Cornish Saffron Bread
The Really Quite Good British Cookbook features recipes from well-known and lesser-known Britons, including Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson. This recipe for Cornish saffron bread is by chef and presenter Allegra McEvedy, known among other things for the LEON chain and cookbooks.
The Really Quite Good British Cookbook will be available from 12 March at bookshops and online, but you can reserve it here in advance. Allegra: ‘Since Cornish blood runs through my veins, I am convinced that my ancestors got their hands on this rare spice, whose price per kilo is higher than that of gold, undoubtedly by plundering or smuggling. Well, with such a jagged coastline full of hidden caves and coves, it is only natural to hide a few things here and there. This recipe makes a beautiful yellow bread with a lovely crust. Delicious eaten warm, but in the Cornish tradition this sweet bread can take a beating – slices that are a few days old are best toasted briefly. As far as we’re concerned, jam is just a little too much of a good thing; even my two-year-old toddler agrees.’
Method
Put the milk and saffron in a saucepan and leave to infuse over low heat for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with plastic wrap.
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the cubes of butter and the salt, and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the brown sugar and nutmeg.
Gently reheat the milk and stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Slowly mix from the centre until a ball forms, turn the ball out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth, supple dough.
Mix the currants with the candied peel and mix one third into the dough. Knead a few times, add another third and repeat with the final amount so that the currants and candied peel are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Grease a 900 g loaf tin (23 x 13 x 7 cm). Shape the dough into a rough loaf and place it in the tin. Put the tin in a plastic bag and tie it loosely. Leave in a warm place for 1 1⁄4-3 hours, until the dough has risen and springs back when you press it gently.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Brush the top of the loaf with milk and sprinkle with the cane sugar. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the bread has risen well and is lightly browned. Check whether the bread is done: carefully remove it from the tin and check that the bottom is cooked and coloured and that the loaf sounds hollow when you tap its base. If it is not quite done, return it to the oven and bake it for a little longer.
Leave to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, but don’t miss the chance to cut off a warm slice and spread it with butter.
Title: The Really Quite Good British Cookbook
Author: William Sitwell
Publisher: Veltman Uitgevers
Price: €30
