Читать книгу Home Chef - Neven Maguire - Страница 62

550g (lib 3‘/20z) strong plain white flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

50g (2oz) butter, diced and chilled

7g sachet of easy blend dried yeast

100g (4oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

50g (2oz) dried ready-to-eat figs, finely chopped

sunflower oil, for oiling

butter, to serve

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the yeast, walnuts and figs until evenly combined.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and then pour in 350ml (12fl oz) lukewarm water. Quickly mix to a smooth dough, then turn out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Knock the dough back by punching it lightly with a clenched fist, then divide it in half, shaping each piece into a smooth round. Put on baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper and cover each one with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise again in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7. Remove the damp tea towel from the loaves and slash the tops 4-5 times with a sharp knife. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5 and bake for another 25-30 minutes, swapping the sheets on the oven shelves halfway through cooking.

When cooked, the loaves should sound hollow if tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. The bread can be wrapped in cling film and stored in a bread bin for 1-2 days.

To serve, arrange a loaf on a bread board and cut into slices at the table. Serve with butter.