The Seven Doughs 

Our first loaf, and still the one we judge ourselves by. Fermented slowly for a full day, then baked until the crust crackles and the crumb inside pulls open soft and airy.

Wild thyme and green olives folded through by hand, so no two slices taste quite the same. It fills the kitchen with a Cairo morning before it has even left the oven.

Sharp cheese in generous pockets, jalapeno with just enough heat to make you notice. Lovely warm, and honestly better the next morning, toasted.

Dark cocoa worked right into the dough, with chocolate melting in ribbons through the crumb. Somewhere between a very good loaf and a quiet dessert.

Toasted walnuts and plump raisins, folded in late so they stay whole. Cut it thick, add butter, and breakfast is finished.

Sunflower, sesame, flax and poppy, soaked overnight and pressed right into the crust. Nutty and hearty, and the loaf most likely to vanish before lunch.

A soft square loaf with a tender crumb and a thin golden crust. The bread you reach for on an ordinary Tuesday, and the one you miss when it runs out.

Boiled first and then baked, which is the only way to get a chew like this. Six to a batch, and still warm if you catch us early enough.

Twenty seven layers of European butter, folded and rested across three days. Shatteringly crisp outside, honeycombed and buttery within.

Aged cheddar laid between the layers, so it melts into the folds and crisps along the edges. Savoury, rich, and gone in about four bites.

Smoked turkey and melted cheddar tucked into a fresh butter croissant. Our answer to a proper lunch when there is no time to sit down.

Three cheeses with a whisper of blue for those who like a little edge. Bold, creamy and not remotely shy.

Thin slices of roast beef, warm and peppery, in a croissant sturdy enough to hold them. The heartiest thing on the pastry shelf.

Light, gently smoked turkey with crisp leaves and a soft spread. The one people order when they say they are not very hungry, then order again.

Two batons of dark chocolate wrapped in the same laminated dough as our croissants. Best eaten standing up, while it is still warm.

Smoked turkey and peppery salami layered into a warm butter croissant. Generous, savoury, and easily enough for two if you are feeling kind.

Dark chocolate folded into the same laminated dough as our croissants, so it melts through the layers rather than sitting on top.

Dimpled deep with good olive oil and finished in flaked salt. Tear it, share it, and mop up whatever is left on the plate.

Slow roasted tomatoes, olives and herbs pressed into the dough before it bakes. It comes out looking like a garden and tasting like summer.

Blanketed in cheese that bubbles into every dimple and crisps along the edges. Rich enough to be lunch all on its own.

Butter rich and impossibly tender, with a golden crumb that pulls apart in soft strands. Made for slow mornings, French toast and quiet indulgence.

Marinated beef carved thin and piled into fresh bread with tahini, tomato and pickles. The one everybody reaches for first.

A proper little burger, griddled and stacked in a soft bun we bake ourselves. Two bites, and worth going back for a third.

Spiced minced kofta grilled over real heat and tucked into warm bread. Smoky, juicy and gently spiced.

Seasoned minced beef baked inside our own dough until the edges turn crisp. An Egyptian favourite, sized for a room full of people.

A small, honest hot dog in a soft baked roll. The one the children find first and the adults quietly finish.

Chicken shawarma with garlic and pickles, rolled tight in soft Syrian bread. Light, sharp and very hard to stop at one.

Crisp chicken strips with fresh leaves and a cool sauce, wrapped and cut ready for sharing.

Peppers, onions and spiced chicken folded into a soft taco. Colourful, warm and just a little smoky.

Crisp bites of seasoned chicken served in a cup, so nobody needs a plate. The easiest thing in the world to hand around a room.