The women behind pioneering Scottish bakery share their secrets, including croissant loaf recipe

Locals know that they’re never too far from one of their amazing almond croissants, since there are seven venues in the city, in locations including Portobello and Duke Street, with the first opening on Brunswick Street in 2015.

There’s also their Kitchen Table cafe, with its trays of goodies up front, and a branch in Melrose, too.

If you can’t get enough, then pick up the owners’ first cookbook, Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well. It’s packed with practical advice on making bread, the best Scottish suppliers, and over 90 recipes for the likes of Bombay toastie; kimchi fried rice, and rhubarb pavlova.

We spoke to authors Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan.

Has a cookbook always been an ambition?

Rachel: Yes and no. We’d discussed it but it felt like a pipe dream.

Emily: I have always loved cookbooks and have a ridiculously large collection, as they can be the gateways into learning from so many different cultures. I have always wanted to write one since my late teens.

Did the publishers approach you with the concept?

Rachel: We started the process with the help of Caro, a long-time customer and literary agent who gave us guidance. We had a couple of offers and ultimately felt that Harper Collins was our best option.

Emily: Caro thought it would maybe be more based on what we make in Twelve Triangles but as we started writing, it became more obvious that our hearts as always lie with our producers, their stories and how to make simple food well.

How did it feel to see the completed book?

Emily: It was quite surreal, as our first physical copies arrived on the day we were cooking dinner for local booksellers. I was trying to find the PDF on my phone as I couldn't remember a recipe and realised it was sitting in an envelope behind me.

Why are you such a fan of Diana Henry's books?

Rachel: They’ve been a fairly permanent fixture in both our lives. Her cooking style and writing sits very close to the values we hold. The idea of writing a book that feels, as hers do, like a friend and fixture in your kitchen was something we wanted to keep in mind.

Emily: Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson were my introduction to cooking. To make things at home that were indulgent but not overly complicated or ‘cheffy’. Diana Henry in particular was my opening into a world of spicing, pickles and unusual (at the time in Scotland) ingredients like preserved lemons and pomegranate molasses. I also love her storytelling. It feels like she is taking you on a journey.

Was it difficult to choose the recipes to go into the book?

Emily: There were heavy edits. We ended up cutting recipes for some classic Twelve Triangles items like our almond croissant. The recipes in the book are in depth and we wanted to guide readers through everything. Not just include an ingredients list and simple instructions, but ‘what should this dough feel like’ and ‘how to understand ferments’.

Who were your lucky guinea pigs?

Rachel: Family for me, I vividly recall them not being mega impressed at having to give feedback on the slow cooked beef pie on one of the hottest days of the year.

Emily: Some of our staff and a few customers, which was enormously appreciated. Rachel and I could also test each other's recipes which meant we were using different ovens and seeing what kind of impact that would have. My son Charlie has been a huge help but also a fairly ruthless critic at times. The chiffon cake came out as his firm favourite. His comment on most things is that they aren’t lemony enough, as he is a huge sour fan.

Has it been difficult, juggling the businesses as well as writing a book?

Rachel: Yes, we’ve very much taken a divide and conquer approach, and could not have done any of it without the support of our brilliant team.

Emily: It is difficult as you want to make sure that everyone gets the support they need. It felt oddly selfish at times, as we choose to do the book for us. Ultimately we hope it will feed back to the business and support our suppliers, and that people will gain a better understanding of how Twelve Triangles works. It has been a fairly frantic two years, but we both like to be busy.

Did you always both agree?

Rachel: Pretty much yes, there was lots of discussion about chapter flow and some things that for various reasons just wouldn’t work, but no major bust-ups.

Emily: We bounce ideas off each other and develop from there. The book became its own entity.

Who is it aimed at?

Emily: Everyone, but we think the best way to approach the book is to want to understand more about where food comes from and how to make the most of it. We talk about really simple aspects of cooking, like how to cook down onions and season them so you have a base. As well as talking you through making bread and doughs with tiny amounts of yeast and slow fermentation (it isn't sourdough). We also try to share tricks, like to wet your hands before handling dough so it doesn't stick to you. Nothing fancy, just little things we have learnt along the way.

Why was it so important to namecheck Scottish producers?

Emily: The importance of our community of farmers and food producers is the heart of us as humans. The time they put into looking after the land so they can offer you food for your table is incredible. I have grown up in the countryside and have always had a huge respect for this. The UK is filled with incredible farmers and producers making beautiful things, if you start to look they are everywhere.

Which dishes will be most familiar to cafe regulars?

Emily: Our house loaf is there, alongside our granola, cultured cream and butter. Possibly the best known will be our whey caramel and our croissant loaf, although if you have ever been to any of our dinners or were a Duke St regular there are plenty of savoury dishes you will recognise, like kimchi fried rice or the slow cooked lamb shanks with almonds that we made for our eighth birthday party.

Are you the first ever Edinburgh bakery to have its own cookbook?

We think so, although Flora Sheddon has obviously flown the flag for female Scottish bakers with her gorgeous books.

Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well is out on March 14, £25, Harper Collins