1 hr plus proving
Not Too Tricky
makes 45
About the recipe
Wild garlic is only around for a few weeks here in the UK, but you can easily preserve it by transforming it into a flavoured butter and stashing it in the freezer for future meals – it’s the gift that keeps on giving! I’m pairing it with spongy, milk buns that are perfect for a spring picnic, big family get-together or barbecue. Get foraging, get baking and enjoy!
Ingredients
TEAR & SHARE ROLLS
500ml semi-skimmed milk
1 x 7g sachet of dried yeast
1 tablespoon runny honey
800g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
WILD GARLIC BUTTER
200g wild garlic leaves
500g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Top Tip
LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Spoon the leftover wild garlic butter onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, form into a log shape, then scrunch the ends like a cracker and pop into the freezer for 1 hour. Get it out of the freezer, unwrap it and slice it 1cm thick, then rewrap and keep frozen until needed – it’ll be good for 6 months. Delicious paired with steak, tossed through pasta or even on toast!
HANDY HINT
You can find wild garlic in public woods and fields in the UK – just make sure you wash the leaves before use. Either use bicarbonate of soda, wash and then spin or pat dry with a clean tea towel; or dip into boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water, and dry.
Method
- Put aside 2 tablespoons of milk for later. Warm the rest of the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat, then pour it into a jug with the yeast and honey. Mix together, then set aside for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
- Pile the flour into a large bowl with 2 teaspoons of sea salt, then make a well in the middle. Add the butter and use your fingers to pinch it into small pieces.
- Slowly pour in the warm milk, then bring the mixture together to form a rough dough.
- Knead on a flour-dusted surface for 5 minutes, until smooth, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to prove for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Lightly oil a 25cm x 35cm roasting tray. Divide the dough into 45 pieces, then, one by one, roll each one into a ball and place in the tray in evenly spaced rows. Cover and leave to prove for another 1 hour, or until doubled in size again.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 4. Brush the balls all over with milk and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden.
- Meanwhile, make the wild garlic butter. Boil the kettle. Place the wild garlic leaves in a large bowl, cover with boiling kettle water for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water. Drain, pat dry with a clean tea towel, then transfer to a food processor with the butter and 1 teaspoon of salt, then whiz until smooth.
- Once the time’s up on the bread, bomb over 4 tablespoons of the wild garlic butter (see tip for leftovers inspiration) and serve up in the middle of the table.
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