Garlic and rosemary sourdough bundt focaccia

Sourdough starter

organic stoneground WHOLEGRAIN flOUR tap water at 28C

Day 1: 8am

Mix 100g flour and 110g/ml warm (28C) water in a clean jar and stir until well combined. Cover with a loose-fitting lid and leave somewhere warm for 24 hours.

Day 2: 8am

Put 50g flour and 60g/ml warm water in a new, clean jar. Add 100g of the original starter (which by now should be starting to bubble) into this new jar and stir well. Discard the remaining starter from the previous jar and wash out the jar, ready to refresh your starter again the next day. You should now have 210g of new starter. Cover loosely and leave somewhere warm for 12 hours, then repeat the refreshment process, as above.

Day 3 onwards

Continue to repeat this refreshment process twice a day for a further 3–6 days until your starter is bubbly and lively and doubles in size within around 5 hours of being refreshed. It is now ready to use. If you aren’t baking every day, you will need to build your starter before you bake. This is a two-stage process, known as a double refreshment, which will leave you with a secondbuild starter (see right).

Second-build starter

30g starter (see recipe, left) 60g/ml water at 16–18C 100g organic stoneground WHOLEGRAIN flOUR

DAY 1: 8PM (fiRST BUILD)

Put your 30g starter in a clean jar with the water and whisk together well to oxygenate the water. Add the flour and stir vigorously to combine the ingredients. Cover the jar loosely with a lid, so that the gases produced during fermentation can escape. Leave the jar on the kitchen worktop at an ambient temperature of 20–22C.

DAY 2: 8AM (SECOND BUILD) Take 30g of your starter and refresh it again following the instructions for the first build. Leave the jar for a further 12 hours before baking. The bassinage technique

This is how you add water to dough over a period of time. First, wet your hands in a jug of lukewarm water and shake off any excess – your hands should be just wet enough to stop the dough sticking as you mix it. Put your hands in the dough with firm, open fingers, and gently close your fingers while twisting the dough anti-clockwise, drawing the dough through your fingers as you do so. This action mimics a dough hook. The dough should not stick if it has been rested long enough. Every couple of movements, wet your hands once more, again shaking off any excess, and turn the bowl. It should take less than 1 minute to mix in the water. Cover and leave the dough for another 30 minutes.

Garlic and rosemary sourdough bundt focaccia

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF Start 1 day before baking 360–370g/ml water at 27C 100G BUBBLY, LIVELY SECONDBUILD STARTER (SEE LEFT) 250g organic stoneground WHOLEGRAIN flOUR (11.5% protein) 250G ORGANIC WHITE flOUR (13% PROTEIN) 12G fiNE SEA SALT BUTTER, GHEE OR COCONUT OIL, for greasing 8 GARLIC CLOVES, UNPEELED 3 long rosemary sprigs 50G OLIVE OIL OLIVE OIL SPRAY

The day before, whisk together 350ml of the water and the sourdough starter in a large, wide bowl. Refresh the remaining starter in your jar

(see left) and put to one side.

Add the flours and 10g of the salt to the bowl and mix vigorously, using a strong spatula, for around 2 minutes. It will form a stiff ball.

Leave to rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the remaining 10– 20g water using the bassinage technique (see left). This should take less than 1 minute. Cover and leave the dough to rest for another 30 minutes.

To prove, grease a 25cm bundt tin. Arrange the garlic cloves in the tin, curved-side down. Curve the rosemary sprigs around the inside of the tin, then drizzle the olive oil over the inside of the tin, covering all of the rosemary. Sprinkle the remaining 2g salt over the oil.

Form the dough, still in its bowl, into a rough doughnut shape, then place it in the tin. Cover and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.

The next morning, your loaf will be at least 50 per cent bigger. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7 for 30 minutes and place a shallow baking tray in the bottom of the oven.

Spray the top of the loaf with olive oil. As you place the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 180C/160C F/ Gas 4 and carefully throw a little water or some ice cubes into the hot tray at the bottom. Close the door quickly to trap the steam Bake for around 45–50 minutes until it has a burnished copper crust. Remove from the oven and leave to set in the tin for around 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.

Once cool, store your loaf in a clean, dry tea towel and eat within 3 days.

