Kentish Huffkin, Kent
The Huffkin is a proud survivor of Britain's local baking tradition, from the days when every region or even town had its own specialities instead of aping continental breads and pastries.
A wide flat bread roll, about six inches across and a little under an inch thick, the huffkin is not the sort of product likely to interest our industrial bakeries, as it requires lengthy rising time to reach the soft crumb that marks it as different, and in the hands of a master will also have a soft crust, achieved by wrapping the rolls in a cloth while they cool from the oven.
The ingredients are simple, flour, water, yeast, a pinch of salt, and a relatively low proportion of lard; what distinguishes a huffkin from say a tea-cake or bap is the indentation in the centre made by the baker's thumb pressing it down.
As Kent was and still is the Garden of England it is not surprising that one of the traditional fillings for the rolls was pitted cherries. These days if you are lucky enough to find the superbly named huffkin - the word conjures images of a Dickens character from the country - it is likely to be in a pub, where it will be filled with bacon, or sausage, for a substantial snack.
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