A STEW OF MUSHROOMS WITH ONION AND FENNEL SEEDS

Serves 2

• 300g wholemeal spelt flour
• 200g strong white bread flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 7g fresh yeast
• 350g water
• 1 handful dried mushrooms
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp crumbled dried chillies
• 2 large onions
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• a long orange
• 450g
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 handful roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Step 1
The soft hillocks and valleys of the uneven crust, the folds and ripples of the sides.

Step 2
First, bake the rolls.

Step 3
Put the two flours in a large bowl and add the salt.

Step 4
Stir in the yeast.

Step 5
(If you are using fresh yeast, crumble it into the water and stir to dissolve it) Pour the water into the flour.

Step 6
Stir to a soft dough then tip out on to a floured board.

Step 7
The dough will be quite sticky at this stage, but keep kneading it for a good eight or nine minutes.

Step 8
I knead firmly but gently, working the dough with my hands, pushing it flat with my palms then folding the far edge back into the dough.

Step 9
As you knead, the dough will become drier and tighter.

Step 10
Shape the dough into a ball and put it back into the floured bowl.

Step 11
Cover with a warm, damp cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour, until it is roughly twice its original volume.

Step 12
Cut the dough into small pieces roughly 70g each.

Step 13
Shape each one into a rectangle then bring the side furthest away from you down towards the centre, press firmly with your fingers, then roll into a sausage shape, making the ends narrower than the centre.

Step 14
Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Step 15
Dust generously with flour and leave in a warm place, covered by a tea towel, for 30 minutes or so until they have risen once more.

Step 16
Set the oven at 240C/gas mark 9.

Step 17
Bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes until they are crisp and dark outside and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Step 18
Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Step 19
If you are using them, soak them for 15 minutes or so before you start.

Step 20
Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan for a minute or two until they start to pop.

Step 21
Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with a good pinch of salt.

Step 22
Add the fennel seeds and dried chillies.

Step 23
Peel and finely slice the onions.

Step 24
Warm the oil in the frying pan and add the garlic mixture, letting it sizzle gently.

Step 25
Add the onions and the strip of orange zest, letting them soften, moving them round the pan from time to time.

Step 26
Check the mushrooms for grit, cutting any larger ones into small pieces.

Step 27
Stir them into the onion mixture and continue cooking until they are very pale gold.

Step 28
Add the dried mushrooms at this point, if using them.

Step 29
Tip in the wine, letting it bubble merrily until it has almost evaporated.

Step 30
Season with black pepper and a little salt, and stir in the chopped parsley.

Step 31
Serve either on toasted bread, on toasted polenta, with brown rice or stuffed into split rolls.