Na Hansell's Christmas Tree Tear n Share Bread

We recently had Na Hansell in celebrating festive recipes from her new cookbook and this fun and festive dough-ball tear n share tree is perfect for hosting friends this holiday season.

Ingredients

• 220g warm water
• 2 tsp fast action dried yeast
• 400g strong white bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• An egg yolk, lightly beaten with a little milk
• 30g butter
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 30g fresh parmesan, grated

Method

1. Pour the warm water into a jug and stir in the yeast.
2. Weigh the flour into a bowl, stir in the salt and add the yeast and water mixture.  Mix together then knead until smooth - usually about 10 mins by hand or in a food mixer.
3. Put the dough into a bowl with a little olive oil, cover and leave to prove in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size.
4. Once the dough has risen, turn out on to a work surface and divide into 32 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball and arrange on the lined cold plain shelf in a Christmas tree shape - 7 rows with 4 in a square at the bottom.
5. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for 30 mins.
6. Meanwhile, put the butter in a small pan or heatproof bowl with the chopped herbs and heat on the hob or in the microwave.
7. Once risen, brush with the beaten egg yolk and bake in the hot oven for 15 mins.
8. Once baked, brush with the melted herb butter and sprinkle with the parmesan.
9. Serve warm or cool. 

Using your AGA

1. Sitting the bowl on a chefs pad or folded tea towel on the warm simmering plate lid is an ideal spot for gentle proving of bread.
2. The butter and herb mixture can be set on the back of the aga or in the warming oven or eR3 warm storage cupboard to melt.

You can buy a copy of Na's book 'A Little Bit Brilliant' here