Hollywood

Any amateur baker probably watched the BBC show 'The Great British Bake Off', come on don't be shy, I know you did. I am not ashamed to admit that I didn't miss an episode. I was hooked from the start by the wise words of Mary Berry and the cutting remarks of baking guru, Paul Hollywood. Now I must confess that before I starting baking bread I had never heard of Paul. For a start I thought that can't be his real name. It turns out that he is master baker to the rich and famous, supplying artisan breads to top restaurants.I loved the way he was playing the part of Simon Cowell of the baking world, never shy of knocking the wind out of the keenest baker. Mary Berry on the other hand was the exact opposite. She could have been your grandmother, kind and considerate but she knew exactly what she was talking about.

Anyway I digress, the reason I tell you all of this is is that this inspired me to look up Paul Hollywood and see what all the fuss was about. So I had some friends coming round for the weekend and wanted to bake a loaf that would work for breakfast as well as a side for dinner. So I tried his 'Cob' recipe. A cob is a beast of a white loaf and if you didn't eat it, it could easily be used as a weapon. Anyway I have baked this a few times now and it has been delicious every time. Crusty on the outside but nice and fluffy on the inside. It's great for toast too.