Neven Maguire - Home Chef

Alternatively, to make the bread by hand, place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast, lukewarm water and salt and mix with your fingers for 2-3 minutes to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself until it gathers into a rough mass. Turn the dough out on to a well-floured work surface; lightly flour your hands. Knead for 6-8 minutes using the heel of your hand, until the dough is smooth and pliable. The dough will be very sticky at first; keep your hands and the work surface lightly floured, using a dough scraper if necessary to prevent it from sticking and building up on the work surface. As you continue kneading, the dough will become more elastic and easier to handle.

Shape the dough into a loose ball, then place in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Lightly oil two 450g (1lb) loaf tins. Knock back the risen dough by punching it lightly with a clenched fist to knock out trapped bubbles, then turn it out again on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until it becomes springy and very smooth. Divide the dough into two even-sized pieces and shape each into a rectangle using the length of the tin as a rough guide. Place in the prepared tins, smoothing down the tops and leave to prove (increase in size) for another 10 minutes until slightly risen.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4. Brush the tops of the loaves with the beaten egg mixture. Bake for 45 minutes until the loaves are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tipped out of the tins and tapped on the bottom. Return to the tins and leave for 5 minutes on a heatproof surface, then transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

To serve, cut the bread into slices and arrange in a bread basket with a pot of butter. Wrap any remaining bread in cling film and store in a bread bin or dark cupboard for 1-2 days.

1. Dough before being covered

2. After 1 hour: doubled in size

3. Knocking back the dough

4. Kneading with heel of hand

This is the first thing we make every morning at the restaurant. Guests who have stayed overnight can wake up to the smell wafting around the house. The bread is delicious sprinkled with a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds or sunflower seeds before baking. If you don’t have any buttermilk to hand, add the juice of a lemon to the same quantity of fresh milk and leave overnight before using.

rapeseed or sunflower oil, for oiling

450g (lib) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

450g (1 lb) coarse wholemeal flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp salt

100g (4oz) wheat bran

100g (4oz) mixed seeds, such as linseed, sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds

50g (2oz) butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp demerara sugar

1 litre (1% pints) buttermilk, plus a little extra if necessary

butter, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4 and lightly oil two 900g (2lb) loaf tins.

Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Tip the bran left in the sieve into the bowl and stir in with the wheat bran and all but 1 tablespoon of the seeds (reserve them for the top). Rub the butter in with your fingertips until evenly dispersed.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the golden syrup, demerara sugar and the buttermilk. Using a large spoon, mix gently and quickly until you have achieved a fairly wet dropping consistency, making sure there are no pockets of flour remaining.

Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared loaf tins, spreading it evenly and smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle over the reserved tablespoon of the seeds. Bake for hours until well risen and cracked on the top and so that a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

To check the loaves are properly cooked, tip each one out of the tin and tap the base. It should sound hollow. Return to the tin and allow to cool for about 5 minutes on a heatproof surface before tipping out on to a wire rack and leaving to cool completely.

This bread is best eaten on the day it is made. To serve, place on a bread board and cut into slices at the table. Hand around with a separate pot of butter.

olive oil, for oiling

600g (lib 6oz) gluten-free flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300g (11oz) soya bran

150g (5oz) light muscovado sugar

3 eggs

100ml (3½fl oz) Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (see page 208)

1 litre (1¾ pints) buttermilk

1 tbsp sesame seeds

butter, to serve

I’ve always had a tremendous response when I’ve served gluten-free recipes and this excellent recipe came from a pastry chef at Killybegs College, Noleen Boyle, who is coeliac herself. Don’t be surprised that it has a slightly different texture to ordinary bread. It stays fresh for about 2 days, so if you want to keep it for any longer cut into slices and freeze, then place in the oven to thaw out (for 8-10 minutes at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4) or use a toaster. Gluten-free flour is now available from all major supermarkets and health food shops or can be bought online.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt and bicarbonate of soda, then stir in the soya bran and sugar.

Place the eggs, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and buttermilk in a jug and mix well to combine.

Make a well in centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture, mixing to combine. Spoon the mixture into the oiled loaf tin and smooth the surface, using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Bake the bread for 1 hour until golden brown and crusty on top. Tip briefly from the tin and tap the base of the loaf to check it is cooked – it should sound hollow. Return to the tin and leave for 5 minutes on a heatproof surface, then turn the bread out on to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the bread has cooled down completely, place on a bread board and cut into slices at the table. Serve with butter.

This is a delicious breakfast bread and also makes a lovely sandwich filled with creamy blue cheese and rocket. Also try with Chicken Liver Pâté with Fig Jam (see page 83) or Red Onion Marmalade (see page 209). I find that it toasts very well after a day or two.

550g (lib 3‘/20z) strong plain white flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

50g (2oz) butter, diced and chilled

7g sachet of easy blend dried yeast

100g (4oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

50g (2oz) dried ready-to-eat figs, finely chopped

sunflower oil, for oiling

butter, to serve

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the yeast, walnuts and figs until evenly combined.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and then pour in 350ml (12fl oz) lukewarm water. Quickly mix to a smooth dough, then turn out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.