Fried Bread for Emergencies

4 cups flour

(I used high grade) 1 teaspoon salt

150ml warm water (use more for a stickier dough) 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons dried yeast granules*

4 tablespoons olive oil olive oil, for cooking butter, to serve jam, to serve

Put your flour and salt in a big bowl and give it a whisk to fluff it up or sift if you can be bothered.

In a small bowl mix together the warm water, sugar and yeast. Be careful to get the warm water just warm, not hot or you will kill the yeast. I test it as I used to test my babies’ bottles by putting it on the inside of my wrist and if it doesn’t feel hot or cold then it is just right.

Set the small bowl aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes. On top of your fridge, in a warm room will do. When bubbles have appeared on the surface, and you can really smell the yeast then you have woken it up. If nothing happens after 15 minutes throw it out and go buy some more yeast.

you see the bubbles emerge add the olive oil and mix in quickly. Then pour this lovely yeasty oily mixture onto the flour and stir.

You should get a nice wet dough but not too sticky. If it’s really sticky, sprinkle on some more flour.

Cover the dough bowl with a wax wrap, plastic bag, tea towel or plastic wrap, whatever you like and place the bowl in a warm place for an hour. I put mine in my sunroom where it is always lovely and warm even in the winter.

After an hour the dough should have risen and be all bubbly and enthusiastic.

Sprinkle flour on your board and your hands and tip it out onto the board. Don’t knead. Even if you want to. Just flatten out as you would scones and divide into two then four then eight pieces. Roll each piece in your hands then flatten. Heat up your oil in a nice big heavy-bottomed cast iron frypan if you have it, if not any old frying pan will do. When it reaches a medium heat, cook for about 3 minutes on one side then flip to cook the other side. They should rise a lot while cooking and will be nice and crispy golden on each side.

You could also deep fry these if you have electricity and a deep fryer!

Serve cut in half with lashings of butter and dollops of jam. Make sure you notice the smiles on your family’s faces.

*Edmonds do yeast granules in little sachets, which is a great way of making sure your yeast stays fresh. You can also buy amazing yeast granules that are very fine from Poland and Italy in specialty stores. My favourite, which never fails, is the Italian brand Caputo.