VegetarianSouth East English cuisine Baking

Kentish Huffkins

Name: Kentish Huffkins
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South East English
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1 tsp caster sugar; 8 g Fine sea salt; 30 g Unsalted butter; 150 ml Whole milk; 175 ml tepid water; 20 g Plain flour

Soft, flour-dusted oval rolls with a classic thumbprint dimple in the centre, baked for a tender crumb and soft crust.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South East England

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 245 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
1 tsp caster sugar — or golden granulated sugar
8 g Fine sea salt — about 1.5 tsp
30 g Unsalted butter — softened and cubed
150 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
175 ml tepid water — comfortably warm to the touch
20 g Plain flour — for dusting the tops

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•Clean tea towel
•Pastry brush

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 245 kcal
fat: 4 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 7 g
calories: 245 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the strong white bread flour, yeast, sugar, and fine sea salt together in a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened butter into the dry flour mixture using your fingertips until crumbly.
3
Pour in the lukewarm milk and tepid water, stirring with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.
4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and leave to rise for one hour.
6
Knock back (punch down) the risen dough gently, then divide it into eight equal-sized pieces.
7
Shape each piece into a flat oval, roughly one and a half centimetres thick.
8
Press your thumb firmly into the centre of each oval right down to the surface to make an indentation.
9
Place the shaped rolls onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and dust lightly with plain flour.
10
Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to prove (rise again) for thirty minutes until puffy.
11
Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for twelve to fifteen minutes until pale golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
12
Wrap the hot huffkins immediately in a clean tea towel to trap steam and keep the crust soft.

Chef's tips

Wrapping the freshly baked huffkins in a clean tea towel as soon as they leave the oven is crucial to achieve their signature soft crust. Make sure to press your thumb firmly down to the base of the dough, or the central dimple will disappear completely during baking.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → lard for an authentic historic flavour
whole milk → unsweetened oat milk or soya milk

Storage

Store cooled huffkins in an airtight bread bin or sealed container for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm gently in a preheated oven at 160°C (140°C fan) for five minutes to refresh.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Dimpling too lightly, causing the centre indentation to puff up flat during baking.
•Cooling uncovered on a wire rack, which makes the crust tough and crisp instead of soft.
•Using boiling liquid, which kills the yeast and stops the dough from rising.

Serving suggestions

Split open and fill with grilled back bacon and brown sauce.Spread generously with salted butter and place a fresh sweet cherry in the dimple.Serve alongside a bowl of hot vegetable soup or Kentish stew.