Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye!
What’s meant to happen to you will happen and these bonnie baps (no smutty baking pun intended) certainly happened, more than once!
After success with English muffins I decided to venture further north and try these bigger than your average roll, super soft, flat(ish) Scottish Baps.
For the softest baps this bread dough has both butter and milk.
Once the dough has had its first rise
It’s divided into 8 equal pieces, about 100 grams each and shaped:
Flatten each dough ball
Pull / fold edges into center
Continue until you get a rough ball shape then…
Like this
Flatten with palm of your hand and then roll into a slightly bigger than you think is required circle.
The bap will retract slightly once placed on the floured baking sheet.
I have no idea if this is the authentic way of shaping Baps but it works for me….and maybe you too.
The surface of each bap is then dimpled, brushed with more milk and given a generous dusting of flour, loosely covered and left to rise again before baking.
Brushing Baps with milk and dusting with flour prevents thick crisp crusts from forming resulting in….you got it, the softest of soft bread rolls.
Unlike the sweet Irish Bap the savoury Scottish Bap is perfect for filling with your favourite meats, cheeses and/or veggies.
You won’t find a better sandwich roll for miles around says a wee Sassenach lassie.
Scottish Baps
- 7g or 1 sachet fast-action yeast
- 240ml liquid (1/2 milk, 1/2
- water, mixed and warmed to blood heat – more if necessary)
- 453 g strong white bread flour
- 5 grams salt
- 57 g unsalted butter
- milk, for brushing
- flour, for dusting
- In bowl of your electric stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment or in a large bowl – rub the butter into the flour.
- Sprinkle with salt, stir.
- Sprinkle with yeast, stir.
- Make well in center. Add liquid, mix then knead for 5 minutes, the dough should be a slack dough so you may need to add extra warm liquid.
- Transfer to a large lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until the dough has doubled in bulk, for about an hour or two according to temperature.
- Knock back the dough (knead for 1 minute)divide in eight even pieces. Shape each into a ball about the size of a fist, and flatten with your hand. Then lightly roll to a round with a rolling-pin.
- Place the ball doughs on a well-floured baking tray/s, lightly pressing your thumb in to the middle of the baps. Brush with milk and sprinkle flour all over the top of the baps. Prove for 20-30 minutes until well risen, in the meantime pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F) mark 6.
- Bake in the oven 10-12 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden brown, but still soft – tap them underneath and they should sound hollow when they are cooked. Cool on a wire rack or wrap in a clean tea towel for even softer crusted baps.
