Ingredients

• 700g/1½lb strong bread flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 400ml/14fl oz warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 shallots
• peeled
• finely chopped
• 4 fresh tomatoes
• chopped
• 75g/2½oz dates
• chopped
• 50ml/2fl oz ready-made tamarind sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 4 cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• pinch ground turmeric
• pinch cayenne pepper
• pinch ground coriander
• 200ml/7fl oz water
• 700ml/1 pint 5fl oz malt vinegar
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 2 tbsp molasses
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• mixed with enough water to form a loose paste
• 30 slices thick-cut smoked back bacon
• grilled
• butter
• for spreading

Directions

• Lightly oil and flour two 450g/1lb loaf tins.
• For the bread
• sift the flour
• yeast and sugar into a large bowl. Gradually add the water
• mixing gently as you go
• until the mixture comes together to form a dough (you may not need all of the water).
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 3-5 minutes
• or until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave in a warm
• dry place for two hours.
• Add the salt to the dough
• then knead for 2-3 more minutes
• or until smooth and elastic. Cut into two oblong loaves
• then place each piece into a prepared loaf tin. Cover with a damp tea towel again and leave to rest in a warm
• dry place for one hour. Meanwhile
• preheat the oven to 220C/430F/Gas 7.
• Bake the two loaves for 30-40 minutes
• or until golden-brown and cooked through. (The bread will sound hollow when it is tapped on the bottom.) Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• For the brown sauce
• heat the oil in a non-reactive pan and gently fry the shallots for 4-5 minutes
• or until softened but not coloured. Add the tomatoes
• dates
• tamarind sauce
• ginger
• cloves
• peppercorns
• turmeric
• cayenne pepper
• ground coriander and water. Bring to boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a very fine sieve into a clean
• non-reactive pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the malt vinegar
• mustard powder
• molasses
• salt and muscovado sugar. Whisk well and boil for 4-5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat
• then stir in the cornflour paste and cook for a further minute
• or until the sauce is thickened. Set aside to cool slightly. (The sauce can be cooled and stored in an airtight bottle for up to three weeks in the fridge.)
• To serve
• thickly slice the bread and butter each slice. Place three slices of cooked bacon in between two slices of bread
• with dollops of brown sauce on top of the bacon. Serve immediately.