How are we all?
Hot and sticky? Yes, me too. Hottest day of the year and I am writing this in my attic studio, the place where all the heat rises to. The place where it’s a long way to run down to shut the French doors when the storm finally breaks.
Yesterday (2nd hottest day of the year) I baked these bruschettas to share with you. Well, I say share, I ate all these after I photographed them, but I’ll share the concept with you at least.
The concept is simple, it’s just my version of the Bruschetta at Pizza Express.
If you’ve had those and liked them, these are pretty damned close. Especially this one which is a unashamed rip off of their recipe:
Next I fancied some ash coated goats cheese. It needed something with tang to balance it so I went for beetroot flavoured with juniper and black pepper. Rocket for pretty, green pepperiness and pine nuts that I inevitably burned as I got distracted for half a millisecond whilst toasting.
This is The Earthy One:
After that I needed a palette cleanser. The first broad beans are just appearing in the garden, so they were next up, with some fresh peas, herby oil made with whatever herbs I could find, a courgette flower and a few parmesan shavings.
This one’s Garden Fresh, so it is.
Use the bread dough to make 12 bruschettas, or just make 4 for starters plus a couple of ‘one man’ pizza bases.
The dough can sit in the fridge for a few hours after proving if you want to make it in advance, just get it out an hour or so before you need it to let it come back to room temperature.
Although today, room temperature is kind of oven temperature. I’m not complaining, honest. Just a bit clammy.
The Bready Bit
50g/4 level Tbsp Quick Cook Polenta
½pt/300ml Boiling Water
50g Butter
400g Flour (I use half strong bread flour/half plain flour)
7g Sachet Instant Yeast
1¼ tsp Salt
Some melted butter
Put the polenta in a jug and top up to ½pt with boiling water, stir and leave to soften for a minute.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Allow to cool a little whilst you put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl, or your mixer bowl.
When the liquid is ‘warm’ not hot add this to the flour and mix.
Ideally mix in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 10 minutes, or knead by hand.
When you have a soft, pliable dough dust with a little flour, cover and prove for 1 hour.
Take chunks of the dough (about 60g) and roll out into oval shapes.
Slash the breads with a very sharp knife or grignette
Dust them with flour…or semolina if you have it.
Leave to rest on the worktop whilst you preheat the oven to 220-240ºc – really hot!
Place a sturdy pan in the oven to heat up too.
Working quickly, to retain the heat, dust the hot tray with a little semolina or flour, put the breads on the tray and get them back into the oven for around 5-6 minutes.
When they come out of the oven brush immediately all over with melted butter.
Top with delicious things like the suggestions below and eat IMMEDIATELY!
Toppings
Pizza Express Style
Peeled, chopped, deseeded tomatoes
Finely Chopped Red Onion
Pesto
Basil
Garlic Butter
Rich and Earthy
Ash coated goats cheese
Beetroot (the small, cooked ones from the vegetable aisle)
Pine nuts
Rocket
Garlic olive oil
Garden Fresh
Blanched peas
Blanched broad beans
Parmesan
Courgette Flowers
Herb Oil (Fresh herbs crushed in a pestle and mortar with oil and salt)
Jodi
July 1, 2015
O M G – THESE ROCK my world! They are works of art first of all – but then sound OH SO YUMMY! What is “rocket?” I need to look this up as I have not heard of this herb. Nor have I heard of the flower. Is it edible. LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog and posts! Keep ’em comin!
thingswemake.co.uk
July 2, 2015
Thanks Jodi! You might call Rocket Arugula? The courgette flowers are edible, you might know then as Zucchini! 😉
Jodi
July 3, 2015
Aha! Now I know exactly what you are talking about! 🙂 Thanks!
vanrijswijk
July 1, 2015
Looks great!
Sally
July 1, 2015
Welcome to my world – although we do have a/c. These are welcome in any weather. Gorgeous produce from the garden.
thingswemake.co.uk
July 2, 2015
Thanks Sally. We even have to have the doors/windows closed as we are surrounded by hayfields and G has terrible hay fever. Good job our house is so sturdy and generally keeps us cool.
Ah So Yummy
July 1, 2015
Wow the amazing photos are mouth watering. Great post love it.
Marisa
July 2, 2015
Looks yummy…love the photos😊
nezehvoke
July 2, 2015
Looks yummy!
thingswemake.co.uk
July 2, 2015
Thanks all! Glad you like them.
Rae
July 2, 2015
This look amazing! I love bruschetta so I’m definitely going to try this!
nobelcho
July 26, 2015
So beautiful! I just started a personal blog and wrote my first post about breakfast at home, your photos are inspiring, especially food styling!
Cultivate Wellness
August 15, 2015
I absolutely love bruschetta and I really love your take on it. Looks amazing!
cookingwithyuliacameron
September 16, 2015
Like photos. I will use muzarella cheese.
Lynz Real Cooking
September 24, 2015
These look simply delicious! Lovely photos as well!
wheelie38
September 26, 2015
I love this, bruschetta is a great starter or light lunch. Your photos are awesome too I’ve pinned
Stephanie Aleite
December 22, 2015
Great post!!!
thefolia
May 15, 2016
Rocket is my favorite on a flatbread…happy feasting!