Rosemary & apple bread

MAKES one loaf

In this recipe, I’ve used a basic bread dough and folded grated apple and rosemary into it to produce a fantastically fragrant and tasty loaf.

250ml hot water

1 tsp honey (or sugar)

2 tsp instant yeast

3 tbsp olive oil

450g flour (about 3 cups)

– I use high grade and/or 00 flour if I’m feeling rich!

1 tsp sea salt

1 Granny Smith

apple, grated

2 tbsp fresh rosemary,

roughly chopped

Extra flour, for kneading

1 Heat oven to 50- 60oC.

2 Pour the hot water into a large, warmed glass or ceramic bowl. Add the honey and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to quite warm (warmer than lukewarm) and sprinkle over the yeast. Give it a swirl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave for 15 minutes until frothy.

3 Add the olive oil, flour and salt. Stir with a butter knife until the dough comes together. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl for 1-2 minutes, then turn out onto a well-floured bench. Continue to knead, stretching it out with the heel of one hand, then pulling and folding it back with your fingers. It may be quite sticky or get more sticky as you knead and difficult to handle, but try to resist adding too much flour at this stage (see note).

4 Oil the bowl, pat the dough into a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover with the damp tea towel and place on a folded tea towel in a warmed oven. Turn the oven off and leave to rise for 45- 60 minutes to double in size.

5 Punch the dough down, turn out onto a board and press down to a 5cm-thick disk. Spread over the grated apple and rosemary.

6 Pull the sides into the middle, overlapping and covering the filling. Dust the top with flour and place in a round, ovenproof tin or dish. Return to the warm oven to rise again for 30 minutes.

7 Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until it is golden and sounds hollow if you tap it.