Recipe: EMMA BRIDGEWATER Spelt loaf for the SPORT RELIEF BAKE OFF

Feeding the Family

Recipes

Published on Monday, 13 January 2014 12:03

Last Updated on 13 January 2014

Monica Costa

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Ready for the Sport Relief bake off? This year we have the honour to host Emma Bridgewater’s recipe for spelt loaf. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1.5kg spelt flour ( white or whole grain, the choice is yours) 900ml water, blood heat.

3 teaspoons sea salt

2 sachets of quick yeast ( follow the instructions on the packet)

Method:

Pour the bag of flour into a very large, warm bowl.

Stir in the salt and the yeast.

Pour in the water.

Using your right hand only, stir and amalgamate the flour mixture with the water.

Persevere though it may get messy- the dough will soon come together.

Work the dough into a ball, then knead for a few minutes, still using only your right hand. I turn the bowl anti clockwise with my left hand as I do this.

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave on the side in the kitchen to double in size. This should take 3-4 hours, but timing is relaxed.

Knead again for a few minutes, knocking the dough back to its original mass.

Divide into three and put the dough into 3 greased 2kg loaf tins.

Leave on the side until it has doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to gas 5.

Bake the loaves for 35 mins. Then remove from tins and return to the oven for 10 minutes. They are done when then sound hollow when you tap them.

Interview with Emma Bridgewater

Emma Bridgewater has created two limited edition aprons for Sport Relief 2014 available from HomeSense and TK Maxx stores. One of the designs will be presented each night to the winner of ‘The Great Sport Relief Bake Off’ and both designs are available to buy exclusively from Sport Relief official partners, brands-for-less homeware retailer HomeSense, TK Maxx stores,TKmaxx.com and sportrelief.com throughout the UK from 13th January 2014.

What inspired your pattern designs for the Sport Relief aprons?

Our two new aprons feature our signature black and white hand drawn design, encouraging everyone to be a sport and get involved. Whether its sport or baking it’s the taking part that counts – but this way everyone gets to take home a trophy.

Why did you choose to support Sport Relief?

After the success of our Emma Bridgewater range for Red Nose Day 2013 we were delighted to be asked to create something for Sport Relief 2014. The team at Emma Bridgewater are very passionate about Comic Relief and I know they are already looking into taking part in this year’s Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games too… I personally quite fancy a swimming challenge.

Do you ever get time to put on an apron and bake?

Oh yes, often! Matt and I share the cooking at home about half and half. I love making supper on a Friday night- which is likely to be meatballs.

If so what do you enjoy baking and do you have a favourite recipe?

I think my favourite thing is making bread. I don’t do it seriously; if I did I’d be size 18 as homemade bread toasted is irresistible to me!

What is your most treasured possession?

Our family photograph albums kept brilliantly up to date by Matthew – if I’m allowed a multiple possession as there about 25 of them already.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Making a cup of tea and going back to bed to read a novel when I should be at my desk

How do you relax?

Picnics. Swimming in any river or lake we can find. Looking at the ordnance survey map and planning an exploring trip to look at old churches, or earthworks or a particularly lovely bit of country.

What new products/ranges can we expect to see from you in the future?

We’re working on lots of exciting projects at the moment – a beautiful range of fabrics and wallpapers with Sanderson, my book Toast & Marmalade and Other Stories is out in March, and as always, we’re busy making some lovely pottery too.

You received a CBE for services to industry from the Queen recently; do you have any tips for how to succeed in business?

I knew I was going to be successful. When I first had the idea, I didn’t know anything about the ceramics industry, so I came to Stoke-on-Trent in a haze of utter ignorance, but with conviction. I walked around and I could see very definitely that this great big Victorian factory was going to be making nothing but Emma Bridgewater designs one day.

I do have a feeling that in your work, as with the whole of your life, if you can imagine the solution you want, that’s half the job. But without it, you won’t probably get anywhere much.

Don’t set out to do something that you are not absolutely passionate about because, to get through the hard work of it, you have got to feel passionate and I think probably for me, a big saviour has been the cause of Stoke.

It’s completely vital to have a good name for your brand. I think it’s a very simple and single issue: If the company bears your name, there is a connection.

Spelt loaf photo credit: Ibán via photopin cc