Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Still playing with sweet dough, I baked these bacon slices from a recipe in Richard Bertinet’s Dough (have I convinced you to buy this book yet?  It’s bread-life changing..)

Step 1: Make up a batch of sweet dough.  You’ll only need half for this recipe, so use the remainder to make some pain viennois as I did, or fry it up into doughnuts. Or make a double batch of bacon slices…

Step 2: After the dough has risen for the first time, turn it onto a lightly floured bench and divide it into two.  Using just half the dough, roll it out to about 5mm (3/8″)  thick, then cut it into six 12cm (5″) squares.  Put the squares onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly square – mine were a bit wonky but they still turned out fine.

Step 3: Spoon a tablespoon of béchamel sauce into the centre of each square, then fold the opposite corners in to meet at the middle.  Lay a piece of bacon over the top of each slice, then cover with another sheet of parchment (to stop it sticking) and a tea towel.  Allow to prove another 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 210C (with fan).

Step 4: Brush a beaten egg all over the dough, then sprinkle a generous pinch of grated cheese over the top (Bertinet recommends Gruyère or Emmenthal, I used Picasso sheep’s milk cheese).  Reduce the oven temperature to 200C (with fan) and bake for about 15 minutes until puffed and dark golden brown.

Note: Bertinet recommends making béchamel sauce with 25g unsalted butter, 20g plain flour and 150g full cream milk.  This makes enough sauce for six bacon slices.  The sauce doesn’t include any grated cheese, but it would have made a nice addition.  Season with salt and pepper before spooning it onto the dough.