Tiger Bread

Combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl - Strong White Bread Flour (600 g) , Salt (2 tsp) , Sugar (1 tsp) , Instant Yeast (1.5 tsp) , Softened Butter/ Dairy Free Alternative (50 g) , Tepid/Warm Water (350 ml).

In a stand mixer, mix on slow speed number 1 for approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Then continue on speed number 2 for 8 to 10 minutes.

If mixing by hand, stir the ingredients together to form a ball and then knead for 10 to 12 minutes.

Check your dough is sufficiently smooth and elastic to pass the windowpane test. If not, keep kneading until it does.

Place your dough in a large greased mixing bowl and cover.

Leave to rest in a warm place for at least one and a half hours or until doubled in size.

Transfer the dough to an oiled work surface.

Shape your loaf by gently working your dough into a rectangle.

Tightly roll up your dough from the short side.

Pinch the seams together and turn the loaf over so you have the long seam on the bottom.

Tuck under the ends of the loaf quite firmly to form the bloomer shape.

Place loaf on a lined baking sheet.

Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes before applying topping

Divide your risen dough into 120 gram portions to give 9 balls or 90 gram portions to give 12 balls.

Shape portions into balls.

Use a cupped hand to roll each ball in a circular motion on an oiled work surface.

Place the rolls on a large lined baking sheet.

Cover and leave to rise in a warm place, initially for about 20 minutes, before applying the topping. Move on to making the tiger topping immediately.

Mix all the topping ingredients together to form a paste. Rice Flour (gluten free) (50 g) , Sesame Oil (2 tsp) , Caster Sugar (2 tsp) , Salt (1 pinch) , Water (45 ml).

Cover the Tiger Topping until bread dough is proved.

Uncover your shaped bloomer or rolls and gently cover with tiger topping. Take care not to deflate the half risen dough. Spread tiger topping paste by hand or with a pastry brush.

Leave loaf or rolls uncovered in a warm place for a further 25 minutes of proving.

Preheat oven to 230°C/Fan 210°C and place a shallow baking tin in the bottom of the oven.

Once preheated, boil a cup of water

Place your bread in the oven before quickly pouring the cup of boiling water into the pre-heated baking tin. Gently close the oven door.

Bake loaf or rolls for 5-6 minutes at 230°C/Fan 210°C until cracking and starting to brown.

Turn your oven down to 200°C/Fan 180°C and continue baking for 5 mins until the tiger cracking has reached just lighter than your desired colour

Turn oven down to 180°C/Fan 160°C and cook for, rolls: 10-15 minutes, loaf : 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. To test if the middle is cooked you can use a cocktail stick, if it comes off clean it may be cooked. The best way is to use a temperature probe, cooked temperature is around 90-95'C.

Tip your loaf or rolls onto a cooling rack. Tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked – it should sound hollow.