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Private Notes
Si and Dave begin their 5,000-mile road trek in the country of Norway, where they pick up tips and recipes from professionals and different home bakers. They also create some of their own favourite Norwegian recipes including Scandinavian rye bread, cardamom and lemon cookies and ham and cheese-filled pastries. 95 year old Nikka rustles up waffles on her 65 year old waffle-iron for the bikers.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The second leg of the Hairy Bikers' Bakeation begins on the flatlands of the Netherlands where they bake lazybones buns beside a windmill and discover that the Netherlands baking tradition reflects the country's past as a nation at the heart of the spice trade. This is particularly true of the classic Dutch apple pie, smothered in cinnamon and some traditional Jewish buns coated in muscovado sugar. Their next port of call is Belgium where they cook up an indulgent Belgian chocolate truffle cheesecake but not before they've tasted the chocolate delights of Bruges, including chocolate tequila cocktails. In front of the Atomium and surrounded by curious Chinese tourists, they rustle up a mouth-watering pork pie with Riesling jelly. The third country on this leg of their trip is Luxembourg.
Germany is one of Dave's favourite countries. Travelling from the wine region of the Rhine Valley to the spiritual home of beer, Bavaria, they discover Germany's passion for bread of every shape, size and flavour. They prove that German cuisine isn't all sausages and beer, but based on regional specialities from pretzels and Germany's white gold - white asparagus - to kirschwasser and Black Forest gateau. The Bikers turn out first-class potato bread with asparagus soup and their new and improved version of the 1970s classic Black Forest gateau. As they approach the end of their ride in Bavaria, they borrow a communal village wood oven to rustle up bierocks - meat-filled rolls - the perfect accompaniment to a stein of beer. They follow the Zoigl star, symbol of local micro-breweries and find themselves singing along to an oompah band in a traditional Bavarian tavern. Spectacular countryside, great food and Germany as you've never seen it before.
Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The halfway point of the Hairy Bikers' Bakeation sees them journey to the furthest reaches of Europe culminating in an amazing family party thrown by Dave's wife Lil, who comes from Romania. Three countries, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, provide the Bikers with ample opportunity to explore some great baking. It all starts in a café in Bratislava, where the Bikers are served three cakes which, believe it or not, are inspired by British TV cookery shows. They also have an encounter with kremesh, the Hungarian take on a vanilla slice served in a café that survived the ravages of communism; langos, a roadside snack of deep-fried pastry with sour cream and cheese and Tokaj wine, the choice of kings once more prized than any made in France.
The home of Mozart, The Sound of Music and Arnold Schwarzenegger provides the fifth leg of the Hairy Bikers' adventure. The trip starts in Vienna, patisserie capital of the world, and ends atop the spectacular Grossglockner alpine pass, one of the world's most spectacular biking roads. In Vienna, Si and Dave unravel the mystery of the two competing sachertorte recipes and taste the latest version -sachertorte 'reloaded'. They make apfelstrudel with the owner of a roadside B&B, cook linzertorte in Linz and a chocolate gugelhupf cake for a bunch of bikers from Huddersfield. Along the way, they also meet a former baking world champion to see how he has reinvented gingerbread, and discover the 'green gold' of Austria - nutritious, delicious pumpkin seed oil. In this largely Catholic country, the Bikers overnight in a monastery and are up with the lark to cook kipferl, a giant 'brioche meets croissant', for the monks' breakfast.
It's the sixth leg of the Hairy Bikers' adventure and they have made it as far as southern Europe, Italy to be precise. Starting in Venice, the Bikers have to abandon their bikes in favour of a more elegant form of transport, the gondola, but that doesn't stop them cooking. By the side of a canal they bake a classic focaccia with rosemary. But it's not long before they are back on the road, making a dash for Turin to help celebrate Italy's 150th Birthday. In between, they cook a stromboli (American style rolled-up pizza) and visit a hazelnut farm to learn the secrets of a certain hazelnut and chocolate spread. But it's off the beaten track that they enjoy the 'real Italy'; a pasta pie on the back streets of Ferrara, catching up with Si's sister who lives in Tuscany, visiting old friends at their weekend retreat for a Tuscan feast and the chance to relive The Italian Job on the rooftop track of the old Fiat factory.
Many people regard France as the home of gastronomy and Lyon the culinary capital of France so that is where the journey across France begins as Dave and Si explore the 'bouchon' - a restaurant traditionally run by a female chef or 'mere Lyonnaise'. As for their own efforts, they start with a tarte aux pralines and create a saussisson-stuffed brioche. After a quick stop to learn the secrets of teeth-pulling nougat in Montelimar, they go truffle-hunting for the famous white summer truffle which they use to make truffle-infused butter and brie. En route, they also bake an apricot tarte tatin and a delectable flan de St Jean de Minervois (like a crème caramel but made with lavender honey and dessert wine). But it is not all baking on this trip. They also meet up with Dave's old flat mate, French Pat, who he has not seen for 30 years, and they are inducted into the Ancient Order of the Cassoulet when they reach their journey's end in Carcassonne.
After nearly 5000 miles, the Hairy Bikers reach the last leg of their journey which takes them through northern Spain. Their journey starts in San Sebastian where they get stuck in to the local cuisine with pinchos (tapas gone large!), a traditional Basque dining club and goose barnacles, a challenging local delicacy. They bake up a storm too, in the form of a pan rustico (traditional bread), a fabulous Basque chicken pie and a seafood empanada, packed with locally caught fish. But that's not all. They also learn the secret properties of spelt, Europe's forgotten grain and use it to bake not only bread but a giant spelt sausage roll, packed with chorizo. In Galicia, they join in local celebrations - a quiemada - which involve flaming liquour and an ancient pagan ceremony. Their 5000 mile adventure ends in Santiago de Compostela with a spectacular firework display to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St James.
