Edinburgh: Butteries and History
mage from lonelyplanet.com
I love Edinburgh. It's the medieval and Georgian architecture, the views of the water, the stone buildings, and the food. There is such a sense of history, and lovely surprises like the medieval and curving stone back staircase we found in our hotel.
view from of the Georgian "new town" from Edinburgh Castle
street sign in the old twon
architectural details of a stone building
You may not know it, but the Scottish have a long tradition of wonderful baking with items that sound humorous or strange to an American. Names like baps and bannocks and these buttery rolls called butteries or rowies were originally made for fisherman going to sea as they needed a bread that would not become stale during the two weeks or more that they were at sea. The high fat content meant the bread also provided an immediate energy source.
fresh from the oven
When I made them yesterday, I was shocked at amazing they tasted while being so easy to make. They are crispy and buttery and yeasty and completely irresistible. My guests loved them.
Ingredients:
- 600g / 1 lb 5 oz strong white flour
- 7g sachet fast-action/easy-blend dried yeast
- 1 level teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 200g/7 oz butter
- 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
- Take the butter out of the refrigerator to soften.
- Put the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt, and mix well. Add enough tepid water to combine into a dough, about 350ml/12 fluid ounces. Turn onto a board and knead for 7-8 minutes, or until smooth. Place the dough into a large bowl, cover with a cloth and leave somewhere vaguely warm for a couple of hours while it rises.
- Punch down and roll the dough out with your palms to form a rectangle. Cut the butter into 3 long slices and add one third at a time, each to a third of the bread dough. Then fold over and continue with the remaining thirds. Flour your hands and knead by pushing, folding, and turning the dough until the butter is incorporated. Once well combined, the dough will be slightly sticky.
- Cut into about 16 pieces and place these on a lightly floured (not buttered) large baking sheet.
- Sprinkle some sea salt over the top of each, then leave to proof somewhere warm for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230 C/450 F.
- Bake the butteries for about 20 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Serve while warm if possible.
last roll in the bowl
