Sun-dried Tomato and Parmesan Biscuits

Now that the Great British Bake Off has finished Mary Berry & Paul Hollywood have released three episodes of "masterclasses" - where they show us how they'd have done the bakes.

The first episode featured these sun-dried tomato and parmesan biscuits and I have to say the minute I heard "sun-dried tomato" I was sold. Although I'm not a fan of regular tomatoes I find their dried, acidic and intensely flavoured sun-dried cousins irresistible.

I was pleased to find I could pick up the rather obscure sun-dried tomato paste in Waitrose. It's not my usual supermarket but they have such a fantastic range of ingredients that I have to pop by occasionally when I'm looking for a little something extra to add to my baking. I was disappointed to discover that if you're a MyWaitrose card holder you can get 50% off some of their baking range - great if you have a card...not so great if you don't and temporary cards aren't issued instore any more.

Ingredients: 
187g/6.5oz plain flour
2 eggs
0.5 tsp salt
62.5g/2.25oz unsalted butter, softened
40ml cold water
40g/1.5oz grated parmesan
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste

Method:
1. Beat the flour, one egg, salt, butter and water together in a mixer for around 5 minutes, until a soft dough is formed.

2. Add in the parmesan and sun-dried tomato paste and mix until combined.

3. Put dough on a lightly floured surface, roll out until 3mm thick and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Pre heat oven to 200c.

4. Cut out using a cutter and place on a lightly floured baking tray. Beat the remaining egg and gently apply an egg wash. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.

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Iced Finger Buns

Iced fingers are a classic British treat and you'll always find them stocked in the high street bakery. Sometimes this soft bun will be filled with whipped cream and jam and other times there is just a drizzle of icing over the top either way it's a satisfying treat.

This, again, is another Paul Hollywood recipe. He seems to be the miracle worker with yeasted doughs so when his recipe came at the top of the search results I knew I could trust the recipe to work and as always I wasn't let down.

Ingredients:
Buns:
250g strong plain bread flour
25g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter
1 egg
7g sachet of instant yeast
1 tsp salt
75ml warm milk
70ml water

Icing:
100g icing sugar
2.5 tsps cold water

1. Put all the ingredients for the buns in a large bowl, but hold back around half to a quarter of the water. Using your hands begin to form a dough - if required add more water.
   
2. Once a dough has formed knead in the bowl for 4-5 minutes before turning out onto a lightly floured surface and kneading for a further 10 minutes.
   
3. Once smooth and elastic place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to raise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
   
4. Once risen divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. You can use a scale to weigh the dough and divide by 6 to ensure regular shape.Form each piece into a bowl and then roll with the palms of your hands into sausage shapes of equal length.
   
5. Place the dough onto a baking rack, ensuring there is space for them to double in size. Cover with cling film again and leave to rise until doubled in size. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220c/Gas Mark 7.
   
6. Once risen remove the cling film and bake in the over for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
   
7. Mix together the icing sugar and water to form a thick icing. Dip the buns in the icing and use the back of a spoon to even the icing out. 
   

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Cheese and Bacon Oval Loaves

Bread is one of my favourite types of baking, in fact any yeast based bake is. Slightly inspired by the Great British Bake Off's bread week I turned to Paul Hollywood's 'How to Bake' book. With the weather being slightly grim a good comforting loaf was in order and there aren't many things more comforting than warm cheesey, bacon bread. Definitely best eaten when warm.

Ingredients:

• 400g strong white bread flour
• 100g rye bread (the original calls for strong wholemeal flour)
• 10g salt
• 10g instant yeast
• 30g unsalted butter
• 330ml water
• 8 rashers of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 150g cheddar cheese

1. Put the flour, salt, yeast and butter in a bowl. Make sure the salt and yeast are at opposite sides of the bowl. Mix the butter in with your fingers.
   
2. Put the bowl on the stand mixer and begin to add the water, keep adding until a rough dough is formed. Knead for another 5-10 minutes.
   
3. When the ball forms a smooth skin pop it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to raise for around an hour until it doubles.
   
4. Once the dough has risen begin to knead in the cheddar and bacon. Don't knead for too long.
   
   
   
5. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and form oval loaves and place onto two baking sheets. Cover with more cling film and leave to rise again. Pre heat the oven to 200c.
   
6. Once risen and the oven is up to temperature sprinkle the loaves with olive oil and bake for around 20 minutes. Tap on the bottom to ensure a hollow a sound.
   
   

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Delicious Danish Pastries!

Danish pastries have always been a favourite of mine when browsing the bakery aisle in the local supermarkets - always a dangerous location if you've not had breakfast! Finally, last weekend, I decided to give it my own go. If you want to do the same make sure you give yourself plenty of time, this isn't a quick bake!

I used Paul Hollywood's recipe which you can find here.

Ingredients:

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 80g caster sugar 
• 10g salt 
• 10g instant yeast 
• 2 medium eggs 
• 90ml cool water 
• 125ml lukewarm (not hot) full-fat milk 
• 250g chilled unsalted butter (use a high quality butter)

1. In your mixer bowl add the flour, sugar, salt and yeast - ensuring that the yeast and salt don't touch. Then add in the eggs, water and milk and begin to mix on a medium speed until combined (about 2 minutes) then increase to high speed for 6-7 minutes.
   
2. Shape into a ball, dust very lightly with flour and either pop into a clean plastic bag or wrap loosely in cling film to allow it to raise. Pop it into the fridge for an hour.

   

   High quality french butter is what you need!

3. Roll out the dough to a rectangle 50cm x 20cm. Bash the butter between two pieces of cling film until it is 33cm x 19cm. Then place the butter on top of your rolled out dough. Fold the dough with no butter on over the top of the butter. This should leave some butter exposed. Cut off this exposed butter and place it on top of the dough that you've just folded across. Then fold the remaining bit of dough (that used to have the butter on) on top of the butter. Seal around the butter and place in the fridge for an hour.
   
4. Remove from the fridge and roll out to 50cm by 20cm again. Again, fold over a third of the dough and fold the remaining third back over the dough. Put back into the fridge for an hour. Repeat this twice more.
   
5. Once this is finished leave it in the fridge for 8 hours/overnight. It is then ready to use and can be used in a range of different danish pastries. You can see my dough raised a little more than hoped but you can see lots of layers!
   
6. Preheat your oven to 200c.
7. I rolled out half my dough to 45cm x 15cm and cut into 7.5 squares and formed them into pinwheels - this is video is the simplest to show the technique. I then popped a dollop of creme patisserie on top and a raspberry before coating it in an egg wash.
   
8. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until a beautiful golden brown colour. I used the remainder of the dough to make lemon and lime pastries, chocolate pinwheels and pain au chocolats.
   

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