Edinburgh bakery expands its philosophy into its new cookbook

“Simple things made well” seems to be the goal for both chefs and consumers alike in this current era. It’s an ethos that sees stripping back the fluff and fluster to get to the core flavours, helping produce to really shine rather than cover it with unnecessary layers.
 
Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan, co-owners of Twelve Triangles in Edinburgh, believe in this ethos so strongly they have made it the tagline for their debut cookbook.

They opened their first shop in Leith in 2015 with just eight different loaves of bread, 12 types of pastries and 12 different doughnuts, and have gone on in the past decade to expand into a mini-empire, churning out thousands of sourdough loaves per week.
 
This book expands on what Twelve Triangles is known for, moving naturally from the realm of baking to include things that could go with bakes such as jams and spreads, before landing gracefully with full meals. Every dish maintains a rustic charm, much like the bakery’s famed sourdough, and even the book itself is designed in earthy colours and uses textures of linen and wood to contain the cottage-core experience.
 
Dishes jump about a bit from page to page, such as in the run from tiramisu to house beans to spiced chicken, because they’ve divided the chapters into key ingredients rather than the dish’s purpose. The book begins with a bread section (of course) before going on to eggs, then butter, then ‘salt and vinegar’. It’s an unusual choice, but one that adds to the overall charm, and highlights their appreciation for their producers and suppliers. A cook might need to be armed with handy bookmarks to return to their favourite recipes.
 
Stand-out dishes include the Middle Eastern lamb shanks with almonds and dates that sees a stress-free way to make the heart of your dinner party, or the honey tart with apricot jam that gives a different take on the classic treacle tart.
 
If you want a cookbook that makes you feel warm and lovely about food, this is the one to go for.

Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well (HarperNonFiction, £25)