Recipes

Traditional Easter Fruit Bread

Traditional Easter Fruit Bread

This fragrant, fruity Easter bread is a delightful alternative to chocolate treats, perfect for the Easter weekend!
Couverts2 loaves
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Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • baking tray
  • Knife
  • Wire rack
  • Measuring cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, yeast, sugar, butter, and eggs.
  • Gradually add the milk and water mixture, binding the ingredients together for 3 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  • Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1.
  • 5 hours.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Knead in the cinnamon, mandarins, sultanas, mixed peel, and citrus zests until evenly distributed.
  • Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape into balls.
  • Flatten each ball to about 7.
  • 5 cm (3 inches) thick, then score each piece into eight segments with a knife.
  • Place the shaped dough on the baking tray, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F, Gas Mark 7).
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before serving.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serving Tip:

Serve warm with butter or honey, or enjoy toasted for a delicious Easter breakfast!

Wine Advice:

Pair with a sweet dessert wine such as Moscato or a light sparkling wine.

Nutrition values

Calories: 220 kcal | koolhydraten: 40 g | Eiwitten: 6 g | Vet: 6 g | Suiker: 10 g
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Course; Bread / Dessert / Fruit / Pastry
Cuisine; England
Diets; Vegetarian

Ricotta and Chive Loaf

Ricotta and Chive Loaf

Couverts1 loaf
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Ingredients

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

Halloumi and Mint Bread

Halloumi and Mint Bread

This is a traditional Cypriot bread, and is eaten throughout the year in Cyprus.
Couverts1 loaf
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast into a bowl and slowly add enough water just to bring the ingredients together.
  • Mix for 3 minutes, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  • (If you are using a food mixer, use the hook and mix for 5 minutes in total.
  • ) Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Add the cheese and dried mint to the dough and shape into a sausage.
  • Taper the ends and place on the baking tray to rest for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Cut diagonal slashes across the top of the dough and dust with flour.
  • Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Course; Bread / Cheese
Cuisine; Cyprus / European

Cheese Straws

Cheese Straws

Couverts40 sticks
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm/1⁄2 inch thick and brush with beaten egg.
  • Sprinkle with paprika and coat generously with the Parmesan.
  • Fold one third in and then fold the remaining dough on top and rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Repeat this twice more.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Roll out the dough to 1 cm/1⁄2 inch thick and cut into long strips.
  • Twist each strip in opposite directions to create a spiral effect, then place on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve warm.
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Course; Bread / Cheese
Cuisine; European / Italian

Pane Tuscana with Dolcelatte Cheese

Pane Tuscana with Dolcelatte Cheese

I spent the summer of 2002 in and around Tuscany making bread with local bakers. This bread brings back good memories. The lack of salt in the recipe will be compensated for by the fermentation of the dough. You need to start this the day before.
Couverts1 loaf
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix half the flour with all the yeast and 150 ml/1⁄4 pint of the water until you have a thick batter-like consistency.
  • Leave to rise for 9 hours.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Add the remaining flour and water and the olive oil to the dough and mix in well, then knead for 5 minutes.
  • Slowly add the cheese – it will get very messy but persevere, add a little flour if it gets too wet.
  • Roll up into a sausage and join the ends together.
  • Dust with flour, put 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 30 minutes, allow to cool a little and serve warm.
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Course; Bread / Cheese
Cuisine; European / Italian

Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes and Garlic

Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes and Garlic

Focaccia are both gorgeous to look at and to eat. They epitomize the Italian philosophy on bread – simple but effective flavourings. You will need to prepare the garlic oil the night before.
Couverts1 loaf
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the garlic to the olive oil then leave to infuse overnight.
  • Put the flour, salt, yeast, half the infused olive oil and all the water into a large bowl and mix together for 4 minutes.
  • Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes, then put back in the bowl to rest for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Tip the dough out onto your floured surface and roll out a rectangle about 2.
  • 5 cm/1 inch thick.
  • Sprinkle with the salt water and the remaining olive oil, then, using a knife, prick the top of the dough all over.
  • Place the tomatoes on top of the dough, then put 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 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
  • Eat warm.
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Course; Bread / Cheese
Cuisine; European / Italian

Focaccia Pugliese with Mozzarella

Focaccia Pugliese with Mozzarella

This is based on a bread I made while working in Italy in 2002. You do not need the sun belting down – but it helps!
Couverts1 arge bread
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the flour, salt, yeast, half the olive oil and all the water into a bowl and mix together to make a pliable dough.
  • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.
  • Line a baking tray.
  • Divide the dough into two pieces, or leave as 1 large bread.
  • Stretch the dough out with your hands so it is about 5 cm/2 inches thick and oval in shape.
  • Put it on the baking tray and prick the top with a knife (this will restrict its growth).
  • Brush the top with about 30 ml/1 fl oz of the salt water and the remaining olive oil.
  • Cover the top of the bread with the mozzarella, then leave the dough to rise for 45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
  • Bake the bread for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Serve with an olive salad and a glass of good Tuscan wine like Montelpulciano.
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Course; Bread / Cheese
Cuisine; European / Italian

Ham and Cream Pizza

Ham and Cream Pizza

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.
Couverts1 pizza
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Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

For the dough

Instructions

  • To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and fry gently for a further minute.
  • Stir in the rest of the ingredients and season to taste.
  • Bring the sauce to the boil, then leave to simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Before using, remove the bay leaves.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.
  • Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 25.
  • 5 cm/10 inch diameter circle and place on a baking tray.
  • Bake for 5 minutes (this kills the yeast in the dough).
  • Lightly spread the tomato sauce onto your pizza base and sprinkle sparingly with the Gorgonzola, then cover with the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses.
  • Pour the double cream all over the pizza and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
  • Take the pizza out of the oven and place thin layers of ham on the top.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition values

Calories: 840 kcal | koolhydraten: 29 g | Eiwitten: 41 g | Vet: 64 g | Verzadigd vet: 21 g | Natrium: 1787 mg | Suiker: 17 g
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Course; Pizza
Cuisine; European / Italian

Chocolate Croissants

Chocolate Croissants

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!
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Make the croissant dough up to the point where it is ready to shape.
  • Line several baking trays.
  • Roll out the dough to 3 mm/1⁄8 inch thick and cut into 7. 5 x 12. 5 cm/3 x 5 inch rectangles.
  • Put a piece of a Chocolate Orange at the short end of each rectangle and roll up into a parcel.
  • Brush each one with eggwash, place on the baking tray 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 remove from the oven and brush each one with the apricot jam.
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Course; Bread / Breakfast / Chocolate
Cuisine; European / French

Cheese and Ham Croissant

Cheese and Ham Croissant

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.
Couverts40 croissants
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Ingredients

For the filling

Instructions

  • 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.
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Course; Bread / Cheese / Pork
Cuisine; European / French