How is the Hunnypot Cottage Bakery’s Fig and Walnut Bread Made?

At the heart of Hunnypot Cottage Bakery's Fig and Walnut Bread are carefully selected ingredients and time-honoured baking methods. The dough is meticulously prepared using high-quality flour, water, yeast, sunflower oil and a touch of salt, ensuring a perfect balance of flavour and texture. Generous chunks of dried figs and toasted walnuts are then folded into the dough, infusing each loaf with rich, nutty goodness. Finally, the bread is lovingly baked to golden perfection in a traditional oven, resulting in a crusty exterior and an interior that's simply irresistible.

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But don’t just take our word for it... 

“I attended a group bread course today with Ruth. The instructions were clear and timings all good. We made 3 loaves and taken the mixture home for 3 more to bake tomorrow. Ruth is very knowledgable and her bread range is  vast and delicious. We had afternoon tea at the venue also which was fabulous too. Thanks Ruth.” 

Paula S

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Bread and butter
Bread and jam
Crusty crust and open Crumb

Bread and butter
Bread and cheese
Freshly baked and still warm

Bread and butter
Bread and hummus
Toasted please with homemade beans 

So are you a bread and butter or even a butter and bread person (I know there are people out there who like a slice of butter on their bread)? 

Let me know how you like to eat yours.

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Last year we tempted you with some breads from around the world. Who remembers our whistle stop world tour?

Here’s a quick recap   We started in Finland with the Nissua, a cardamon braided bread in  the shape of a wreath.   We then moved eastwards to Russia and their Krendel, which contains dried pears, apricots and other fruits and a cup of wine - remember that the cook gets to finish the rest of the bottle ?

Continuing in an easterly direction, we then head to Mexico for Roscoe de Reyes, aka Three Kings Bread -  another wreath shaped bread, adorned with dried fruit which contains a gift of a figure of the Baby Jesus.

Onwards to Italy for  the traditional panettone, usually the large ones that seem to last for ages but don’t forget, at Hunnypot Cottage Bakery we have put our own spin on these, flavour and size-wise.

We finished with Germany for the stollen. We have all seen the mass produced ones at the German markets.  Like all our breads, ours are handmade and shaped, so no hospital corners as we wrap the marzipan baby Jesus in his dough swaddling clothes. Again, we have our own spin  on these flavours.

This year we are giving you a recipe to make a Christmas bread of your own. There will be a video available on  Saturday  12 December to bake along to, giving you plenty of time to get your ingredients.

It’s that wonderful time of the year again when many of us find time for a spot of baking.

Last year we tempted you with some breads from around the world. Who remembers our whistle stop world tour?

Here’s a quick recap   We started in Finland with the Nissua, a cardamon braided bread in  the shape of a wreath.   We then moved eastwards to Russia and their Krendel, which contains dried pears, apricots and other fruits and a cup of wine - remember that the cook gets to finish the rest of the bottle ?

Continuing in an easterly direction, we then head to Mexico for Roscoe de Reyes, aka Three Kings Bread -  another wreath shaped bread, adorned with dried fruit which contains a gift of a figure of the Baby Jesus.

Onwards to Italy for  the traditional panettone, usually the large ones that seem to last for ages but don’t forget, at Hunnypot Cottage Bakery we have put our own spin on these, flavour and size-wise.

We finished with Germany for the stollen. We have all seen the mass produced ones at the German markets.  Like all our breads, ours are handmade and shaped, so no hospital corners as we wrap the marzipan baby Jesus in his dough swaddling clothes. Again, we have our own spin  on these flavours.

This year we are giving you a recipe to make a Christmas bread of your own. There will be a video available on  Saturday  12 December to bake along to, giving you plenty of time to get your ingredients.

So who is up for Stollen Chelsea Buns? Don’t dismiss the idea if you don’t like marzipan, as this flexible recipe means you can leave that out. We have also given vegan options so there’s plenty of choice for everyone.

