Bread winners: part 1

Rumpy Loaf

Nothing to do with what you might imagine, ‘rumpy' is an old name for a rolled round loaf - this one is fancy because of its intricate pattern

Preparation: 30 minutes, plus rising
Cooking: 45 minutes

Makes 1 loaf
15g fresh yeast
375g strong white flour
125g strong wholemeal flour

1 Put the yeast in a small bowl with 100ml warm water and mash lightly with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve.
2 Put the flours in a large bowl and stir in 11/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the fresh yeast mixture. Add about 225ml warm water, quickly mixing as you go - you should have a soft but not too sticky dough. Add a little more water or flour as necessary.
3 Lightly flour a worksurface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back when lightly pressed wit h your finger. Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 11/2-2 hours until doubled in size.
4 Heat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan oven) gas mark 6.

5 Briefly knead the dough for a couple of minutes to knock out any air pockets, shape into a ball, put on to a lightly floured baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. To test, lightly press the dough with a finger - if the dough springs back slowly it is ready to bake.
6 Slash the loaf in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife or scapel then bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaf and listen for a hollow sound - this means the bread is cooked. Cool on a wire rack.

Food editor's tip
If you can't get hold of fresh yeast, use 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast and stir into the flour before adding liquid.

Cottage Loaf

The one with knobs on. Two loaves in one, this rustic staple originally found favour as it could be made in the smallest of ovens.

Preparation: 35 minutes. plus rising
Cooking: 45 minutes

Makes 1 loaf
15g fresh yeast
500g strong white bread flour

1 Put the yeast in a small bowl with 100ml warm water and mash lightly with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve.
2 Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in 11/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the fresh yeast mixture. Add about 225ml warm water, quickly mixing as you go - you should have a soft but not too sticky dough. Add a little more water or flour as necessary.
3 Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 11/2-2 hours until doubled in size.
4 Briefly knead the dough for a couple of minutes to knock out any air pockets then divide into two-thirds and a third. Briefly knead each piece and shape into a ball. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
5 Heat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan oven) gas mark 6. Put the large ball on to a lightly floured baking sheet. Put the smaller ball on top and using two floured fingers push down through the centre of the small ball so that it joins to the larger ball. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. To test, lightly press the dough with a finger - if the dough springs back slowly it is ready to bake.
6 Generously dust the top of the loaf with flour and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaf and listen for a hollow sound - this means the bread is cooked. Cool on a wire rack.

Food editor's tip
If you can't get hold of fresh yeast, use 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast and stir into the flour before adding liquid.

Scottish Baps

Buns, baps, barm cakes - whatever you call them down your way, these soft but satisfying, floury rolls always pack a punch at lunch.

Preparation: 30 minutes, plus rising
Cooking: 20 minutes

Makes 8 rolls
15g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
500g strong white flour
175ml tepid whole milk plus extra to glaze

1 Put the yeast in a small bowl with the sugar and 75ml warm water and mash lightly with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve.
2 Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in 11/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the fresh yeast mixture. Add the tepid milk and about 100ml warm water, quickly mixing as you go - you should have a soft but not too sticky dough. Add a little more water or flour as necessary.
3 Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
4 Briefly knead the dough for a couple of minutes to knock out any air pockets then leave to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
5 Divide the dough into eight pieces. Shape each piece into a flat oval about 1cm thick. Space apart on a floured baking sheet and brush the tops with milk. Sift the tops heavily with more flour and prove for 30-45 minutes.
6 Heat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan oven) gas mark 6. Dust again with flour and make an impression with your thumb in the centre about 1cm deep. Bake for 15-20 minutes - the bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Food editor's tip
If you can't get hold of fresh yeast, use 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast and stir into the flour before adding liquid.

Soda farls

An essential ingredient of the great Ulster Fry, these griddled triangles are usually a soda or potato bread. A tasty way to start the day.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: about 20 minutes

Makes 4
450g plain white flour
1 teaspoon each caster sugar and bicarbonate of soda
300ml buttermilk

1 Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a low to medium heat. Put the flour in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt, the sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre, pour in the buttermilk and quickly mix together to form a soft dough.
2 Turn on to a lightly floured worktop and knead briefly to bring together. Flatten into a circle 1cm thick, then cut into quarters.
3 Sprinkle flour over the base of the pan, then gently cook the dough for 6-8 minutes each side until risen and golden. Serve warm for breakfast with bacon and eggs.

Food editor's tip
If you can't find buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar into 300ml whole milk. Leave to stand for 30 minutes before using.

Baguette

The perfect picnic food, the baguette has a long history of pleasing the discerning French palate - light, soft and crusty all at the same time.

Preparation: 35 minutes, plus rising
Cooking: 25 minutes

Makes 1 loaf
20g fresh yeast
500g strong white bread flour

1 Put the yeast in a bowl with 300ml warm water and mash lightly with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve.
2 Put the flour in a large bowl with 11/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the fresh yeast mixture. Flick over enough flour to just cover the yeasted liquid. Cover with a tea towel and leave to stand for 20 minutes until frothy.
3 Mix together the flour and incorporate up to 75ml warm water, adding a little at a time to form a soft dough.
4 Lightly flour a worksurface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 11/2 hours until doubled in size.
5 Briefly knead the dough for a couple of minutes to knock out any air pockets then leave to rise, covered, for 45 minutes. Knock back again, recover and leave to rise for another 45 minutes.
6 Flatten out into a rectangle to knock out any air bubbles, fold one side into the middle, then fold the other side over the first to overlap. Press lightly to seal then roll backwards and forwards to make a baguette shape about 60cm long.
7 Heat the oven to 240ºC (220ºC fan oven) gas mark 9. Put on a floured baking sheet, cover with a tea towel and prove for about 50 minutes until doubled in size. Cut several diagonal slashes into the loaf then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Food editor's tip
If you can't get hold of fresh yeast, use 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast and stir into the flour before adding liquid.

Cob Loaf

This down-to-earth loaf takes its name and shape from the cobblestones that once lay outside every village bakery.

Preparation: 35 minutes, plus rising
Cooking: 35 minutes

Makes 2 loaves
15g fresh yeast
500g strong wholemeal flour
milk for glazing
wheat or rye flakes for sprinkling

1 Put the yeast in a small bowl with 100ml warm water and mash lightly with a fork. Leave for 5 minutes to dissolve.
2 Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in 11/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the fresh yeast mixture. Add about 200ml warm water, quickly mixing as you go - you should have a soft but not too sticky dough. Add a little more water or flour as necessary.
3 Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 11/2-2 hours until doubled in size.
4 Knead the dough for a couple of minutes to knock out any air pockets then divide into two pieces. Briefly knead each piece and shape into a ball. Put on to lightly floured baking sheets and flatten each ball slightly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes until doubled in size.
5 Heat the oven to 230ºC (210ºC fan oven) gas mark 8. Brush each loaf with milk then sprinkle with a light covering of the wheat or rye flakes or make a cross with a scapel or sharp knife. Bake for 15 minutes then down the oven temperature down to 200ºC (180ºC fan oven) gas mark 6. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until the loaves sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

Food editor's tip
If you can't get hold of fresh yeast, use 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast and stir into the flour before adding liquid.

Click here to see more of our readers' loaves recipes

We have put together our 13 readers’ loaves recipes in one printer-friendly file. To view this click on 'Click here to download' below

The document is a PDF file. You can open the PDF to look at it, then save it on your computer, or save it directly to your computer, then open it. (You need to have Adobe software to view a PDF file. Download the free software here. http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader)

For more inspiring recipes, visit www.bakingmad.com