ACTIVITIES


Ingredients


8g Fresh yeast 50ml Warm milk 8g Salt 250g Strong bread flour 3 Eggs


175g Softened unsalted butter 15g Sugar A little egg for glazing


A little butter or oil for greasing


Making the Dough 1. Place the flour in a bowl with the sugar and salt


2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk


3. Add the beaten eggs to the yeast and milk and whisk together


4. Add this to the flour and work into a stiff dough either by hand or with a mixer until smooth and elastic.


5. Add the softened butter to the dough a little at a time making sure each addition is mixed in before adding the next.


6. Knead for a final 5 mins after the last of the butter is added. The dough should be smooth and elastic with a shine.


7. Take a clean bowl, and wipe the inside with a little vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to this.


8. Cover the bowl either with a cloth or if using clingfilm, poke a few holes in it so that oxygen can get in.


9. Leave in a warm place, about 24°C, for about 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. If it is a bit cooler, don’t worry, it will happen but it will just take a little longer. Be patient.


10. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently fold it in half 2 or 3 times.


11. Replace in the bowl, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.


12. Following on from this, you have 20 hours to use it.


Richard Blades has worked in hotel kitchens including The Savoy, The Connaught, Atlantic Bar and Grill and Simpsons in the Strand. He has appeared on television with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the late Clarissa Dickson-Wright. Richard now runs training courses and development support to Paul UK. You can see more of Richard’s recipes and tips on You Tube by searching for Maelle and Richard Cook


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Shaping the Nests 1. Lightly butter or oil your moulds. 2. Remove the dough from the fridge.


3. Turn out of the bowl and divide into 4 pieces. (It is probably a good idea while working on 1 piece to keep the others in the fridge as they become sticky when they start to warm up.)


4. Take the first piece and divide into 3. Roll each of these pieces into a sausage shape with the thickness of about 1cm.


5. Take the 3 rolls, join them together at one end and plait them. Form a ring and place it in your mould.


6. Repeat for the other 3 pieces. 7. Brush with a little beaten egg and leave to prove in a warm place until nearly doubled in size.


8. Re-brush with a little more beaten egg and bake in a hot oven at 210°C (200°C fan) for about 10 mins or until deep golden brown.


9. Remove from the moulds and leave on a cooling wire to cool.


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