This is much a “use up the left-overs” bread, using up some spiced olives (the ones normally found in the chiller cabinet at the supermarket) and the end of a block of mature Cheddar. I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes for that wonderfully intense umami flavour you get: sun-dried tomatoes are one of my must-have store cupboard ingredients! Continue reading “Cheese, olive & tomato sourdough”
Category: Bread
Simple fennel breadsticks – focaccia-style
These are very easy breadsticks to make. They taste wonderful and a large batch can be made at a fraction of the cost of shop-bought breadsticks! Perfect with any dip, although I have photographed these breadsticks with baba ghanoush, that wonderfully smokey aubergine dip (recipe here). Continue reading “Simple fennel breadsticks – focaccia-style”
English breakfast muffins
Updated Feb 2017: new photos of the muffins
Perfect sliced, toasted and buttered, English muffins (well, “muffins” to those of us brought up in the UK!) are very simple to make and require very little attention. And as with most home-made breads, they taste so much better than any you can buy – and for a fraction of the cost. Continue reading “English breakfast muffins”
Easy seeded flatbreads with sun-dried tomato hummus
Two incredibly simple things to make that go so well together: a really perfect dip to share as a snack, a starter, part of a picnic…….. Continue reading “Easy seeded flatbreads with sun-dried tomato hummus”
Fool-proof anchovy, onion & garlic focaccia
Focaccia remains up there in my top breads, in terms of making and eating, and while a standard focaccia is a delight, I love experimenting with flavours. Continue reading “Fool-proof anchovy, onion & garlic focaccia”
Easy spiced brioche pudding in a lemongrass custard
Essentially this is my take on bread and butter pudding, using a spiced brioche loaf I had left over. Continue reading “Easy spiced brioche pudding in a lemongrass custard”
Bruschetta: when simplicity reigns!
Bruschetta is one of those things that cannot fail to put a smile on my face when I eat it. Perfect as a starter, served with barbeque food or just as a light bite at any time of the day, one slice is never enough. Continue reading “Bruschetta: when simplicity reigns!”
Chocolate & cherry brioches
This is my chocolate and cherry version of a brioche: very rich, with a buttery interior that is actually very light to eat and practically melts in the mouth. Continue reading “Chocolate & cherry brioches”
Orange & vanilla rum babas
Surely it is time for a full-on revival of these fabulous 1970s dessert trolley staples? Continue reading “Orange & vanilla rum babas”
1-minute smoked mackerel pâté
This is an insanely simple and almost instant smoked mackerel pâté that is seriously big on flavour – perfect spread liberally on hot toast or eaten with a baguette as part of a light snack. Continue reading “1-minute smoked mackerel pâté”
Spiced brioche boule
This is my spiced fruit version of a brioche: rich, well spiced with a buttery, citrussy flavour;tiny bursts of orange-soaked cranberries, apricots and raisins add sharp sweetness to the brioche. Continue reading “Spiced brioche boule”
Gooseberry chutney
This is my very simple recipe for gooseberry chutney that is made in about 20 minutes: a perfect partner for cheese or smoked fish.
Hot cross buns with attitude
These are light, full-flavoured sticky buns that have had slow rises to give a far greater depth of flavour. Small pieces of dried cranberries, juicy raisins, ginger and vibrant bursts of citrus run through the sweet, spiced dough. Continue reading “Hot cross buns with attitude”
Piccalilli: a prince among preserves!
Piccalilli is one of my favourite preserves and making a batch late summer is something of an annual ritual that I always look forward to. Continue reading “Piccalilli: a prince among preserves!”
Bread: tips & ideas for the novice home baker and upwards!
updated with further ideas & some newer photos
This post is part of my Baking tips page, along with tips for macarons, croissants, cake decorating ideas and pastry.
Barely a day goes by when I am not either baking or proving a bread of some type, whether it is a sourdough bread or a bread using commercial yeast: it’s a wonderfully tactile and intensely therapeutic process. There are certainly few greater pleasures in baking than the evocative smell of bread as it is baking, followed by eating warm bread that has been spread liberally with good quality butter: simplicity at its very best!
This post is about the basic, but nonetheless majestic bread loaf, made with commercial yeast as opposed to using a sourdough starter, although I dip into pre-ferments as a wonderfully simple way to add even better depth of flavour to bread. I have also posted guidelines for different types of bread, such as focaccia, one…
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Cheese & onion sourdough crumpets
These particular crumpets arose from an idea that came to me late one night – as is often the way! Continue reading “Cheese & onion sourdough crumpets”
30-minute sourdough crumpets
I am firmly of the belief that a hot crumpet, slathered with butter, perhaps with some excellent quality jam, is one of life’s greatest foodie pleasures. Continue reading “30-minute sourdough crumpets”
The simplest, quickest sourdough flatbreads in about 20 minutes!
When you feed a sourdough starter, you discard some of the starter so that you can top the remaining starter with more water and flour: that way you get a fairly constant volume of starter rather than having litres of it in many containers all over the place! Continue reading “The simplest, quickest sourdough flatbreads in about 20 minutes!”
