25 Days of Christmas Recipes, Day 3: Cider-Poached Sprout and Bacon Focaccia, and The Simplest, Quickest Garlic Bread

Day 3 and it’s time to spoil you a little bit. I love making bread. Focaccia was one of, if not the first types of bread I ever made. It remains one of my favourites. I’ve learned a lot over the years about what you can and cannot put on top of a focaccia. Don’t put too much on top or it very quickly becomes ‘pizza’ territory, but put enough flavour to really make the bread pop. Sprouts, despite being one of the least liked vegetables (at least according to pop culture) was my favourite vegetable growing up and I knew they’d taste great on a bread. If you can’t add the bacon, in order to make it vegetarian, try adding some chopped up cooked chestnuts (obviously don’t do this if you’re allergic).

If you’re not too into making bread or don’t want to put in this much effort for a tasty treat, try my easiest, simplest, quickest garlic bread. It may be ooey and gooey and drip everywhere, but it tastes delicious– and like many of my recipes up until now it’s so simple and yet so tasty.

Cider Poached Sprout and Bacon Focaccia

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

• 500g Strong White Bread Flour
• 30g Mashed Potato Powder
• A large pinch Crushed Sea Salt
• 18g Fresh Yeast or 14g Fast Action Dried Yeast
• 2tbsp Olive Oil
• Sunflower or Vegetable Oil for kneading
• 350ml Warm Water

TOPPING:

• 15 Small-Medium Brussel Sprouts, outer leaves and stalks removed
• 200g Bacon Lardons (omit these to keep it vegetarian)
• 200ml Cider

Method:

1. If you are using fresh yeast (not fast action) add it to your water, mix and leave for five minutes.
2. In a large bowl, sieve in your flour, mashed potato powder and fast-action yeast, if using. Mix together thoroughly.
3. Add in your sea salt and then make a well in the centre.
4. Pour in your olive oil and start mixing with one hand. Slowly pour in two thirds of your yeast liquid, mixing as you do.
5. When it has formed into one piece, pull a corner up with your hand and fold it over the top. Turn the mixture ninety degrees anti-clockwise, add some more water and repeat the action. Keep doing this until you have a wet, reasonably sticky ball of dough (around three-four minutes).
6. Rub vegetable or sunflower oil over your worksurface and pour your dough on top. Begin to knead, adding more oil to your worksurface if need be. It will be tricky at first, and slippery, but it should become easier to do over time.
7. Test whether your bread is ready by taking a piece off the ball and stretching it between your fingers. Hold it up to a light. You should be able to see the impression of your finger through it without it tearing (this is called the window-pane test).
8. Oil a cleaned bowl and put your dough inside. Cover with a clean, damp tea-towel.  Rest at room temperature for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size (you can also leave this overnight in the fridge).
9. Whilst your dough is proving, get your cider and pour it into a small saucepan on a high heat. Bring it to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
10. Add your sprouts, top with a tray or lid and allow to gently poach for ten-twelve minutes until just soft enough to eat.
11. Remove from the heat and drain the sprouts from the cider. Allow to cool.
12. Oil one medium tray with sunflower/vegetable oil and pour your dough on top.
13. Gently, with your fingers, form the dough to roughly the same shape as your tray. Cover with your damp tea-towel and leave to rise again for fifty-five minutes.
14. Near the end of your rising time, heat your oven to 220 degrees C/Gas Mark 7.
15. When rising time is finished, poke holes along the surface of your focaccia and spread your sprouts and lardons over the top, pushing the sprouts into the holes gently. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt before putting in the oven.
16. Leave to bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes. It should be lovely and golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Allow to cool slightly and then dig in and enjoy.

The Simplest, Quickest Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

• 4 20cm Flour Tortilla Wraps
• 6tbsps Soft Butter
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 3tbsps of your favourite Pesto

Method:

1. Put the butter in a bowl and finely grate the garlic into it. 
2. Add pesto and thoroughly mix.
3. Take one of the wraps and spread half the garlic butter in the centre of the wrap making sure to leave a 2cm border around the edge.
4. Put another wrap on top to make a parcel, pushing down the edges.
5. Repeat with other 2 wraps.
6. In a frying pan put 1tsp oil and put on a high heat. Allow the oil to get hot. Test whether it’s ready by putting a small piece of wrap in the oil. It should sizzle immediately.
7. When the oil is hot put one of your wraps in the pan. Cook for 30 seconds or until light golden brown and then flip over with a spatula/slice.
8. Cook for a further few seconds on the other side.
9. Move garlic bread to your serving plate.
10. Repeat with the other wrap.
11. Cut the garlic breads in half. Serve immediately and enjoy.