Artisan bread recipes from The Lighthouse Bakery

Artisan bread recipes from The Lighthouse Bakery

Nicky Sherwood heads to The Lighthouse Bakery School (listed in our directory here) in East Sussex and learns how to make traditional British artisan bread. Join us to learn British breadmaking techniques in an exhilarating hands-on day of baking. Hope you love these artisan bread recipes from The Lighthouse Bakery.

The Lighthouse Bakery is a busy bakery school and small wholesale bakery, run by Rachel and Elizabeth, set in the beautiful East Sussex countryside. As well as supplying artisan bread to a variety of local cafes, delis and restaurants, they also offer an exciting range of hands-on baking courses, designed to inspire even the most inexperienced would-be bakers to have a go at making bread from scratch at home.

Artisan bread recipes from The Lighthouse Bakery

Having never made bread from scratch before, I definitely fell into the novice baker category and was slightly alarmed when confronted with the list of processes that go into making handmade bread, as well as the sheer number of different breads that we would be attempting to make in one day.

But experienced bakers Liz and Rachel reassured my fellow would-be bakers and I that we would be guided through every process and were confident that we’d be leaving the bakery that afternoon with a total of seven different varieties of handmade artisan British bread: from white rolls, a classic bloomer and a wholemeal loaf, to a batch of English muffins, Yorkshire teacakes, Chelsea buns and a traditional Welsh fruit bread called Barra Brith…. so we were certainly going to have our work cut out!

Artisan bread recipe #1 Crusty White Rolls

Ingredients

• 400 g white bread flour 
• 7 g sachet Easy Bake Dried Yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or olive oil if you prefer)
• 280 ml tepid water

Instructions

A baker’s dozen

After an explanation of the breadmaking process, our first task is to create a baker’s dozen of crusty white rolls to enjoy later with our ploughman’s lunch. Following the recipe sheets, we make up the white bread dough and knead and form the rolls.

It took a bit getting used to, but we soon got into the rhythm of kneading and folding, and before long our thirteen rolls were arranged on a baking tray and placed in an electric prover for 20 minutes so that the dough could rise.

Once out of the prover, the rolls were noticeably larger with a spongier texture as the fresh yeasts did their job in the gentle warmth of the prover. We then made a cut across the top of each roll, before spraying them lightly with water and placing them in the oven known as ‘Colin’ (well every oven should have a proper name!) to bake.

After 19 minutes in Colin’s tender care, our rolls emerged transformed from pasty lumps of dough to sweet-smelling, golden brown crusty rolls. Our first bake had been a complete success and the warm rolls were placed in a bread basket ready for the lunch table.

Artisan bread recipe #2 Classic White Cottage Loaf

Ingredients

• 400 g white bread flour 
• 7 g sachet Easy Bake Dried Yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or olive oil if you prefer)
• 280 ml tepid water

Instructions

Our second bread making exercise was a Classic White loaf, using the same dough recipe as the rolls. 

Cottage or bloomer?

Our next decision was whether to shape the dough into a long classic bloomer or a round cottage loaf. I chose the latter and was taught the ‘chaffing’ technique of rolling the two balls of dough into shape using both hands simultaneously, before placing them on a tray lined with semolina to prevent them sticking, then putting them into the prover to rise.

To create the finished cottage loaf, the base and top sections were constructed and I was shown how to plunge a deep hole through both layers, before making four cuts around the edges of the loaf and placing it into the oven. My course-mates who had chosen to make a traditional bloomer were shown how to slash thirteen diagonal cuts across their long loaves – something which takes both manual dexterity and good spacial awareness to ensure that the thirteen cuts are evenly spaced along the length of the loaf. When the oven door was opened to reveal my first loaf in all its golden glory, I was amazed at just how much the bread had risen, and pleased to see that it really did resemble the kind of rustic handmade cottage loaf that you might find in an artisan bakers shop.

