Method

1. Pour the stout into a mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast and rye flour. Cover and leave for two hours to bubble. If you want to make this ferment overnight, reduce the yeast to one teaspoon, cover well with plastic wrap and leave out on the worktop for 12 hours.



2. Beat in the black treacle, mustard, eggs, cocoa and caraway seeds until smooth. Rub the butter through the flour then add this with the salt to the yeast mixture. Mix everything together evenly to a soft dough, cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes.



3. Lightly knead the dough for a bare 10 seconds (not minutes) on the worktop. Then return the dough to the bowl and leave for an hour to rise.



4. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, about 130 grams each, shape each into a ball then cover and leave for 30 minutes. Line a tray with baking paper then pat each ball out slightly, roll up into a tight scroll then roll against the worktop with your hands to make a long sausage shape about 15 centimetres long and fat. Lay these touching one another on the tray, then cover loosely with plastic wrap to stop them drying and leave somewhere warm to rise. I heat the oven to 50C, switch it off and place the covered buns on the tray inside, checking on them after 15 minutes. Leave them to rise by almost double.



5. Heat the oven to 200C or 180C fan-forced. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, immediately cover it with a dry tea towel and leave to cool.



6. To serve, pull apart, cut down the top, place the hot footy frank inside and cover with fried onions and chopped jalapenos. To make it even more decadent you can melt grated edam on top.