As with most recipes you can switch around your fruit and nuts to suit your preferences,  and of course change or omit the alcohol as you see fit.

Ingredients

• juice ½ orange and the zest of a whole orange
• 4 tbsp Cointreau
• 85g dried cranberries
• 85g mixed dried fruit
• 550g strong white bread flour
• 15g  easy dried yeast or 30 g of fresh yeast
• 85g caster sugar
• pinch of nutmeg
• 85g butter (dairy free spread or grated coconut oil  )
• 1 large egg or one flax egg (1tbsp ground flaxseed, 3 tbsp water - mix together at least 5 mins before using )
• 250ml milk (dairy or plant)
• 25g pistachios chopped
• 300g marzipan

To decorate

• icing sugar or icing sugar mixed with a little water, plus some additional chopped pistachios

Method

• Stir together the juice, zest, Cointreau, and dried fruit in a bowl and leave to soak.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour, dried yeast, caster sugar and nutmeg in a bowl. Add ½ tsp salt and rub in the butter. Beat the egg with the milk, then pour onto the flour mix. Stir with a round-bladed knife, then use your hands to bring the mixture together as a soft dough.  If using fresh yeast dissolve this in  the milk before adding to the dry ingredients.
• Tip onto a work surface and knead for a couple of mins, adding a little flour only if you need to stop it sticking. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 45 mins-1 hr in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Line a large tin approximately 36 x 26 cm (a large roasting tin can be used or you can use 2 smaller ones) with baking parchment. Roll the risen dough out firmly to a long strip about 70 x 18cm. Scatter the soaked fruit along the dough then sprinkle on  the pistachios to the soaked fruit.
• Roll the marzipan into a sausage the same length as the longest side of the dough (if you struggle to do this on one go don’t fret you can do it in smaller amounts), then place it down the centre of the dough and roll up together firmly, a bit like making a sausage roll with the marzipan in place of the sausage. Trim the ends, then cut the rest into 12 even lengths and arrange, cut side up, in the tin. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 45 mins-1 hr until really well risen.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
• When ready to eat, whether freshly baked or defrosted, brush with melted butter/coconut oil and dredge with icing sugar or mix a little water into the icing sugar, drizzle over the buns and scatter over the nuts. Eat within 2 days.

Have a very lovely Christmas and New Year. And don’t forget, you can order your Christmas breads from us today at   https://hunnypotcottage.com/seasonal.html

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Although we never stopped baking our delicious loaves during lockdown, we did have to stop delivering breadmaking courses. We are delighted to announce that we are bouncing back, and bringing you some fabulous new course options. Everyone who had pre-booked and was put on hold is relieved to know that there is some sort of return to normality – well, the new normal.

If you’ve been homeschooling, it’s time for you to take an inset day. Treat yourself to some personal development and join us our next course. 

We now offer three options.

Individual courses

Our original 1:1 or 1:2 course takes place in your own home. Every oven is slightly different, and this way you’ll find out the best way to use yours, including how to adapt the recipe, cooking times and temperature. Choose from artisan, croissant and Danish, gluten-free or paleo. You can also try our new Italian bread course, bringing the taste of Italy to you.

Group courses

Group courses take place at Daisys Kitchen, Rugeley and includes their divine afternoon tea. Book individually and meet new friends or make this an activity for a group of family or friends. Choose from our basic bread, croissant and Danish options. If you have something specific in mind, talk to us about a bespoke course.

Online courses

New this year, try our online course. We took the opportunity during lockdown to take the time to fully develop and design this course to give you added value.   the filming is complete, we just need to upgrade the website to host these, but in the mean time you can pre-order for when they are ready.

Are you ready to take your inset day? You deserve it.

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What is Real Bread Week all about? 

It’s not surprising that this is a bit of a passion for me. At Hunnypot Cottage Bakery we are members of the Real Bread Campaign, run by the charity Sustain.  Real bread is simply

"Bread is that made without the use of processing aids or any other artificial additives.”

