Paul Hollywood Recipes

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01/05/2012 03:24

FOC A CC I A MAKES

2 / PREP 3 hours / BAKE 15 minutes

This lovely, oil-rich Italian bread is great for sharing and is particularly good served Ìill warm with extra virgin olive oil for dÔping, and perhaps some salad and olives or antÔaÌi. The dough here is really quite wet, so you might well prefer to knead it in a mixer. However, I’ve suggeÌed you make it by hand because it’s useful to get to know the feel of a good, wet dough and this one is a little more manageable than, for example, a ciabatta.

500g Ìrong white bread flour, plus extra for duÌing 10g salt 10g inÌant yeaÌ 140ml olive oil, plus extra for kneading and to finish 360ml cool water Fine semolina for duÌing (optional) To finish Flaky sea salt Dried oregano

1. Lightly oil a 2–3 litre square plaÌic container. (It’s important to use a square tub as it helps shape the dough.)

2. TÔ the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeaÌ to the other. Add 40ml of the olive oil and threequarters of the water, and turn the mixture round with your fingers.

Continue to add water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more. You want dough that is very soÓ – wetter than a Ìandard bread dough. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.

3. Coat the work surface with some of the remaining olive oil, then tÔ the dough onto it and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5–10 minutes.

Work through the initial wet Ìage until the dough Ìarts to form a soÓ, smooth skin. This is supposed to be a wet, Ìicky dough, so try not to add more flour.

4. When your dough feels soÓ and elaÌic, put the dough into the oiled tub. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at leaÌ doubled in size – about 1 hour.

5. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment and drizzle with olive oil.

6. Put more olive oil on the work surface and duÌ with fine semolina if you have some. Carefully tÔ the dough onto the surface. Rather than knocking it back, handle it gently so you keep as much air in the dough as possible. Divide the dough in half. Stretch each piece out to a flat, even piece and place on a baking tray.

7. Put each tray into a clean plaÌic bag and leave to prove for about 1 hour, until the dough is doubled in size and Írings back quickly if you prod it lightly with your finger. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220˚C. 8. Make deep dimples in the focaccia with your fingers, pushing them all the way through the dough to the bottom. Drizzle each focaccia with olive oil and Írinkle with a little flaky sea salt and oregano, then bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Tap the bottom of the focaccia and you should hear a hollow sound. Trickle with more olive oil, then cool on a wire rack.

B A S IC BR E A DS

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09/05/2012 12:27

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10/12/2012 11:09

CRUMPETS Crisp and golden brown on the outside, yet light and fluffy within, these are magical. Once you’ve tried making them, you’ll never pick up a packet in the supermarket again. Crumpets do take a bit of practice to get right but you’ll soon get the knack.

Strong flour gives the crumpets their stretch and rise, while plain flour lends softness. Both yeast and bicarbonate of soda are used for leavening. You will need at least four 7–8cm metal rings to contain the batter, which can be cooked in batches.

MAKES 10–12 CRUMPETS

175g strong white bread flour 175g plain white flour 14g fast-action dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 350ml warm milk 150–200ml tepid water ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt Sunflower oil for cooking

Put both flours into a large bowl and mix in the yeast. In a jug, dissolve the sugar in the warm milk, then pour onto the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until you have a smooth batter. This will take 3–4 minutes and is hard work because the mixture is stiff, but it is essential to develop the protein strength in the batter and will ensure the crumpets develop their characteristic holes as they cook.

Cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel and leave to stand for about an hour. The mixture will rise and then begin to fall – you will see marks on the side of the bowl where the batter reached before it dropped. This indicates that the yeast has created its carbon dioxide and is now exhausted. The gluten will now have developed sufficiently to give the crumpets structure and enable them to rise and hold their shape.

In a jug, mix 150ml of the tepid water with the bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir this liquid into the batter until evenly combined, then gradually stir in as much of the remaining water as you need to get a thick dropping consistency. Cover the bowl and leave the batter to rest for about 20 minutes. Little holes will appear on the surface and the batter will become a bit sticky.

Heat a flat griddle or heavy-based frying pan on a medium-low heat.

Lightly but thoroughly grease the inside of at least four 7–8cm metal crumpet rings (ideally non-stick). Lightly grease the griddle or pan, using a crumpled piece of kitchen paper dipped in oil.

Continued overleaf

s o da bread s

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10/12/2012 11:09

Ladling the batter into a greased crumpet ring on the hot griddle.

The crumpet batter beginning to form bubbles on the surface as it cooks.

