Please bare with me, yes it is another bread recipe and I do have a few more to type up, but I just love making bread. I have now baked 9 out of 100 recipes from Paul Hollywood’s book and can not wait to do the Greek section, the recipes are inspiring, some tell you a little history about the bread and the recipes are just so simple to follow. So far every recipe I have followed to the letter and everyone has come out perfect. Hope I haven’t jinxed myself now!

I am not following the book from start to finish, more picking my way through my favourite recipes first or ones that are practical and fit in and around our meals.

For example, proving as I type is a massive 3lb loaf in a loaf tin, this will be sliced and used to make gorgeous ham & mustard sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.

Some, like the loaf below, I’ve made just because they look so pretty. The Cottage Loaf is a very British shape, it originated around the 1500s and is still made in small bakeries all across the country. Who can blame them, it is rather cute. Its a lovely light & buttery bread and has to be one of my favourite so far.

So whatever the reason, why not give bread making a go, its a lot easier than you imagine, tastes so much better than the shop brought variety and you really do get a sense of achievement.

Buon appetito



Makes 1 loaf

400g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
30g yeast
60g butter, softened
250ml water

Please note, most of Paul’s recipe’s use fresh yeast, if you are using instant or dried just use 25% less than the recipe states.

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until you have a soft, pliable dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your fingers for 5 minutes, then put back into the bowl and rest the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8.

Tip the dough out onto your floured surface, rip off a third of the dough and shape into a ball. Shape the remaining dough into a ball and place the smaller ball onto the larger one. Flatten slightly with your hand. Push your finger down through the centre of the loaf from top to bottom until you can feel the table, this is great fun! Dust the loaf with flour and using a sharp knife, make vertical slashes from the top of the loaf to the bottom.

Put onto a lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Mr Hollywood suggests you serve with chunks of cheese, sounds perfect to me & some lovely pickle would  just finish this off a treat, oh and maybe a cold beer !