Simple, eh?

How is Real Bread different to mass produced loaves?

Sustain focus on healthy alternatives in bread – and that includes the fermentation process. To be counted as real bread your loaf should use fresh or wild yeast and no unnecessary additives. 

Mass produced bread not only contains artificial additives, there are plenty of other extras that you might not be aware of. These include baking powder or other chemicals such as dried yeast for a rapid rise, and a quick spray with anti-mould chemicals too.

There is NO need for the dough improvers that commercial companies use. In fact it is these that most people find difficult to digest, or are even allergic to - especially the soya flour and not the gluten as commonly assumed.

But what does a dough improver or a flour treatment agent do? They are used to increase the speed of dough rising and to improve the strength and workability of the dough. The ingredients list may simply state dough improver or flour treatment agent, but if you are really lucky you will get a list of E numbers or the names in full.

Sounds delicious, right? No, not at all. An alternative could be to make your own – but are the ingredients you buy from the supermarket any better? 

If you want make your own – and when you are buying for that matter - I always recommend you check the label of ingredients, especially of any mixes you might use to make sure no unnecessary chemicals get into your dough that way. In particular, keep an eye out for flours and mixes that contain ascorbic acid or added enzymes.

What are the ingredients in Real Bread?

Let’s start by looking at flour – and what is permitted? By law in the UK white flour has four fortificants – and so these are begrudgingly accepted by the campaign. These are added to most flour, especially  white, ever since the law was first introduced in 1941.

The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998:

• calcium carbonate (chalk),
• iron,
• thiamin (vitamin B1) and
• nicotinic acid or nicotinamide

As well as flour, the other simple ingredients in a Real Bread loaf will contain:

• water
• yeast
• oil
• salt

That’s all you need for a beautiful white loaf. You can either leave it this simple, or turn it into a meal in itself with the addition of one or two other ingredients.

Compare one of our white bloomers to a supermarket loaf.

Do all bakeries list their ingredients?

When you buy direct from a bakery it’s not always easy to find out the ingredients. By law they don’t have to list them, even if they bag up some rolls for sale.

However, if they sell their breads at other outlets and they are bagged then they have to provide a full list . Try asking your local bakery what is in their bread and see what happens.

At Hunnypot Cottage we are currently listing all our ingredients on our website, and always have full labelling on our breads when we are at events – all part of our commitment to being as transparent as possible.

Where to buy Real Bread?

Have we convinced you to avoid those unnecessary chemicals and enjoy a real loaf? Great – but where do you buy real bread from? Hunnypot Cottage Bakery, of course.

We make is as simple as possible – it doesn’t even matter if you are not local as we can post our loaves out to you.  

Even better - sign up to our monthly subscription boxes for a regular taste of something fresh and different. And when you have discovered the better taste and healthier digestion you get from a real bread, learn how to make your own on one of our courses.

Support the #RealBread Campaign

You may be lucky enough to have a #RrealBread bakery near you. If so, please do use them and shout their praises. As James Beard (an American cook, author and tv personality) said “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”

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Yes, I know Christmas is over, well not quite its not 12th night and I  know some will be orgnised for next Christmas.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t still treat ourselves or our loved ones to something new.  In fact, why not start 2020 by treating yourself.

I’ve put together five  top gifts that will last you for longer than the festive season, all from local businesses in Staffordshire.

LEARN TO BAKE BREAD ON AN ARTISAN BREAD COURSE

For new bakers or those with a little more experience, for individual lessons or a group workshop that includes afternoon tea, Hunnypot Cottage Bakery has a course for you. Learn bread basics or get creative with artisan loaves and sweet croissants. Discover diet related options including gluten free. This is a wonderful baking course that gives you a skill for life. 

