Lights, camera, breakfast: recreating morning morsels from the screen
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Hello lovers of food and film! Welcome to our series ‘The Breakfast Club’, where we recreate morning munchies from cinema so you can break-your-fast along with your favourite characters. In this episode, we're rustling up a Gotham City classic, the delectable looking Egg Sandwich from the 2020 Suicide Squad spin-off BIRDS OF PREY (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
At the start of the movie, we see a newly single Harley Quinn struggling to come to terms with her separation from The Joker. After a raucous night out, Harley wants nothing more than her favourite breakfast butty to heal her broken heart. Our girl heads to her local, where we see her one true love being prepared... egg, bacon, American cheese... all on a soft, buttered roll, with just a dash of hot sauce, yum.
But before she can take her first bite, disaster strikes! Harley Quinn's past catches up with her and she is confronted by a couple of characters she has previously wronged, dang it. This leads to more heartbreak, as she is separated from her sarnie before she can get her teeth into it. Harley spends the next two hours righting her past wrongs, and dreaming of her lost loves (The Joker, and the sandwich).
It isn't until the last scene of the film that Quinn once again gets her hands on her beloved eggy, bacony, cheesy delight. She had to 'earn' this prize, and only gets her sandwich once she has gone through her redemption arc. Then, she is rewarded, and finally gets to sink her teeth into the slutty butty. Thank god it was worth the wait.
Although it remains unconfirmed, the bread in the film looks suspiciously like a fluffy, soft, bubbly ciabatta. The word for slipper in Italian (don't tell me that doesn't make you lol too). Ciabatta is made with a super hydrated dough, this recipe is 80% hydration, that makes it both sticky, and tricky. So, to avoid kneading the dough, we use the 'stretch and fold' method instead. This is a lot less physically laborious, but be warned, it does take a lot of time. Think minimal effort over a few hours, rather than 15 mins of intense effort. For very hydrated doughs like ciabatta or focaccia, this is generally the preferred approach.
As if it that's not long enough, for best flavour, let the dough cold proof in the fridge overnight, though if you're feeling impatient, you can skip this step. Fancy hearing the words 'stretch and fold' far too many times? Then be sure to check out our video here, which (hopefully) breaks down the process in a way that's easy to digest.
If you have successfully confronted all the people you have wronged in life, redeemed yourself, and undergone a character transformation, then feel free to continue to the recipe below. Otherwise, go away and do some work, and we will see you back here soon 🍳
EGG SANDWICH
Features at 12 minutes, 40 seconds & at 1 hour, 41 minutes, 10 seconds of Birds Of Prey
"Egg, bacon, American cheese.
Soft, toasted buttered roll.
Just a dash of hot sauce...
...the perfect egg sandwich"
PER SANDWICH:
Ciabatta roll - toasted
2 x fried eggs
2 x slice American Cheese
4 x slices streaky bacon
Hot sauce - to taste
CIABATTA ROLLS
INGREDIENTS - makes 4-6
375 g strong white bread flour
300 ml lukewarm water
1 tsp fast action dried yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
METHOD
Fill a measuring jug with the lukewarm water, stir in the yeast, and leave aside for a couple for minutes- if it becomes frothy, the yeast is alive and well.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Create a well in the centre, and pour the yeast/water mixture into the well, bringing everything together with a fork.
Once you have a shaggy dough, cover the bowl, and leave in a warm place for 30-60 mins or until doubled in size.
First stretch and fold
Using wet hands, grab the dough opposite you, unstick it from the bowl and stretch it up, then fold the dough into the centre of the bowl.
Rotate to the next section of dough that is suck to the bowl. Repeat, stretching the dough up, and folding it into the centre of the bowl.
Continue until all the dough has been stretched, and folded into the centre of the bowl, this will require 6-8 folds. **check out our video to see this in action!
Cover the bowl, and for best flavour, leave to prove in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, leave to prove in a warm place for 30-60 mins or until doubled in size.
Second stretch and fold
Remove from the fridge, and stretch and fold as before.
Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 30-60 mins or until doubled in size.
Third stretch and fold
Stretch and fold as before, for a third and final time.
Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 30-60 mins or until doubled in size.
Shape + final proof
Generously flour a clean worktop, and turn out the dough. It will be very sticky, so handle with floured hands. Stretch and press into a rectangle.
Using a dough scraper, divide into 4 - 6 rectangles. nb: In the movie, the rolls are quite big, so divide by 4 to be true to the source, but personally, I prefer them a little smaller (divided by 6).
Lay the dough onto well floured parchment paper, leaving an inch or two between each roll. Cover with dry tablecloth, and leave to prove for a final 30 mins.
Place a pizza stone or inverted baking tray in the oven, and preheat to 230°C / 210°C fan.
Bake
Spray the bread with a little water, or sprinkle it over with your fingers.
Keeping the dough on the parchment paper, transfer into the oven directly onto the pizza stone/inverted baking tray. Use either a pizza peel or another baking tray to transfer the rolls to the oven.
Bake for 15-20 mins, until golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Serve with all of Harley Quinn's fave fillings.
