VegetarianEast Midlands English cuisine Baking

Nottinghamshire Cottage Loaf

Name: Nottinghamshire Cottage Loaf
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: East Midlands English
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tsp caster sugar; 25 g Unsalted butter; 320 ml tepid water; 1 tsp Vegetable oil; 1 tbsp coarse semolina

A traditional British double-decker crusty white loaf featuring a tender crumb, a crisp floured crust, and a distinctive two-tier shape.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· East Midlands

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 240 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
1½ tsp Fine sea salt — evenly dispersed
1 tsp caster sugar — to feed the yeast
25 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
320 ml tepid water — around 37°C
1 tsp Vegetable oil — for greasing the bowl
1 tbsp coarse semolina — for dusting the baking tray

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Mixing bowl
•Greaseproof paper
•Wire cooling rack
•Dough scraper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 240 kcal
fat: 3 g
carbs: 45 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 240 kcal

Instructions

1
Combine the strong white bread flour, yeast, salt, and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened unsalted butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until fine crumbs form.
3
Pour in the tepid water gradually, mixing with your hands to form a soft, rough dough.
4
Turn out onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and prove for one hour until doubled.
6
Knock back (punch down to release gas) and divide the dough into one-third and two-third portions.
7
Shape both portions into tight round balls and place the smaller ball directly atop the larger base.
8
Plunge a floured index finger straight down through the centre of both balls to lock them together.
9
Slash vertical cuts around the sides of both tiers, dust with flour, and prove for thirty minutes.
10
Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for thirty-five minutes until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.

Chef's tips

Flour your index finger thoroughly before pushing down to the base board, as this prevents the top tier from toppling during baking. Adding a roasting tin of hot water to the oven floor creates steam, ensuring a blistered, crunchy crust.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → lard
fast-action dried yeast → 15g fresh yeast

Storage

Store in a bread crock or wrapped in greaseproof paper at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Warm whole or sliced in a moderate oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for five minutes to refresh the crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Failing to press deeply through the centre, causing the top ball to slide off while expanding in the oven
•Letting the shaped loaf over-prove, which weakens the vertical structure and causes flattening
•Baking at too low a temperature, resulting in a pale and soggy crust

Serving suggestions

Thickly sliced with salted farmhouse butter and mature Colston Bassett StiltonServed alongside a hearty bowl of vegetable soup or beef stewToasted and spread with Nottinghamshire blossom honey