Artisan bread recipe #3 – wholemeal loaf

Ingredients

• 500g Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour
• 7 g sachet Easy Bake Dried Yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 350ml tepid water
• 1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
• extra oil for greasing the tray

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar together  in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the water, and roughly mix then stir in the salt.
3. Mix in the oil.
4. Using your hands gather everything together into a ball of dough.
5. Knead dough in the bowl for around 15 minutes. Avoid adding extra flour.
6. Cover the dough bowl with a large upturned mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place, for the dough to double in size, which will take about an hour.
7. Knock back the dough and knead again for a further 15 minutes before leaving to prove for a further 15 minutes.
8. Place the dough in a well-floured brotform (or banetton)
9. Invert an upturned bowl over the brotform and leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes (or prove in an electric prover like we did).
10. Pre-heat the oven (220˚C, Fan 200˚C, 425˚F, Gas 7)
11. Turn out the risen dough onto an oiled baking sheet and bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes.
12. Turn the bread out of the tin, tap the base and if it sounds hollow, the bread is cooked.
13. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Creating patterns with bannetons

No rest for the wicked… and next up was a nutritious and wholesome loaf made using stoneground wholemeal flour. After weighing out the dry ingredients, we mixed them into a dough which we then kneaded by hand for around 15 minutes. As wholemeal flour contains both the germ and the bran, it requires more kneading to break down the gluten than white flour. After bulk fermenting for an hour, the risen dough was then knocked-back again before being left to rise for another 15 minutes.

The dough was then placed in a special coiled basket called a brotform or banneton and placed into the prover until it had roughly doubled in size. Once risen, the dough was turned out of the basket and placed upside down on a tray with the coiled pattern clearly indented on top.

After a light dusting with flour, cut a cross-shape on top using a sharp knife and place the loaf in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. The finished result is an attractive floury loaf with a rich brown crust and a firm texture.

Artisan bread recipe #4 English Muffins

Ingredients

1 7 g sachet Easy Bake Dried Yeast

1 tsp sugar

470g plain white flour

235ml of tepid water

1 tsp salt

160g natural yogurt

60g semolina

Instructions

1. Mix the yeast, sugar and flour together then add the tepid water and yogurt and mix together to form a rough dough. 
2. Knead for 10 minutes, dusting with a sprinkling of flour as you go, if necessary.
3. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
4. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch. Cut out circles with a 3 inch round cutter. Re-roll any excess and form more muffins. You should get 12-16 muffins total.
5. Put the semolina into a bowl and dip the muffins to coat before placing on a baking tray
6. We proved them in the electric prover, alternatively cover with a damp clean tea towel and allow to rise for about an hour – or until they are almost double in size.
7. We baked our muffins in the oven 170 C/gas 3 for 20 minutes
8. Alternatively brown the muffins in a heavy non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes on each side before baking for a further 10 minutes at 170 C/gas 3 until cooked through
9. Cool slightly on a wire rack then split open and enjoy!

A secret ingredient

In between baking loaves of bread we quickly whipped up a batch of delicious English muffins, as popularised by the 19th century ‘Muffin Men’ who sold their wares from a tray hung around their neck. The ‘secret ingredient’ in this recipe is plain yogurt which gives the muffins a distinctive tangy flavour, quite unlike any shop bought muffins I’ve ever tasted. The muffin shape was created by rolling out the dough and pressing out circles using a pastry cutter.

We dip the muffins into a bowl of semolina to coat them before placing on a tray and then into the prover. Once risen, bake the the muffins in the oven for 20 minutes until golden in colour. The following day I enjoy my English muffins for breakfast with bacon and scrambled eggs, and I can honestly say they are a world away from pallid supermarket muffins.

