Ingredients

• butter
• for greasing
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ½ garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• handful wild mushrooms
• cut into 2cm/¾oz in pieces
• 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 2 duck eggs
• 20g/¾oz Gruyère
• finely grated
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6–10 truffle slices
• to garnish (optional)
• 4g fresh yeast
• 40g/1½oz plain yoghurt
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• olive oil
• for greasing

Directions

• To make the bread
• put the yeast and yoghurt in a bowl
• add 120g/4½oz room-temperature water and mix. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a separate larger bowl
• mix the flour
• baking powder and a teaspoon of salt together. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix evenly. Knead for 5 minutes in the bowl; the dough should be wet. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for about 2 hours.
• Knock any air out of the dough and divide it into four 120g/4oz balls. Oil a large baking sheet
• put the dough balls on it spaced apart and cover with a teatowel. Leave to prove for 10–15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Pat the dough balls down slightly to form a flat surface about 15cm/6in in diameter. Bake for 12–15 minutes (if you prefer you can cook on a lightly oiled griddle pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side). Set aside.
• To cook the eggs en cocotte
• reduce the oven temperature to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Butter two 100ml/31/2fl oz ramekins or individual cocottes. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the shallots
• thyme
• garlic and bay until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by three-quarters. Pour in the cream and cook until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon a quarter of the mushroom sauce into the bottom of each ramekin
• remove the thyme and bay
• then crack in a duck egg and top with the remaining sauce. Bake for 3 minutes
• or until the whites have started to set. Sprinkle over the Gruyère and bake for a further 4–8 minutes
• depending on how you like your eggs cooked.
• Cut the bread into soldiers and toast. Garnish the egg pots with the truffle
• if using
• and eat immediately with the soldiers.