over with flour.
Cut the dough in half lengthways and divide each piece in two so you have four pieces of dough.
Stretch out each piece of dough a little and place on two lined baking trays to rest for a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.
If there is no other recipe in this book you try, do try this – I promise you, it’s heaven. And if you’ve fallen out with your partner, make these and you’ll kiss and make up in no time!
On cold winter nights in the bakery I used to wait patiently for these to come out of the oven, still oozing with cheese. They’re great with coffee or as a light snack.
Make the croissant dough up to the point where it is ready to shape.
(At this stage you do not have to use all the dough, it can be frozen and will keep for 2–3 months. To defrost the dough, bring out of the freezer the night before and thaw overnight.)
Line several baking trays.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle, 3 mm/1⁄8 inch thick.
Cut the rectangle into 10 cm/4 inch strips, then cut each strip diagonally into triangles.
Once you have the triangles for the croissant, cut replica shapes from the ham and place on the dough and top with a little grated cheese.
Lay the triangles with the narrow points away from you, then roll each triangle up towards the point, ending with the tip underneath.
Bend the ends round to make the traditional croissant shape.
Put the croissants on the baking trays, brush with eggwash and leave to rise for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Bake the croissants for 20 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
I’ve included croissants – although not essentially a bread – because they are risen with yeast and have become a symbol throughout the world for everything French. Every French pastry chef I’ve met has claimed he has the best recipe for croissants. I’ve tried and tested them all and come to the conclusion that mine are the best! Take a bite and see what you think. You need to start this the day before.
Dilute the yeast with a little warm water and put with the flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in a little water until the dough becomes pliable.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well until it feels elastic.
Put the dough back in the bowl and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
Turn out the chilled dough onto your floured surface and roll it into a rectangle 60 x 30.
5 cm/24 x 12 inches.
Flatten the chilled butter into a rectangle about 1 cm/1⁄2 inch thick and lay it over two-thirds of the dough.
Bring the uncovered third of the dough into the centre, then fold the covered top third down, so that your dough is now in three layers.
Give the dough parcel a quarter turn so that the fold is on the right.
Return the dough to the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
Scatter some more flour over your table and roll out the dough to the same-sized rectangle as before.
Repeat the folding process, one side on top of the other, turn the dough again and place the dough back in the fridge for 1 hour.
You will need to repeat this whole process twice more before leaving the dough to rest, wrapped in clingfilm, overnight.
Line a baking tray.
Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough to 3 mm/1⁄8 inch thick and cut into 20.
5 x 20.
5 cm/8 x 8 inch squares.
Cut each square diagonally, making two triangles.
Lay the triangles on a lightly floured surface with the narrow points away from you, then roll each piece up from the edge nearest you towards the point, ending with the tip underneath.
Bend the ends round to make the traditional croissant shape.
Put the croissants on the baking tray and leave to rise for 11⁄2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Brush the croissants lightly with the eggwash and bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
During my time at the Dorchester Hotel in London, this brioche was a great favourite of the Sultan of Brunei. It’s fabulous when toasted and served on a bed of rocket salad, with a lemon and dill vinaigrette. You need to make the dough the day before.
Brioche was rumoured to have been first made around the area where Brie is made, so this is a marriage made in heaven. You need to make the dough the day before.
A truly French bread. The immortal line uttered by Marie Antoinette, allegedly, ‘Let them eat cake’, should have read ‘Let them eat brioche’, as this was more likely a scenario. You need to start this the day before.
