Plaited loaves with corn, bacon and rosemary

I love the ritual of kneading, shaping and baking dough but if you prefer, you can use store-bought dough.

Makes 4 plaited loaves Preparation time: 35 minutes, plus resting time Cooking time: 20–30 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C

• 1 mealie, charred • 200g bacon, fried • a pinch of cayenne pepper • a sprig of rosemary, chopped • 750g (4 x 250ml) flour • 10g instant yeast • about 5ml coarsely-ground salt • about 400ml lukewarm water • 45ml olive oil • 30ml honey

1 Cut the kernels from the cob and mix them with the bacon, cayenne pepper and herbs. Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl; make a well in the centre with your hand. Stir the water, olive oil and honey into half of the corn, bacon and herb mixture and pour this into the ‘well’. Gradually mix in the flour, working in a circular motion from the outside to the inside until the dough is too stiff to mix further. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough in a clean mixing bowl brushed with a little olive oil and cover with a tea towel or cling film; place in a warm spot to rise until it doubles in volume (about 1 hour).

2 Knock down the dough and divide into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, press the dough into a longish, flat rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into three ribbons but don’t slice through the top. Sprinkle a quarter of the remaining corn, bacon and herb mixture on top and plait the three ribbons. Pinch the ends together and fold underneath the plait. Place on a greased baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough; cover again and leave to rise until it doubles in volume. In the meantime, preheat the oven.

3 Brush the plaited dough with a little milk and bake for about 20–30 minutes or until baked through.