The set crumpet with burst bubbles on the surface, ready for turning.

Cooking the crumpet for a minute or two on the second side.

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s o da b r e ad s

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It’s a good idea to start with a trial crumpet. The first one is never the best, like the first pancake. Put a greased crumpet ring on the griddle.

Ladle enough batter into the ring to come just below the rim; it should be about 3cm deep. The temperature of the pan is important: it is better to cook the crumpet lower and slower than hot and fast.

After 6–8 minutes, the bottom of the crumpet should be browned and the rest almost cooked through. You’ll know when it is nearly ready once the top looks almost set and most of the bubbles that have formed on the surface have burst. You can slightly speed up the cooking by popping these bubbles as they appear, using the sharp tip of a knife.

When the crumpet is ready, the bubbles will stay open rather than fill up with liquid batter.

Turn the crumpet over carefully, using two kitchen tools, such as a spatula and a palette knife. Leave the crumpet to cook for another minute or two, then lift it off the griddle onto a wire rack. Remove the ring (if it sticks, run a small, sharp knife around the outside of the crumpet to loosen it).

Now that you have fine-tuned the time and temperature needed for your batter, you are ready to cook the rest of the crumpets in batches.

Serve the crumpets straight away, split or whole, with plenty of butter.

Alternatively, leave them to cool on the wire rack and toast them before enjoying with butter.

s o da bread s

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10/12/2012 11:10

03_Pies&Puds_SAVOURY.indd 56

13/09/2013 16:42

Bacon & egg pie se rv e s 6 For the rich shortcrust pastry 275g plain flour Pinch of fine salt 135g cold unsalted butter, diced 1 medium egg, beaten 1 tsp lemon juice 2–3 tbsp very cold water 1 egg, beaten, to glaze For the filling 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 200g unsmoked streaky bacon, diced 200g pork loin, cut into roughly 1.5cm dice 5 medium eggs 100g cream cheese 100g mature Cheddar, grated 1 tbsp chopped chives Salt and pepper Equipment 20cm loose-based sandwich tin, 4cm deep

This is a delicious savoury pie that really makes the most of a winning partnership. I love the way the whole eggs are hidden beneath the crust – if you get one when you cut into it, it’s like gaining a prize. Serve this hot for supper or cold for lunch.

To make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, do this in a food processor or a mixer and then transfer to a bowl.

Mix the egg with the lemon juice and 2 tbsp water. Make a well in the centre of the rubbed-in mixture and pour in the egg mix. Mix the liquid into the flour and fat mixture, using one hand; avoid overworking the dough. If it is too dry, add a splash more water.

When the dough begins to stick together, use your hands to gently knead it into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes.

For the filling, heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, until soft. Add the bacon and pork, increase the heat a little, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until any liquid from the meat has been driven off. Leave to cool completely.

Heat your oven to 200°C/gas 6 and have ready a 20cm loose-based sandwich cake tin, 4cm deep.

Beat two of the eggs with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the Cheddar and chives and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooled bacon mixture.

Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line the cake tin. Roll out the remaining pastry ready to form the lid.

Put the filling mixture into the pastry case. Make 3 evenly spaced depressions in the filling and crack the remaining eggs into them.

Brush the rim of the pastry with water and place the lid on top.

Press the edges to seal and trim off the excess neatly. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg and make a steam hole in the centre.

Bake in the oven for 50–55 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the pie to settle for at least 15 minutes before cutting. It is delicious hot or cold. savoury

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pies & tarts 57

13/09/2013 16:42

PA U L H O L LY W O O D ’S – BRITISH BAKING – Favourite recipes, from Cornish pasties to Bakewell tarts

CIDER CAKE M A K E S A N 18 C M C A K E

This is a light, plain cake, with a hint of apple flavour. Cider cakes are teatime favourites in cider-producing areas and many recipes use bicarbonate of soda as the raising agent.To activate it, you need an acidic ingredient and dry English cider does the job perfectly.

100g unsalted butter 100g light soft brown sugar 2 large eggs 225g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 150ml dry cider Icing sugar, for dusting

1.

Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Grease a deep 18cm round cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

2.

Beat the butter and sugar together with a handheld electric whisk until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together.

3.

Fold about a third of the flour mix into the whisked mixture, then fold in half of the cider, with a large metal spoon or spatula. Fold in another third of the flour, then the rest of the cider. Finally fold in the remaining flour until evenly combined.

4.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin and gently level the surface. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

5.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

EQUIPMENT

A deep 18cm round cake tin

THE SOUTH & SOUTHEAST

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