MONTHLY BREAD SUBSCRIPTION BOXES

Do you love your bread, but not sure learning to bake is really your thing? This is perfect. Each month receive a delicious box of fresh baked breads – different each time – giving you the chance to experience a variety of tastes and flavours.  Choose from a small (eg two loaves) or large (eg four loaves) box delivered directly to your door each month.

A NEW LOOK FOR THE NEW YEAR 

Have you ever wondered which colours suit your natural skin tone, hair and eye colour best? Or just wished for some guidance on the best clothes to choose for your body shape? A session with your local House of Colour consultant is exactly what you need to start the new year. My own consultant, the fabulous Linda Clark, holds private consultations where you’ll learn everything you need to streamline your wardrobe and find your perfect look. 

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CAMERA

As the wonderful Joanne Cooper says, “I shoot people, I shoot products and I shoot events - from the ground and from the air.” Joanne is a professional photographer who, amongst her many services, offers a Camera Appreciation Gift Course. If you have a camera you wish you could do more with, now is a great time to start. 

SPEND MORE TIMES WITH THE KIDS THIS WINTER 

One of the things we always want to do in the new year is spend a little more time with the kids. With the winter weather looming, here’s a fabulous indoor activity you can enjoy with your children, courtesy of the talented Bryony from White Bryony Designs. Bryony brings us a new addition to her range, her party masks. Each one is made from fully recyclable materials and can be decorated in as much detail as you desire. 

As we all start the new year making resolutions, add one of these to your list. After all, you deserve a treat for 2020.

The post Treat Yourself in 2020 first appeared on Hunnypot Cottage.

 Oh yes, there are such things and not just the panettone from Italy and stollen from Germany which most of us are familiar with.  

 Traditional Christmas breads are enriched doughs. That means a combination of lashings of butter, eggs and plenty of flavour from dried fruits, citrus nuts and spices; all the tastes that we love and that evoke the smell of Christmas. The key is to keep them light and airy due to the use of yeast.

 Dieting – well, you can forget that with these delights, but then, it is Christmas after all. Why not choose one with lots of fruit and class it as part of your five a day? ?

So, let’s have a tour of the world and see what delights await us.

CHRISTMAS BREADS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

I always associate Scandinavian bakes with cinnamon. They have a variety of  Christmas breads, none of which disappoint. Cardamom (one of my all time favourite spices ) features heavily in their recipes, and the  bread I enjoy the most is the Finnish Nissua, a cardamon braided bread (usually in the shape of wreath) topped with a simple sugar frosting.

From Eastern Europe we come across the Polish, Czech and Hungarian breads. Unlike the Scandinavian ones there is no real theme to these as they range from spiced to fruit based.

For us at Hunnypot cottage not being great lovers of the traditional dried fruits, we love the Russian Krendel. This contains dried pears and apricots, amongst other fruits, and a cup of white wine - yes the cook does get to finish the bottle. This is shaped into something similar to a pretzel with a glaze.

One of the prettiest breads is the Mexican Three Kings Bread (cue singing We Three Kings ....) or the Roscoe de Reyes. Like a number of Christmas breads it’s baked in the shape of a wreath, braided and adorned with dried fruit.  And, just like our traditional Christmas pudding, it contains a surprise inside - a figure of the baby Jesus.

But let’s return to the two we know best.

HUNNYPOT COTTAGE CHRISTMAS BREADS 

Panettone (big loaf) originated in Milan, Italy, and is known for its traditional cupola shape - a large dome. Thick slices can be served warm with lashings of salty butter. If you have purchased one of the traditional large ones dunk it in your coffee or sweet dessert wine (well, it is Christmas after all).

We don’t make ours with the traditional dried fruit. We prefer our own mix of cherries, cranberries blueberries and vanilla. We also make a particularly delicious mocha version - coffee and chocolate with cinnamon and mixed spice. In addition, we sneak in pine nuts for our own personal twist. Whilst we do make large ones, we find people prefer our small individual ones, which are perfect for a quick coffee dunk.

