18
18. Basic recipes
White bread dough
500g white bread making flour– 300ml warm water – 2 packets dried yeast – 10g or 1 tsp salt
Put the flour, salt and baker’s yeast in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Run at speed 2, and a few seconds later start pouring in the warm water through the feed tube in the lid. When the
dough forms a ball (approximately 40 seconds), stop the food processor. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place
until it doubles in volume. Then, work the dough to shape it into a ball and place it on your greased, floured baking
sheet. Leave it to rise again. Preheat your oven at Th.8/240°C (UK gas mark 9). Once the dough has doubled in
volume, put it in the oven and lower the temperature to Th.6/180° (UK gas mark 4). Bake for about 30 min. Put a
bowl of water in the over while baking to help the crust to form.
Method using UK dried yeast.
Use strong bread flour. Substitute the bakers yeast with 2 teaspoons of Easy Bake or Fast Action dried yeast and
add to the bowl with the flour, before adding the warm water. After processing, just shape the dough into a
ball and then leave to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place until doubled in size. Shape and cook as directed above.
Pizza dough
150g white bread making flour– 90ml warm water – 2 tablespoons olive oil – 1/2 packet dried yeast – salt
Put the flour, salt and baker’s yeast in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Run at speed 2, and a few seconds later start pouring in the warm water and olive oil through the feed tube in the
lid. When the dough forms a ball (15 to 20 seconds), stop the food processor. Leave the dough to rise in a warm
place until it doubles in volume. Preheat your oven at Th.8/240°C (UK gas mark 9). Roll out the dough to a 28cm
circle and add the toppings of your choice: tomato pizza sauce and onions, mushrooms, ham, mozzarella, etc. Add a
few anchovies and black olives to your pizza, sprinkle on a bit of oregano and grated gruyere cheese, then drizzle a
few drops of olive oil all around. Place the prepared pizza on your greased, floured baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20
min, keeping an eye on it as it bakes.
Method using UK dried yeast.
Use strong bread flour. Substitute the bakers yeast with 1/2 teaspoon of Easy Bake or Fast Action dried yeast and
add to the bowl with the flour, before adding the warm water. After processing, just shape the dough into a loaf
and then leave to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place until doubled in size. Cook as directed above.
Shortcrust pastry
200g flour or plain flour – 100 g softened butter – 50ml cold water– a pinch of salt
Put the flour, salt and butter in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Run at speed 2 for a few seconds, then pour the water in through the feed tube in the lid. Let it run until the dough
forms a ball (after about 20 seconds). Leave the dough to chill in a cool place for at least 1 hour before rolling it out..
Use to make pies, flans, fruit tarts and jam tarts.
For a less rich, more crumby pastry you can substitute the butter with 100 g block margarine or 50 g block
margarine and 50 g lard. Use the margarine and lard straight from the fridge cut into 2 cm pieces and process on
speed 2 until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the water as directed above.
Crepe or Pancake batter (in the bowl with the metal blade or in the blender)
250g flour or plain flour – 625ml milk – 3 eggs – 30g caster sugar – 100 ml sunflower oil – 1 tablespoon
orange blossom water or other flavouring (optional)
With the bowl: Put all the ingredients: flour, milk, eggs, sugar and flavouring, in the bowl of the food processor fitted
with the metal blade. Run at speed 1 for 20 seconds, then switch to speed 2 for 1 min.
With the blender: Place all the ingredients except the flour in the blender. Run at speed 2 and, after a few seconds,
remove the cap and gradually spoon the flour through the central opening in the lid of the blender. Mix for
1 1/2 min.
