Skinkehorn

Ingredients

• 4¼ ozbuttermelted, for the dough
• 2 cupsmilklukewarm, for the dough
• 1¾ ozfresh yeastor 1 packet of dry yeast
• 1½ lbwheat flourcan be partly replaced with wholemeal wheat
• 2 tspsaltfor the dough
• 2 tspsugarfor the dough
• 4¼ ozhamsliced, for the filling
• 7 ozcheesesliced or grated, for the filling
• 1eggbeaten, for brushing
• 2 tbspsesame seedsfor sprinkling
• Mustarde.g. Dijon, spread thinly on the dough (optional)

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, pour in the milk and warm everything until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in the liquid.
2. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and knead to a smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.
3. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and roll each one out into a round. Cut each round into 8 triangles, like slicing a cake.
4. If you like, spread the triangles thinly with mustard. Place cheese and ham along the wide end of each triangle.
5. Roll each triangle up from the wide end towards the point, curve it gently into a crescent and set it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise again for 20 to 30 minutes, heating the oven to 220–435 °F in the meantime.
6. Brush the crescents with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Bake for about 8 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Leave the skinkehorn to cool on a wire rack.

Tips and variations

Smoked cured pork loin (hamburgerryg) works in place of the cooked ham, and for a heartier filling add grated cheese and coarsely chopped hazelnuts, with pumpkin seeds on top instead of sesame. Some or all of the flour can be swapped for wholemeal wheat, or for a mix of finely and coarsely ground wholemeal wheat for a rougher texture. For a gluten-free dough, use gluten-free flour blends with psyllium husk and a little baking powder. The crescents are best eaten warm, shortly after they come off the rack.