Phil's Welsh half-time snack
Phil Vickery’s in the kitchen now with the perfect half-time snack - he'll be making a laverbread wholemeal loaf and one of the most Welsh dishes of them all, rarebit!
Serves: 1 loafPreparation time: 1 ½ hoursCooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
250g strong bread flour100g wholemeal bread flour½ tsp pouring salt2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 x 7g sachet quick acting dried yeast350mls warm water, roughly½ tsp caster sugar1 tbsp any vinegar75-80g laverbread
For the laverbread butter
100g unsalted butter, soft35g laverbreadpinch ground pepper
Mix well together and use when needed.
Method
Leave the flours in warm place overnight if that's possible.
Pre heat the oven to 200°C, gas 7.
Put the warm flour into a mixing bowl on a machine, add the salt, and olive oil, and then mix well.
Next, add the yeast with ¾ of the water and ½ teaspoon of caster sugar.
Add the laverbread to the flour, and mix for a minute or so.
Mix well and then add the vinegar and the rest of the warm water until you end up with soft dough.
Either knead in the machine or by hand for a good 4-5 minutes. It should be free from stickiness and leave the edges of the bowl.
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with cling film.
Leave to prove in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. This will take 25 minutes, approximately.
When the dough is ready, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently "knock back" this means to re knead. But don’t go mad, you just need to re form lightly for 1-15 seconds that’s all. Do not go mad, just massage out the air ready for moulding.
Mould into a flattened loaf shape, making sure that the folds are underneath.
Pop into a greased 2lb loaf tin, Dust with flour, cover with film and prove again to just under double the size.
Carefully remove the cling film then, slash the loaf top, right down the middle, with a very sharp knife or a razor is the best for this.
Place in the hot oven.
Bake the bread until the crust is nicely browned, then take the loaf out of the tin, place it back in the directly on the bars or on a small wire rack on a baking sheet.
This will allow the crust to develop all around the loaf.
When the loaf is cooked remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Leave to cool completely before attempting to cut.
Bread to me, is much nicer eaten re warmed after the bread has had time to cool completely. This rule also applies to brioche and croissant. Try it for yourself.
This bread will freeze very well.
Also works well under Welsh rarebit for an added twist.
Phil Vickery's Welsh rarebit
Serves: 2 personsPreparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 6-8 minutes
Ingredients
80g Caerphilly cheese, finely grated80g Cornish Quartz Cheddar, finely grated1 level tsp English mustard powderPinch or 2 ground black pepper3 tbsp hoppy beer, such as Spitfiredash Worcestershire sauce, to taste3 egg yolks1 tbsp laverbread butter2 slices laverbread bread, sliced and toasted on one side
Method
Pre heat a grill to medium heat.
Place the cheeses, mustard powder, pepper, beer, Worcestershire sauce and egg yolks into a bowl and mix well.
Lightly spread a little laverbread over the uncooked side of the toast.
Pile onto the uncooked side of the toast in the centre, and then spread out the mix to the edges, keeping the centre slightly domed.
Repeat with the second slice, then place both on a baking tray.
Place the tray on the middle shelf of the grill and start to cook.
Once the top is starting to lightly brown, slide the tray onto the bottom of the grill and cook until all the cheese is glazed, smooth and perfect.
Cool for 1 minutes so the cheese and egg set slightly, then cut into triangles and serve.
The centre of the dome, should be soft and not overcooked.
Top with a poached egg for a buck rarebit.