You've no doubt seen mass produced stollen at the German markets. If you’ve tried them, you’ll know there is marzipan at the centre of the bread. But do you know the meaning behind it? This represents the baby Jesus wrapped in his swaddling clothes. 

At Hunnypot Cottage we make the all of the marzipan and candied peel that we use. And while you might be too late for Christmas day, unless you have placed your order  we are always happy to accommodate some special orders, if you want to keep the festive vibe going into the new year.

What is your favourite bread at Christmas?

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Back in July 2018 at a gloriously sunny networking lunch I realised that this was the year that I could finally take part in a YMCA Burton #sleepout. 

And I didn’t stop there. If I was going to spend the night in a cardboard box to support the homeless, then I wanted to the experience to be as close as it could be to the real thing. No halfway measures here - I decided I had to go #xtreme. Which means, if you’ve not heard of #sleepout before, sleeping in a graveyard in the centre of Burton. 

Thankfully some friends at the meeting also decided to join me. Phew! 

What it’s like to join #Sleepout for the YMCA

The graveyard belongs to St Modwen’s church, in Burton. So, the Graveyard MadOnes team was born. We set ourselves a target of £1000, fundraising through our networking, clients and friends. Every penny goes to the YMCA to help the homeless. I’m pleased to say we surpassed the target just as we were starting our night in the graveyard. 

Well, some of our team were out like lights, but not all. That night we experienced torrential rain – one of the largest storms of the year - which was causing some issues. My friend and neighbour, with less than 90 minutes on the clock, had to give up and spend the night in the church, due to the huge puddle in her sleeping bag (before you wonder it was definitely rain related). Her logic was that the homeless would have gone and found better shelter than a cardboard box.

But, me being me, I felt I couldn’t do this. Why?

Firstly, I felt I couldn’t as I’d organised the Graveyard MadOnes team.

Secondly, I’d gone #xtreme for a reason. Not every homeless person can find some shelter and security.

I stayed in my soggy box until about 5am when I needed the loo, and escaped to the dry and warmth of the church.  

We were fortunate that the church had stayed open for us all night, so if we wanted a hot drink, the loo, or in the case of some of the MadOnes, a better place to spend the night than their soggy box, then we could. This, of course, is something that is not always available to the homeless. 

How did I feel after a very wet night’s sleep in a cardboard box?

Cold, tired, exhilarated and proud.  

The first two, I would say, are not a surprise to most people. Probably the fourth isn’t either. But I bet you weren’t expecting to see exhilarated. I’d accomplished something challenging and I couldn’t wait to do it again. Yes, I wanted to do it again.  

Was I right to feel like that? After all, I’d spent the night in a soggy box, was about to go home to bake breads that had been proving overnight for delivery to our stockists, and then I was heading to my snuggly, warm, dry bed.  

But I wouldn’t be the only person doing this. A number of homeless people go to work each day. You, as their co-workers, may not even be aware that they have no place to call home, or the issues they face in life outside of work, often through random life events and no fault of their own.

And now it’s time to do it again 

It’s now 2019. I’d  kept most of the Friday night’s throughout October and November free in my diary in readiness for #sleepout2019 - even to the extent that I didn’t book a ticket for the #lovebiz awards. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting glammed up and enjoy a good night out like most, but my priorities are different this year,  and I am  looking forward to testing myself again. 

Not only do I have some of the MadOnes joining me again, this time we have added some new members to the team - a number of my fellow scout leaders from 1st Mercury Scouts in Burntwood. 

How can you help support YMCA Burton #Sleepout2019?

There’s a couple of ways you can help support YMCA Burton this year. 

You can sign up to #sleepout2019 yourself. Remember, you don’t have to go #xtreme, there are other options. 

If this feels like a step too far, you can support my team – the Graveyard MadOnes - by sponsoring us here. This year we’ve doubled our target to £2000, so we really need your support to hit it.

You can also cheer us on, and watch us through the night, on our Facebook page - @GraveyardMadOnes. We really appreciate your support.

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