I found a shallot in the fridge that needed using, the tail end of a bag of bread flour, and a bottle of cider that was just out of date.
Oven temp of 200CF
4.5 cups of strong white bread flour (that’s what was left in the bag)
2 – 2.5 cups of cider (more if needed)
1 heaped tsp sea salt
1 7g sachet of instant yeast
1 large banana shallot, sliced into fine half rings
1/4 – 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
olive oil
Peel and slice the shallot.
Put around 2 tbs olive oil into a frying pan, add the paprika and then the shallots. Mix well.
Turn the heat on, and gently fry until the edges, then the whole pieces start to darken, and the shallots are cooked through. You want them all cooked with a few crispy bits, but not burnt.
Set the pan aside to cool.
Put the flour in a large bowl.
Put the yeast one one side, and the salt on another side of the flour.
Pour in the cider.
Add the cooled shallots.
Mix really well with a spoon, or a spatula, or your hands if you want, until all the flour has gone, and the shallot pieces are all mixed through.
Cover with cling film and leave to rise. Mine took about an hour or so in a warm kitchen.
Once it’s doubled in size, tip it out onto a floured surface. It might be pourable, it might be a less sticky dough, but whatever it is, DO NOT PANIC.
I use an old bank card as a dough scraper, and work and fold the flour into the dough, until it comes together into a smooth ball shape. Oil your hands if you like, as that will also stop the dough sticking too much to you.
For this loaf I popped it into a small, round cake tin with high side, that I’d lined with non stick foil.
Leave that to rise for another half hour, then put it into the oven.
Set a timer for 35 minutes.
At 30 minutes, take the loaf out of the tin and return it to the oven shelf to crisp up. Feel free to turn the oven down a bit to, say, 180, so nothing burns.
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