Photo by Matt Russell
I’ve always been a huge admirer of The Dusty Knuckle, the East London bakery that was set up to offer work to underprivileged young people struggling to find a sense of purpose and employment. One of its founders, Max Tobias, had been working as a gang intervention programme and a specialist conflict mediator. “I spent months”, he says in the introduction, trying to connect with complex young people navigating precariously difficult lifestyles…The motivation to start The Dusty Knuckle came from the gradual realisation that I had no real suggestions to offer young people in this position. At the key moment they would ask ‘What am I meant to do?’ I wanted to have a concrete and appealing response. The Dusty Knuckle is what that is supposed to be.”
Now, however commendable this is, it is not enough to keep a bakery running, let alone expanding in the way The Dusty Knuckle has. And its success rests entirely on the magnificence of the bread it produces. No friend of mine who lives near the bakery is allowed to step foot in my house without bringing me a loaf of their potato sourdough. It’s the law. And while you can certainly get the recipe for this, and other loaves, of course, in the book, there is so much more to it. Beyond bread, and reflecting the menu at the bakery, chapters include Sweet Doughs & Pastries; Sandwiches; Salads, Soups & Plates; and Extras, which is condiment heaven.
Let me quickly give you a whistle-stop tour of my highlights, which include: Morning Buns, my favourite of all pastries (think cinnamon buns made with croissant dough); the focaccia sandwich of Porchetta, Sweet Onions, Quince Aioli and Watercress, which in fact is many recipes; Vada Pav; Farro and Borlotti Bean Soup; Mussels, ‘Nduja, Cream and Fennel; Tamarind and Date Sauce; Almond Aioli; and Crispy Shallots. And there’s a divine Chicken Caesar Salad, too, and I usually frown at chicken in a Caesar Salad!
The recipe I just had to share with you today, though, is the Charred Hispi Cabbage with Anchovy Sauce, Soft Eggs, Crispy Capers and Pangrattato — everything I love on a plate!
The Dusty Knuckle: Seriously Good Bread, Knockout Sandwiches and Everything In Between by Daisy Terry, Rebecca Oliver & Max Tobias (Quadrille, £20).
Photography by Matt Russell.
