Recipe: Honey and Lavender Loaf
***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***
Richard Bertinet is a baking expert and author of Dough, a cookbook for those who want to get into the art of baking and breaking bread. This recipe comes to Khoollect from Dough, and uses this Brown Dough recipe from Richard’s book as a base. Here’s what he said about this recipe:
‘Just a teaspoon of lavender gives the most extraordinary flavour, but I know not everyone likes it. If you don’t, then forget this recipe! Personally I think this loaf is just beautiful toasted with soft goat’s cheese. We love lavender so much we grow it in the garden, pick it at the end of the summer and then spend a somewhat tedious, if fragrant, evening taking off the heads and spreading them out to dry on baking trays. Once they are dry we put them into a plastic container which will keep us in lavender until it is in season again. If you have some lavender honey, you could use that as well – otherwise use another good-quality honey, preferably organic.’
Recipe taken from Dough by Richard Bertinet. Published by Kyle Books. Photographed by Jean Cazals.
Honey and Lavender Loaf
To prepare: Make the dough (using these tips), but add the lavender at the same time as the flour, and the honey along with the salt. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 45 minutes.
With the help of your plastic scraper, turn the dough out onto your work surface, then reshape it into a ball, put back into the bowl, cover, and rest for a further 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and press it down gently. Shape it into a square by drawing the four ‘corners’ into the centre. Flour the top of the loaf. Line a baking tray with a tea towel and place the loaf on it, folded-side down. Cover with another tea towel and leave to prove for 1–11/2 hours until it has nearly doubled in volume.
Place the loaf (folded-side-down) on a wooden peel or upturned baking tray and mark a double cross shape on the top of the loaf with a razor blade or sharp knife. Mist the inside of the preheated oven with a water spray and quickly slide the loaf onto the baking stone or tray and close the door. Turn down the heat to 220°C and bake for 10 minutes, then turn down again to 200°C and bake for a further 20–30 minutes.
Once baked the loaf should sound hollow if tapped on the base with your finger. You will need to keep testing it, as with a large loaf such as this it’s difficult to be absolutely accurate about timing.
To prepare: Make the dough (using these tips), but add the lavender at the same time as the flour, and the honey along with the salt. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 45 minutes.
With the help of your plastic scraper, turn the dough out onto your work surface, then reshape it into a ball, put back into the bowl, cover, and rest for a further 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and press it down gently. Shape it into a square by drawing the four ‘corners’ into the centre. Flour the top of the loaf. Line a baking tray with a tea towel and place the loaf on it, folded-side down. Cover with another tea towel and leave to prove for 1–11/2 hours until it has nearly doubled in volume.
Place the loaf (folded-side-down) on a wooden peel or upturned baking tray and mark a double cross shape on the top of the loaf with a razor blade or sharp knife. Mist the inside of the preheated oven with a water spray and quickly slide the loaf onto the baking stone or tray and close the door. Turn down the heat to 220°C and bake for 10 minutes, then turn down again to 200°C and bake for a further 20–30 minutes.
Once baked the loaf should sound hollow if tapped on the base with your finger. You will need to keep testing it, as with a large loaf such as this it’s difficult to be absolutely accurate about timing.
Richard Bertinet is a baking expert and author of Dough, a cookbook for those who want to get into the art of baking and breaking bread. This recipe comes to Khoollect from Dough, and uses this Brown Dough recipe from Richard’s book as a base. Here’s what he said about this recipe:
‘Just a teaspoon of lavender gives the most extraordinary flavour, but I know not everyone likes it. If you don’t, then forget this recipe! Personally I think this loaf is just beautiful toasted with soft goat’s cheese. We love lavender so much we grow it in the garden, pick it at the end of the summer and then spend a somewhat tedious, if fragrant, evening taking off the heads and spreading them out to dry on baking trays. Once they are dry we put them into a plastic container which will keep us in lavender until it is in season again. If you have some lavender honey, you could use that as well – otherwise use another good-quality honey, preferably organic.’
Recipe taken from Dough by Richard Bertinet. Published by Kyle Books. Photographed by Jean Cazals.
Honey and Lavender Loaf
To prepare: Make the dough (using these tips), but add the lavender at the same time as the flour, and the honey along with the salt. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 45 minutes.
With the help of your plastic scraper, turn the dough out onto your work surface, then reshape it into a ball, put back into the bowl, cover, and rest for a further 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and press it down gently. Shape it into a square by drawing the four ‘corners’ into the centre. Flour the top of the loaf. Line a baking tray with a tea towel and place the loaf on it, folded-side down. Cover with another tea towel and leave to prove for 1–11/2 hours until it has nearly doubled in volume.
Place the loaf (folded-side-down) on a wooden peel or upturned baking tray and mark a double cross shape on the top of the loaf with a razor blade or sharp knife. Mist the inside of the preheated oven with a water spray and quickly slide the loaf onto the baking stone or tray and close the door. Turn down the heat to 220°C and bake for 10 minutes, then turn down again to 200°C and bake for a further 20–30 minutes.
Once baked the loaf should sound hollow if tapped on the base with your finger. You will need to keep testing it, as with a large loaf such as this it’s difficult to be absolutely accurate about timing.
Rachel I don’t get your on TV in the states anymore? 🙁 are you doing anymore shows?
i do tap into your website to see what is new.