Artisan bread recipe #5 Bara Brith

Ingredients

• 175g dried fruit
• grated zest of 2 oranges
• 250 ml strong tea
• 450g bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 60g soft brown sugar
• 1 sachet easy bake yeast
• 75g  butter
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 225ml warm milk
• 2 tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Place all of the dried fruit and orange zest into a large jug or bowl, and pour over the hot tea. Cover and allow to steep (preferably overnight).
2. The next day when you are ready to bake the Bara Brith, pre-heat the oven to 170C/350F/Gas mark 3
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the salt, sugar, and yeast.
4. Cut the butter into pieces, then rub into the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
5. Stir in the mixed spice, then stir in the egg and warm milk.
6. When the mixture is reasonably well mixed, turn out and knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
7. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm.
8. Put the bowl in a warm place and leave to rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
9. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and knead in the mixed fruit. After you kneaded in most of the fruit, you’ll probably find you get to a point where the dough won’t pick up any more fruit. You’ll just have to push this fruit into the dough by hand.
10. Shape the dough into a domed shape, and then place on a baking tray and cover with clingfilm or a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for 30-45 minutes.
11. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (375°F or gas mark 5 or 170°C for a fan oven).
12. When risen the dough should be about double in size again. Place the baking tray near the bottom of the oven. After 15 minutes the loaf should be lightly brown on top. Cover the loaf with a piece of foil and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
13. When cooked turn the loaf out and cool on a wire rack. Brush the top of the loaf with the honey to give it a sticky sweet top.
14. Slice and serve spread with butter. Also delicious toasted and spread with butter

Bara Brith origins in North Wales

Welsh for ‘speckled bread’ , Bara Brith originated in North Wales. It is full of dried fruits and spices and can be glazed with honey for extra sweetness. Milk, eggs and butter enrich the dough, while the fruit, brown sugar and mixed spices add flavour to the loaf. We use strong tea to steep the sultanas, raisins and mixed peel but you could also use a spirit such as rum.

We start by mixing and then kneading the dough by hand until it smooth and elastic. Then we leave it to ferment for an hour and a half. After this, we add the fruit mixture and knead again until well combined. Using the chaffing method we form the into a tight round ball and place on a tray. This goes into the prover to rise. Once risen, bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, then brush with honey and leave to cool. This spicy fruit loaf tastes great toasted with butter.

Artisan recipe #6 Yorkshire Teacakes

By the end of the 19th century no Yorkshire tea table was complete without these currant-laden teacakes. The dough consists of a ‘sponge’ made the night before, which we mixed into the final dough and added the fruit. The dough was then left to bulk ferment for 20-30 minutes, before being hand rolled into 12 equal sized balls.

Next we flatten each ball of dough with a rolling pin until roughly the size of a saucer. Then place them on a baking tray and place them in the prover to rise. We prick the risen teacakes all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Teacakes are delicious warm from the oven, or toast and butter for a tea time treat.

Artisan recipe #7 Chelsea Buns

Our seventh and final baking project of the day was the impressive looking Chelsea Bun, apparently named after The Bun House located near Sloane Square in the 18th century.  The deep golden coloured dough is flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and lemon zest, while the dried fruit filling is enriched with butter and brown sugar. After mixing and kneading the dough, we left it to bulk ferment for about an hour, before rolling it out into a rectangle and spooning over the surface a mixture of currants, sugar and pieces of butter.

Time to get rolling

Next we roll up the the dough into a tight roll and seal the outside edge with a little water. Using a sharp knife, we form the individual coil buns by cutting 3cm slices off the roll of dough.

We space the buns well apart on a tray with baking parchment lining and put in the prover to rise. They are ready when they are almost touching. We sprinkle them with caster sugar then bake for 15 minutes until the filling starts to bubble. Brush on a glaze of milk and caster sugar and leave to cool. 

A baker’s box full of fresh bread

And so it was that three novice bakers left the Lighthouse Bakery on a Friday evening with sore feet and aching arm muscles, each laden down with a baker’s cardboard box packed full of fresh-from-the-oven golden delicacies to be enjoyed with friends and family over the weekend.

This one-day course is a fantastic introduction to classic British baking. It’s suitable for complete beginners as for those wanting to try out new recipes and techniques.  A great day out and a fantastic opportunity to learn some new culinary skills.

INFORMATION

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