Cranberry, orange & fennel seed biscotti
I adore a good biscotti, but have never been a fan of the (ridiculously expensive!) ones you can buy in coffee shops and the like that can be little more than an expensive work-out for the jaw! Continue reading “Cranberry, orange & fennel seed biscotti”
Walnut & raisin “tear and share” bread centrepiece with melted Brie
Cheese, bread, walnuts and apple: great culinary bed-fellows that revel in their modesty! Continue reading “Walnut & raisin “tear and share” bread centrepiece with melted Brie”
Treacle tart with a hint of orange
For me, a treacle tart is the epitome of comfort food, especially with the nights drawing in and the temperature outside dropping of an evening! Continue reading “Treacle tart with a hint of orange”
Black garlic bread rolls
A fairly new ingredient to me, I tried my first black garlic just the other day: I just peeled it and ate it as it was. I have to say, I initially had mixed feelings about the flavour: concentrated balsamic vinegar with a hint of aniseed, with a sweet garlic flavour (more like roasted garlic flavour than raw garlic) just coming through. Continue reading “Black garlic bread rolls”
Fool-proof bagels
I say fool-proof, but this is a recipe I have used for many years. I also use it when teaching how to make bagels at cookery classes and am always thrilled by the excellent results from the classes.
Roasted onion, chorizo & Parmesan focaccia
I have posted several focaccia recipes on this blog, and while I make my roasted garlic focaccia many times more than any other flavour, I do like to play around a little. This time, I used ingredients lurking around in the fridge and the larder! Continue reading “Roasted onion, chorizo & Parmesan focaccia”
Beetroot & toasted walnut sourdough
Beetroot bread is nothing new but I like to add walnuts to the dough for added crunch and the lovely flavour they give, which is a great complement to the slight earthiness you get from the beetroot here. I gently toasted the walnuts here to really bring out the flavour. Continue reading “Beetroot & toasted walnut sourdough”
Mini savoury doughnuts with a red pepper chutney filling
When it comes to sweet doughnuts, my penchant is for those near-spherical doughnuts that are dusted with caster sugar and filled with fresh jam: ideally strawberry jam for me but I would hardly turn down any jam if it is in a doughnut! Continue reading “Mini savoury doughnuts with a red pepper chutney filling”
Chocolate, cranberry & orange sourdough
This sweet sourdough loaf is stuffed with juicy dried cranberries that have been soaked in orange juice, and chunks of dark chocolate. While the aroma of the dough as you work with it is wonderful, the smells wafting through the house as it bakes is out of this world! Continue reading “Chocolate, cranberry & orange sourdough”
Multi-grain bread made with smoked flour
A very simple bread with bags of flavour, courtesy of slow rises, a selection of seeds and different flours, with a hint of smoky flavour coming through the smoked flour I used. Mind you, if you can’t get hold of smoked flour you can replace it with standard white flour or wholemeal flour, for example. Continue reading “Multi-grain bread made with smoked flour”
Chocolate & Orange Battenberg Cake
When I make a Battenberg cake I usually I go for a coffee and walnut one: my favourite cake flavours! This time, though, I’ve gone for orange and dark chocolate. Continue reading “Chocolate & Orange Battenberg Cake”
Local cheese & ale sourdough
A sourdough boule made from ingredients that are fairly local to me in Surrey, UK. The cheese (Spenwood) is strong and nutty; the ale (Hogs Back Brewery) is so easy to drink! They do not take over from the deep tang of the bread but they are most certainly there as complementary bedfellows! Continue reading “Local cheese & ale sourdough”
An insanely simple no-knead Chorizo & Parmesan focaccia
Focaccia is up there in my top 3 breads, both to make and to eat. Characteristically bouncy, with many irregular holes in the bread itself, it tastes great and needs very little to accompany it. And it is VERY easy to make. Continue reading “An insanely simple no-knead Chorizo & Parmesan focaccia”
Easy fennel seed & smoked garlic sourdough grissini
These crisp grissini are easy to make and have bags of flavour. I often make them using some sourdough starter that I had discarded prior to feeding the main starter, just adding more flour and water to give a dough that handles well. Continue reading “Easy fennel seed & smoked garlic sourdough grissini”
Tiger bread: with bakingmad.com & Allinson
I just cannot stop making bread of all types, shapes and sizes: it is, unashamedly, something of an addiction! While there are many breads I bake most happily over and over again, I love encountering breads that I have not baked before. Continue reading “Tiger bread: with bakingmad.com & Allinson”
“deconstructed pesto” sourdough loaf
“Deconstructed pesto” sourdough
To be honest, my heart usually sinks whenever I see the word “deconstructed” on a menu: rarely do such dishes seem to add anything new after all that tinkering with a classic! But in a very tongue-in-cheek way I felt I had to flirt with this trend in this bread in at least the title of this recipe! Continue reading ““deconstructed pesto” sourdough loaf”
Roasted garlic, red pepper & parmesan bread “flower”
This is my savoury version of the classic Fiore di pan brioche, this time using a standard bread dough into which roasted puréed garlic and olive oil are added prior to kneading. Packed with flavour, it is great fun to make and is excellent as a tear and share bread. Continue reading “Roasted garlic, red pepper & parmesan bread “flower””
Ciabatta with a touch of rye
Although I am an unashamed bread addict, I will confess that until fairly recently I have never got excited by ciabatta; I have tried many ciabatta but have never really been blown away by the flavour – and particularly with bread, I like to be blown away! Continue reading “Ciabatta with a touch of rye”
Smoked ham focaccia with confit onions
Another focaccia variation, this time using up some left-over hams after Christmas. I used a mixture of Parma and Black Forest ham, taking off the fat and chopping it into smallish pieces. The salty-smokeyness of the hams adds a lovely flavour to the focaccia. Continue reading “Smoked ham focaccia with confit onions”
Brioche Stollen with a citrus marzipan
I have gone for more of a spiced brioche-type dough here, resulting in a stollen that leans more towards a cake in terms of texture than a bread, which I prefer here. For me a stollen does need a buttery, rich flavour that crumbles away and melts in the mouth, which is precisly what this brioche-style dough achieves. Continue reading “Brioche Stollen with a citrus marzipan”
Roasted garlic, rosemary and Parmesan focaccia
A rustic, but immensely satisfying focaccia, using three of my favourite savoury flavours: Parmesan, garlic and rosemary – very much a case of allowing simple ingredients to shine. Continue reading “Roasted garlic, rosemary and Parmesan focaccia”
Bread: tips & ideas for the novice home baker and upwards!
