Atherton - Social sweets

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to a person who has given up her whole life to live with me in a foreign land, away from her family and friends and all that she once knew as normality. Not only has she stood by me in life but also in love and most of all as my best friend. She has supported my life in food. As all chef widows out there know, its not easy doing this, but my wife understands that my passion for food is the very thing that keeps the blood flowing through my veins. Irha, this book is for you. I love you so much. xxxx

INTRODUCTION

When I embarked on my career in cooking many years ago, I always wanted to do the macho things like cooking the meat and fish, making the sauces and prepping the big boxes of fresh-picked wild mushrooms straight from the New Forest.

Then one day, when I was working at Chez Nico, our head chef Paul Flynn told me we were really short in the pastry section and that he wanted me to start working there straight away. At the time I didnt have much experience in this department and it seemed to be a specialist area. Well, thats what I had always assumed. So the next day, with some trepidation, I turned up at the pastry section and entered an amazing world of precise measurement and exact skill. There was no room for macho muscle-flexing there, just total concentration and, above all else, disciplined teamwork. I loved my time as a pastry chef so much that I promised myself I would become expert in all areas of the pastry section, from bread-making, baking and tarts to ice creams and sorbets, parfaits and bombes.

I want to share with you some of my favourite recipes for sweet dishes so that you can try them at home. With pastry work you can have a lot of fun while you are mastering the skills that will give you great satisfaction and pride. I still remember when I pulled my first loaf of bread out of the oven. It felt such a big deal. I hope you get the same pleasures from this book as I did learning, cooking and writing.

Best, Jason

London 2015

BRE ADS & MUFFINS

BAGUETTE

In France, bakeries churn out warm baguettes fresh from the oven throughout the day because these breads are best eaten within a couple of hours of baking. In the UK, we rarely have this luxury so all the more reason to try and make them yourself. The sense of accomplishment that you get from making your own baguettes is hard to beat. I recommend a long proving time as it helps to develop the flavour of the bread.

MAKES 2 LOAVES

815g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

610ml tepid water

flavourless oil for brushing

12g fast-action dried yeast

Sift the flour and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water. Mix on low speed for a minute or so to combine the ingredients into an uneven mass. Cover the bowl with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rest for an hour.

Uncover the bowl and add the yeast to the dough. With the mixer on low speed, mix and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and springy. Cover again with the oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

Now give the dough a couple of folds. Cover the bowl again and leave in the fridge overnight. (This slow proving time is crucial for developing the flavour of the baguette.)

The next day, divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a long baguette. To do this, flatten the piece of dough with the palm of your hand into a round shape, then take one side and fold it into the centre. Do the same on the opposite side. Then fold over in half so the two original folded edges meet. Press down to seal the seams together. Turn the dough seam side down and, pressing evenly with the palms of both hands, gently roll the dough backwards and forwards until you have stretched it to a baguette shape 3035cm long. If the dough springs back as you roll it, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before continuing. For even baking, make sure the baguette shape is of a similar thickness throughout.

Place the baguettes on a floured baking sheet (or a floured baguette tray if you have one) and cover lightly with oiled cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas Mark 7. Dust the baguettes with flour, then slash the tops with a sharp knife. Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and give the oven walls a few sprays of water. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the baguettes are golden brown and crisp, and they sound hollow when tapped on the underside. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Best enjoyed freshly baked.

Baguette

BASIC WHITE BREAD

If you have never made bread before, there is no better place to start than with a simple white loaf. This bread is ideal for making sandwiches or simply eaten freshly toasted with a slab of good butter. Once youve mastered making this, you can begin to customise the recipe to your liking. For wholemeal bread, replace half of the flour with strong wholemeal flour. I also like to add a mixture of flaxseeds, linseeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds to make a beautiful seeded loaf.

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF

450g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoons caster sugar

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast (or 10g fresh yeast)

285300ml cold water

flavourless oil for greasing

Combine the flour, salt, sugar and dried yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. (If using fresh yeast, start by putting it in a small bowl with the sugar, stirring in a little tepid water until creamy and leaving for a few minutes until the yeast activates and begins to froth.) Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in 285ml of the water (if using fresh yeast, pour the frothy mixture into the flour with the water). Mix on low speed until the ingredients come together to make a soft but not too sticky dough. If the dough seems too wet, add a little more flour; if it is too dry, add a little more water.

When the dough has come together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with an oiled piece of cling film. Leave to rise in a warm spot for 12 hours or until doubled in size.

Knock back the dough by gently punching it down, then lightly knead a few times. Shape it into a neat log and place in a greased 900g loaf tin. Cover with the oiled cling film and leave to rise for 12 hours or until the dough has once again doubled in size: an indentation should be left when you gently prod the dough with your finger.

Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas Mark 7. Dust the risen loaf with a little flour, then slash the top with a sharp knife or clean razor blade. Bake for 3035 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then turn out the loaf on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Store in a bread bin for up to 3 days or slice, wrap and freeze for a month.