Real Bread Week is the annual celebration of supporting your local, independent Real Bread bakery and baking your own. Here are a couple of recipes to inspire you to get in that kitchen and get kneading!

British Asparagus, Mozzarella & Bacon Sliders

These quick and easy bites make for a straightforward delicious lunch, or nibbles at a dinner party.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You’ll need:

  • 9 British asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 6 slices of streaky bacon
  • 150g mozzarella, sliced and patted dry
  • 6 small buns, halved

Heat the grill to high. Lay the asparagus spears on a large plate, drizzle with oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season then shake the plate to roll the spears until they are well coated. Grill the asparagus and bacon on both sides until golden and cooked.

Return the asparagus to the oily plate and roll it in the dressing once more. Toast the cut sides of the buns. Cut the asparagus spears in half to fit into the buns. Top one half of each bun with asparagus then a slice of mozzarella.

Return to the grill to melt the cheese. Cut the bacon to fit the buns then top each slider with a crisp piece of bacon and the top half of the bun.

Shallot Foccacia

Serves 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus proving time)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

You’ll need:

  • 340ml warm water
  • 1 sachet of fast dried yeast
  • 500g strong bread flour
  • 12 small round shallots
  • Olive oil
  • 10g Maldon sea salt
  • Pinch of caster sugar
  • 25g rosemary, for topping

Pour warm water in to a bowl and add the yeast. Whisk together then add half the flour to form a wet dough. Put in a warm area to prove. While the dough is proving, peel the shallots and sauté in olive oil in a non-stick pan for about 10 minutes until almost cooked through.

After 40 minutes the dough should have risen. Add remaining flour, salt, sugar and one tablespoon of olive oil and mix thoroughly. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well until nice and smooth (about 10 minutes).

Place back in to a bowl, drizzle over a little olive oil and cover with a damp cloth and allow to prove once more (about 40 minutes). When this is done turn out again onto a floured surface and stretch it into a large rectangle and then fold it over itself in thirds.

Now there should be 3 layers. Place on an oiled non-stick tray and drizzle with olive oil. Push your fingers into the dough to spread it out and to make “holes”.

Decorate the top of the dough with the cooked shallots (pushing some into the dough) and rosemary. Allow it to prove once more until almost doubled in height (about 30 minutes) and then sprinkle some Maldon sea salt over the top.

Cook in a hot preheated oven at 220°c for 10 minutes. Turn down the oven to 200°c and turn the tray around. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Recipe devised by chef Paul Collins For more recipes visit ukshallot.com