The next dish in my Brambly Hedge menu is inspired by the bountiful harvest in AUTUMN STORY. I couldn’t decide on just one recipe, so I brought a bunch of them together into one delicious entree!

Bread is a Brambly Hedge staple, so I started with a traditional English cottage loaf (using this version of Paul Hollywood’s recipe that provides American measurements). To top the bread, I made Attainable Sustainable’s homemade ricotta cheese. This was my first time making ricotta, which was a lot of fun. It’s very similar to farmer’s cheese, which I made for my SARAH PLAIN AND TALL menu a few years ago. I highly suggest ricotta or farmer’s cheese if you’re new to making homemade cheeses. They’re super easy, and the only special tool they require is a cheesecloth.

Blackberries are all over AUTUMN STORY (including the illustration on the cover!), so for a touch of sweetness I macerated some blackberries in elderflower liqueur. Finally, I tweaked my roasted hazelnut recipe from MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN to make honey roasted hazelnuts, the perfect complement to the blackberries.

Top it off with fresh sage for a bit of herbal earthiness, and you’re ready to celebrate harvest time with the woodland creatures of Brambly Hedge.

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Cottage Loaf with Homemade Ricotta, Honey Roasted Hazelnuts, and Macerated Blackberries

“It was a fine autumn. The blackberries were ripe and the nuts were ready . . . Every morning they went out into the fields to gather seeds, berries, and roots . . . The Store Stump was warm inside and smelled deliciously of bramble jelly and rising bread, and it was already nearly full of food.”

— Autumn Story

 

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Hazelnuts
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted, shelled hazelnuts (I ordered mine here)
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp salt
• For the Ricotta
  • 1/2 gallon whole milk
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • NOTE: Certain kinds of metals and other materials can affect the taste of cheese while it’s being made. Check online to make sure your pots/utensils are ok to use.
• For the Cottage Loaf
  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water, separated
  • 4 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp soft butter, cut into pieces
• For the Blackberries
  • 2 cups fresh blackberries
  • 3 Tbsp elderflower liqueur
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • pinch of salt
  • snipped fresh sage, for garnish

 

Makes 1 cottage loaf, approx. 1 cup ricotta, 1 cup hazelnuts, and 2 cups blackberries

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. FOR THE HAZELNUTS. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Coarsely crush hazelnuts with a rolling pin. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well coated. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet in an even layer, making sure none are touching. Bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, trying to keep the nuts separated.
3. Allow to cool on the baking sheet. As they cool, coating will harden. Remove the nuts from the baking sheet, breaking apart any pieces that are touching, and transfer to a sealed container until ready to serve.
4. FOR THE RICOTTA. Line a colander with several layers of cheese cloth and set aside. Mix together the milk and salt in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Bring to a simmer (do not allow to boil—this will take about 15 minutes). Turn the heat down to medium. Stir in the lemon juice and let sit one minute. The milk should start to curdle right away.
5. Gently stir and remove from heat. Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Place the prepared colander in a large bowl and pour the contents of the pot into the colander. The colander will hold the cheese while the bowl catches the whey. Place the whey in a sealed container in the fridge. You can use it in soup stocks or when soaking nuts and grains.
6. Tie the corners of the cheese cloth together into a knot then hang on the handle of a wooden spoon over the pot to drain for 2 hours. Refrigerate in a sealed glass container.
7. FOR THE COTTAGE LOAF. Allow the yeast to bloom in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Add the flour to a large bowl. Stir in the salt, then the butter. Stir in the yeasted water. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup of water 2 Tbsp at a time if needed until the dough is soft and shaggy but not soggy.
8. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn once, cover with a kitchen cloth, and allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled in size. While you wait, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
9. Transfer the dough back to the floured surface. Fold it inward on itself a few times (this will knock out the air and allow an even rise). Tear off 1/3 of the loaf and set aside.
10. Next, you will need to shape both pieces into balls. Starting with the big piece, flatten it into a rectangle and use a rolling pin to roll it into a thick oblong. Flatten slightly with your hands. Turn the dough so that the longer edge is running away from you. Fold the two ends so that they meet in the center and press them down. This will create a thick, rounded square. Flip the dough so the seam is on the bottom. With palms turned upward, put your hands slightly under the ball of dough and move it around in a circle, tucking the dough under itself as you turn. This moves the sides of the dough down and under, making the top smooth and tight. Only use as much dusting flour as necessary during shaping. Place the ball of dough on the prepared baking sheet.
    
    

    

    

11. Use the same method to shape the smaller portion of dough and place it on top of the larger portion. Flatten the top a bit. Dust your pointer and middle fingers with flour. Press them together and push them through the center top of the dough all the way down to the baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make 8 slashes spaced evenly apart along the sides of each ball of dough. The top slashes should be about 1 inch long, while the bottom slashes are about 2 inches. They should all be about 1/2 inch deep.
    
    

    

12. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until it springs back when tapped with a finger. While you wait, move your oven racks to the middle and bottom positions. Preheat oven to 415° and place an empty roasting pan on the bottom rack (if you don’t have a roasting pan, you can use a casserole dish).
13. Dust dough with flour. Add cold water to the roasting tray to create steam. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Lower oven temp to 375° and bake for 20-25 minutes until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
14. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
15. FOR THE BLACKBERRIES. Add blackberries to a large bowl. Whisk together elderflower liqueur, honey, and salt in a small bowl until honey is dissolved. Stir liquid through blackberries until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
16. TO SERVE. Slice the bread and top with a generous schmear of ricotta. Spoon on blackberries and hazelnuts to taste. Garnish with sage.
17. Serve to the woodland creatures of Brambly Hedge on a brisk autumn afternoon.

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Check out my Redwall recipes!

Deeper ‘n Ever Pie from Redwall

Hotroot Soup from Redwall

Candied Nuts with Meadowcream