A good day for baking - but not for getting your kit off!

I have mixed feelings about wet and windy days during half term. I'd like to be sitting outside a coffee shop catching the last of the late autumn sun but if I can't, a bit of baking will do me fine. Today's project is to turn Fanny (named after La Craddock as she's acidic and temperamental) the sourdough starter into a loaf of crusty bread.

One of the recipes that I didn't finally include in Movie Dinners was, in fact. one of my children's favourites. Make the buns by all means but it's a bit nippy to recreate other scenes from Calendar Girls any more authentically today!

Calendar Girls

"I'm not a total dead loss as a woman. I can't knit or make plum jam but I can bake a bloody Victoria sponge."

Cherry buns

It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you realise you are having second thoughts. Friends the world over call in favours and others actually volunteer to help out. Usually it involves helping a mate to move house, lending another a cup of sugar or babysitting.

For the plucky Yorkshire lasses in Calendar Girls the favour involved both knitting and nudity. For these members of the WI the knitting caused few problems but getting nude in Yorkshire required grit, determination and access to several portable heaters. As the ladies pose for the camera the props used to spare their and our blushes are wide ranging and innovative. Sunflowers and apple presses are artfully shot but it’s the buns that steal the show.

Slicked with thick swirls of icing and garnished with an appropriately placed glace cherry they almost didn’t make it. Who can forget the sight of Celia Imrie walking towards the camera muttering the line, “We’re going to need considerably bigger buns!” This recipe might have helped. If you feel the need you can make them to match the cup size of your choice.

Mise en scene

Dough

650g strong white bread flour

60g caster sugar

75g white vegetable fat or lard

1 egg

1 tsp salt

180ml warm milk

150ml warm water

1 sachet yeast

Flavourless oil for greasing trays

Topping

150g icing sugar

Glace cherries

Its all in the edit….

Pre heat oven to Gas 5 190c 375f

1. Place the warm water in a jug and stir in a sprinkle of sugar and the yeast. Leave out of any drafts until the yeast has doubled in size.

2. Into a large bowl sieve the flour and stir in the sugar and salt. Cut the vegetable shortening/lard into the flour and rub in until the vegetable fat resembles breadcrumbs

3. Pour in the warm milk and stir to begin to incorporate, now add the beaten egg and the yeast mixture. Using a round bladed knife mix until the dough comes together.

4. Using your hands knead the dough gently but effectively for 5 minutes or so until the dough becomes smooth and silky.

5. Make the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Leave for an hour and a half until well risen.

6. Knock back (punch the dough in the middle to deflate it) and let it rise again for another 45 minutes.

7. On a lightly floured surface divide the mixture into your required sized pieces (see hints and tips). Roll them around until nice and spherical and place on an oiled baking tray to rise again for another 15 minutes.

8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and leave to cool. When cool ice and decorate with a well placed glace cherry.

9. Get naked and raise money for charity.

Voiceover

A cricket ball sized piece of dough will give you a C cup bun; golf ball sized a AA and so on. Remember bigger buns need a longer cooking time. Surely making these buns is easier, cheaper and far less painful than a boob job, go on be a devil!