Barm Cake is a soft, round, flattish bread roll from North West England, traditionally leavened with barm.
In eating a Barm Cake, many use different kinds of fillings. One of the popular ways to eat it would be with french fries, which is common in fish and chips restaurants in North West England. Others use pasty barm and even a whole savory pie as filling.
Ingredients
2 pounds bread flour
4 ounces lard (cut into pieces, we use white flora sometimes)
15 grams yeast
1/2 pint warm milk
1/2 pint warm water (mix with milk)
2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Blend the yeast with the warmed liquid until smooth, sift the flour into a large bowl, this aerates it and make the bread dough lighter, add the salt and rub in the cut up lard.
When the yeast starts to bubble, stir the liquid in, and work the dough until it's firm, adding a little extra flour if it's still a bit sticky.
Either knead the dough for about 5 minutes, in the bowl, or on a lightly floured surface if you prefer, we like to use a floured work surface.
Return the dough to the bowl, if kneading on a floured surface either way, cover the bowl with a damp tea towel of oiled cling film and leave the dough to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until it springs back when pressed.
Divide the risen dough between 8 balls and roll out into flat rolls, place the baps on to a well floured baking tray, and dredge the tops with a little more flour and loosely cover with a damp tea towel or lightly oiled cling film. Leave to rise (prove) at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C/400F, and put a baking tray of boiling water in the bottom, this will produce a little steam, and help keep the baps soft, bake the baps in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes.
Cool on a rack.
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