Baps. Very popular in the UK, these are what on this side of the pond we know as rolls or buns. When I was in London, I realized that breakfast baps are all the rage, you slice one of these babies, and add the usual suspects: bacon & eggs, sausage, ham & cheese, or whatever you crave early in the morning. I don’t eat breakfast, but had to try one of these classics at lunch during my visit. Soft, delicate, quite delicious. And as you can see from this post, pretty simple to make. I modified a bit a recipe from Paul Hollywood to add a touch of whole wheat. Just because. These were the technical challenge last week in the Great British Bake Off. Some of the contestants committed the shameful sins of underbaking or underproofing, but most did pretty good. They also had to make a veggie burger pattie to go with the buns, so the challenge also involved sizing baps and filling appropriately. That is not as easy as one might think, as the patties had to be made while the dough was proofing. Great fun was had by all. Or almost all…
BRITISH BAPS
(adapted from Easy Online Baking Lessons)
350 g bread flour
25 g whole-wheat flour
7 g salt
7 g fast-acting yeast
30 g sugar
30 g butter
250 mL water (I used a little less)
Add all ingredients (but hold back a bit of the water, maybe 25 mL or so) to the bowl of a Kitchen Aid type mixer and knead on low-speed for about 8 minutes. If needed, add the rest of the water.
Place in a large oiled bowl and ferment at room temperature for about 90 minutes.
Punch the dough down (delicately) and divide it in 8 equal portions (about 85 g each). Roll each as a tight little bun. Place each roll on a mat lightly coated with flour and flatten it in one direction with a rolling pin, making it into an oval shape. Turn it 90 degrees and do the same. You will end up with a round, more flat type of roll. Do the same for all other buns, then place at room temperature covered with a cloth for 30 to 45 minutes, while you heat the oven to 425 F.
Coat the buns lightly with flour, bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: Even if you are not comfortable baking bread, I think this would be a very nice recipe to try. Yes, it was a technical in the GBBO, but a lot of the complexity in the show has to do with timing (pretty tight) and the preparation of the veggie burger component plus toppings as the dough rises. If you just tackle the bread and don’ worry about a timed deadline, it’s quite doable.
The bread has a tight but moist crumb, if made with white flour only will be even softer, but I like the more assertive taste that the whole-wheat offers. They freeze well, and defrost quickly, so it’s the perfect type of bread to have around.
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Lovely: yes we do indeed love a soft, floury bap here. I meant to make a batch but shamelessly never got round to it yet
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I was wondering if you were going to make those or maybe one of the other two challenges…pull-apart is nice too, and the showstopper quite interesting, they did very well on that
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We will be in London for a night on our way to Scotland so it’s good to know the lingo. I wonder where the name came from.
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here you go… The 9th Edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995) says that the word “bap” dates from the 16th century and that its origin is unknown.
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Hope you enjoyed Scotland and asked for a Roll not a Bap. ROLLS in Scotland this side of the pond.
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I did not get to go to Scotland…. (sniff sniff) – my husband did and LOVED each minute of it. But I am taking notes. One day I’ll get there and ask for a ROLL. FOR SURE!
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They’re so pretty! And I can imagine they’d be good for a sandwich or burger. Or just warm with butter…
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exactly…. even a little olive oil and balsamic will do… fusing Scotland with Italy. Nothing wrong with that, says I… 😉
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Very nice! I have GOT to remember to watch that show!!!
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Knew the meaning of the word naturally but have never made any . . . must take a look as some would be handy to have the fridge 🙂 ! Must say it is a lot of fun learning British manners and mores from you . . . !
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My go-to hamburger bun recipe contains an egg. I am out of eggs and want to try a new sloppy joe recipe so will try these baps. Do you see any problem refrigerating overnight before shaping?
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not at all… go for it!
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Doing this right now – what’s the purpose of the flour coating?
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no real purpose, just gives the buns a bit of a rustic look that is traditional in these buns
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This side of the pond in Scotland they are ROLLS. Types also vary.
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