There are few greater pleasures than the evocative smell of bread as it bakes, followed by eating warm bread that has been spread liberally with good quality butter: simplicity at its very best!
This post is about the basic, but nonetheless majestic bread loaf, made with commercial yeast, along with simple variations. I dip into pre-ferments as a great way to add even better depth of flavour to bread and I also give recipe links for classics such as focaccia.
My detailed post on sourdough bread, focusing on making and maintaining a sourdough starter, as well as how to make an excellent sourdough loaf with variations, can be found here.
Continue reading “Bread: tips & ideas for the novice home baker and upwards!”
The quickest & easiest croissants: 20-minute lamination!
Quicker croissants: 20-minute lamination!
A batch of traditionally made croissants can take the best part of a weekend with all the resting and chilling in between the turns and at other stages.
Don’t get me wrong, making croissants this way is one of the top baking pleasures for me, but there are certainly times when effective shortcuts are called for. And this shortcut is certainly effective in that it gives excellent results and is easier to achieve than traditional croissants. Continue reading “The quickest & easiest croissants: 20-minute lamination!”
Kouign-amann pastries
This is my version of this buttery, caramelised pastry, Kouign-amann: roughly pronounced “queen ah-marn”. Oh, and these really are truly buttery and flaky, with a nice salty kick and terrific caramelisation all over. Continue reading “Kouign-amann pastries”
Sun-dried tomato & basil bread
I am such a bread addict and I am always playing around with flavours that excite me for breads that I make. High summer in each mouthful, this is a very full-flavoured bread that is seriously easy to eat! Continue reading “Sun-dried tomato & basil bread”
Croissaladière (anchovies, olives, confit shallots on croissant dough)
The classic Pissaladière is true celebration of the simplest of ingredients that give the most impressive of flavours. A thin bread base with a topping of slightly sweet confit shallots, salty anchovies and juicy olives (green, black, stuffed or a mixture!). It makes for the most wonderful light meal. Continue reading “Croissaladière (anchovies, olives, confit shallots on croissant dough)”
Walnut & raisin sourdough
This is, I think, a very special bread, with a deep savoury flavour punctuated by bursts of juicy raisins amid the crunch of walnuts. I was given tasters of this bread at a local bakery the other day and immediately fell in love with it (although I was less in love with the price!), so I couldn’t wait to try to recreate this bread at home. Continue reading “Walnut & raisin sourdough”
Pear, walnut & Gorgonzola sourdough
These full-flavoured loaves have been very much a firm favourite in our house for many years and while it is great as a non-sourdough bread, the sourdough version is seriously terrific. Of all the flavoured breads I make, this is one I make more than any other. Continue reading “Pear, walnut & Gorgonzola sourdough”
Perfecting Baguettes
If you want shatteringly crisp baguettes with depth of flavour and an open crumb, this will tick all those boxes. This is a real artisanal bread and is a joy because of its lack of fuss! Continue reading “Perfecting Baguettes”
Pain de Campagne
A gorgeous bread, with real flavour, this is a few notches above the supermarket artisinal breads – and it can be made for a fraction of the cost. Great just as it is with butter and jam but wonderful toasted for breakfast. The simplest of life’s pleasures! Continue reading “Pain de Campagne”
Making Sourdoughs
A decent sourdough loaf is joy to eat: a crispy crust, a soft but slightly chewy interior and layers of flavour in each bite.
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Making sourdough bread
A decent sourdough loaf is joy to eat: a crispy crust, a soft but slightly chewy interior and layers of flavour in each bite. Continue reading “Making sourdough bread”
Phil's Home Kitchen 