Bake Britain

EVER SINCE I was little, I have been fascinated with Britain. On our travels through England, Scotland and Wales, I was constantly looking for regional bakes and local bakeries. I ate soup every afternoon because I knew it would come with the advertised ‘warm soft white roll’. I experienced the renaissance of British food and saw how proud people were about their local produce. Even then, notes were made on the menus to say the meat or fish was local.

The recipes in this book paint a picture of the British landscape. I developed them based on those I encountered during my historical research – not as straightforward as you might think, since recipes were not explained as extensively in the past as they are today. Much has changed in Britain in recent years, but I think there is no better time for a good piece of cake and a cup of strong English tea.

This is an edited extract from Oats in the North, Wheat from the South: The History of British Baking, Sweet and Savoury by Regula Ysewijn (Murdoch Books, $49.99).

BANBURY APPLE PIE

SERVES 6-8

“This is a type of closed pie as we know mostly from America today. These kinds of sweet pies came from England, where they have been on the menu for centuries. Their lids were either decorated with pastry, or the pies were cut into shapes, creating the ‘cut laid tarts’ we find in old cookbooks.