Cheese and chermoula tin loaf

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF Start 1 day before baking 375g/ml water at 27C 100G BUBBLY, LIVELY SECONDBUILD STARTER (SEE LEFT) 300G ORGANIC WHITE flOUR (13% PROTEIN) 200g organic stoneground WHOLEGRAIN flOUR (11.5% protein) 10G fiNE SEA SALT BUTTER, GHEE OR COCONUT OIL, for greasing 100g cheese, such as cheddar, chopped into 1.5CM CHUNKS 95g chermoula paste 1TBSP OLIVE OIL, FOR DRIZZLING

The day before, whisk together 350g/ml of the water and the starter in a large bowl. Refresh the remaining starter in your jar (see p117) and put to one side.

Add the flours and salt to the bowl and mix vigorously, using a strong spatula, for around 2 minutes to form a stiff ball. Leave to rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the remaining 25g/ ml water using the bassinage technique (see p117). Cover and leave the dough to rest for another 30 minutes.

To prove, grease a shallow 1.3kg loaf tin and line with baking paper. Scatter several of the chunks of cheese in the bottom of the tin. Put the dough in the tin and massage the chermoula paste into the top of it. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top. Cover and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.

In the morning, your loaf will have risen by at least

50 per cent. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7 for 30 minutes and place a shallow baking tray in the bottom of the oven.

Drizzle the olive oil down the sides of the loaf. Then, as you place the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 180C/160C F/Gas 4 and carefully throw a little water or some ice cubes into the hot tray at the bottom. Close the door quickly to trap the steam this creates. Bake the loaf for around 45–50 minutes until it has a burnished golden crust, checking before it reaches the end of baking time. If it’s not ready, give it another couple of minutes before testing again.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.

Once cool, store your loaf wrapped in a clean, dry tea towel and eat within 4 days.

Basic vanilla and honey sourdough cake

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF CAKE Start 1 day before baking

65–75g/ml water at 27C 100g bubbly, lively secondbuild starter (see p117) 250g organic wholegrain EINKORN flOUR (OR SPELT OR EMMER flOUR) 200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 3 large eggs, at room temperature 200g caster sugar 3G fiNE SEA SALT ½tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod 1tbsp raw clear honey

The day before, pour 30g/ml of the water into a large mixing bowl, add the starter and whisk together. Add all the remaining ingredients (apart from the honey and remaining water) and mix gently, ensuring all the ingredients are incorporated and there is no dry flour remaining. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, refresh the remaining starter in your jar (see p117) and set aside at room temperature.

After 30 minutes, stir in 35g/ml more of the water and use a spoon to mix. The mixture should have the consistency of a cake batter and should drop slowly off a spoon. If it doesn’t, add another 10g/ml water.

To prove, grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper. Tip the batter into the tin, then cover and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. Gently place a piece of foil shaped into a slight dome over the top of the cake. This helps prevent the top of the cake from overcooking and increases the steam around the cake, keeping it moist.

Bake for around 45 minutes, removing the foil dome towards the end of the baking time. Remove the cake from the oven and test it using a skewer inserted gently into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is baked. If not, return it to the oven for another 3–4 minutes and test again.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before gently turning out on to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cool, drizzle the honey over it. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.

If not eating immediately, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and store in a tin for up to 4 days.

Sage and onion sourdough tin loaf

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF Start 1 day before baking

375g/ml water at 27C 100g bubbly, lively secondbuild starter (see p117) 250G ORGANIC WHITE flOUR (13% protein) 250g organic stoneground WHOLEGRAIN flOUR (11.5% protein) 10G fiNE SEA SALT butter, ghee or coconut oil, for greasing 1 onion, thinly sliced 30g salted butter, softened 2 large sage sprigs 1tbsp olive oil, for drizzling

The day before, whisk together 350g/ml of the water and the sourdough starter in a large bowl. Refresh the remaining starter in your jar (see p117) and put to one side.

Add the flours and salt to the bowl and mix vigorously, using a sturdy spatula, for around 2 minutes until the mixture forms a stiff ball. Leave to rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the remaining 25g/ml water using the bassinage technique (see p117). Cover the dough and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

To prove, grease a shallow 1.3kg loaf tin and line with baking paper. Arrange the slices of onion in the bottom, followed by dabs of butter. Carefully place the dough in the tin, then gently pull it back from the sides to allow you to place the sage sprigs along the length of either side of the loaf, with the dark sides of the leaves facing outwards. Cover the tin and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.

The next morning, your loaf will have risen by 50 per cent. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7 for 30 minutes and place a shallow baking tray in the bottom of the oven.

Drizzle the olive oil down the sides of the dough. If there are any sage leaves on the top, be sure to drizzle them with olive oil, too, to prevent them burning. As you put the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 180C/160C F/ Gas 4 and carefully throw a little water or some ice cubes into the hot tray at the bottom. Close the door quickly to trap the steam this creates. Bake the loaf for 45–50 minutes until it has a burnished copper crust.

Remove from the oven and leave to set in the tin for around 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.

Once cool, store your loaf wrapped in a clean, dry tea towel and eat within 3 days.

Butternut squash boule

MAKES 1 LARGE BOULE Start 1 day before baking

The day before, put 300g/ml of the water and the sourdough starter in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until well combined. Add the flours and sprinkle the salt evenly over the top. Mix vigorously in the stand mixer with the dough hook for 1–2 minutes until there is no dry flour left and the mixture comes together to form a stiff ball.

Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour in a warm place (aim to keep the dough at around 27C to optimise fermentation). Meanwhile, refresh the remaining starter in your jar

(see p117) and put to one side.

Return the bowl to the stand mixer and gradually add another 5–10g/ml water as you mix for 1 minute. Leave the dough to rest for 20 minutes. Mix for 1 minute more, adding the final 5–10g/ml water to the dough, a little at a time. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and add the squash or pumpkin and 40g of the pumpkin seeds. Squidge these into the dough with wet hands. Sprinkle the remaining pumpkin seeds on the outside of the ball of dough and use your fingers to lightly push them on. Cover and rest for 1 hour.

Oil your hands, fold the dough in half, then fold one side across two-thirds of the dough and bring the other side over the top of that. Flip over and dust with flour, then place, floured-side down, into a well-floured banneton or colander lined with a clean, heavily floured tea towel. To prove, cover the banneton or colander and leave at 27C for 40 minutes, before putting in the fridge overnight (5C).

The next morning, preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/

Gas 7 for 30 minutes and place a cloche in the oven. (You can use a lidded, deep casserole instead but take great care with high temperatures).

When you’re ready to bake, remove the hot cloche from the oven with care and put the dome to one side. Scatter the polenta over the base of the cloche, then turn the dough out on to the hot cloche base, removing the banneton gently. If using a casserole, this will be easier with two people as you risk burning yourself.

Score the dough using a lame and cover immediately with the cloche dome.

Transfer to the oven and reduce the temperature to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Bake for 50 minutes, then remove the lid of the cloche and bake for a further 1–7 minutes, depending on how dark you like your crust. Carefully remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Alternatively, for a really crusty loaf, leave in the oven with the door open as it cools. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.

Once cool, wrap the loaf in a clean, dry tea towel and eat within 4 days.

Orange curd cake

MAKES A 20CM SANDWICH CAKE

Start 1 day before baking To decorate icing sugar or 2 generous tbsp marmalade, warmed

The day before, mix together the polenta, flour, sugar, salt and saffron in a large bowl. Add 175g/ml of the water, along with the eggs, oil, sourdough starter and orange zest. Stir to combine all the ingredients until there is no dry flour remaining, then set aside for 10–15 minutes. While the mixture is resting, refresh the remaining starter in your jar (see p117) and set aside.

Gradually add the remaining 25ml water, a little at a time. You may not need the full amount, so mix it in gradually and check the consistency before adding more. You want a thick, batter-like consistency.

To prove, thoroughly grease two 20cm round cake tins and dust with a little flour. Divide the batter between the tins and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. Put the cake tins in the oven and bake for around 25 minutes until they are light golden brown, firm to touch when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check them before they reach the end of baking time as ovens vary. If they’re not ready, give them another couple of minutes before testing again.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in their tins for a few minutes, then remove from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next need to prepare it for baking.

When cool, sandwich your cakes together with the orange curd, then dust the top with icing sugar or brush with the warmed marmalade. Wrap in greaseproof paper, store in a cake tin, and eat within 2 days.