Christmas Breakfast for Two

If there is one thing I want on the Christmas breakfast table, it is croissants. Preferably homemade. I love them, and Christmas seems an excellent occasion to make room for them.

I also like having fresh rolls, so there is something for all the savoury things we put out. A croissant with something sweet, a roll with a homemade salad, another sip of orange juice. That is much closer to my idea of a Christmas breakfast than one large dish on a plate.

If you are making croissants, follow the preparation and proofing schedule for your chosen recipe. They deserve their own baking plan. Bakery croissants or ones ready to bake are lovely alternatives if you want the morning to be simpler.

Start with the bread and pastries you are genuinely looking forward to eating. Everything else can gather around them.

There are a few kinds of cold cuts, something sweet such as Nutella or Biscoff, some crackers and a feeststol - the festive fruit loaf you find on Dutch breakfast tables at Christmas.

Bas always has salmon. He loves it, so that belongs on the table too.

I like making salads myself, especially salmon salad or egg salad to spoon onto freshly baked rolls. Here, "salad" means a sandwich filling or spread, rather than a bowl of leaves. It is one of the things that makes this breakfast feel like ours.

There is room for different favourites. I can be very happy with a croissant while Bas enjoys his salmon. We share a table, rather than having to agree on every mouthful.

The little menu: croissants (preferably homemade), freshly baked rolls, a few favourite cold cuts, salmon for Bas, homemade egg salad or salmon salad, crackers, Nutella or Biscoff, slices of feeststol, freshly squeezed orange juice, and something warm to drink, such as lactose-free hot chocolate.

This is a selection to enjoy over breakfast. You can choose the parts you love and put out small amounts, especially when there is another lovely meal planned later in the day.

A table can feel generous with a few small dishes. The following is a suggested starting point for two adults, rather than a record of what we eat or a rule about portions. Adjust it to your appetite, the size of your pastries and what else you have planned.

If you choose salmon salad, you might leave out the separate salmon serving unless someone particularly wants both. If the croissants are large, fewer rolls or crackers may be enough. You can always bring a little more to the table.

Serve chilled foods in small dishes and keep the remainder refrigerated until needed. That also leaves more space for your plates, glasses and cups.

I have gold glitter charger plates, with a pretty breakfast plate on top. They are a little festive, a little sparkly and exactly the sort of thing I enjoy bringing out for Christmas.

We light candles, and there is Christmas music in the background. The freshly squeezed orange juice goes into beautiful glasses.

Those details make the table feel like an occasion before anyone has taken a bite. Even familiar food looks different when you have taken a moment to set a lovely place for it.

For your own version, start with two proper place settings. Use the plates you love, bring out the glasses you usually save, and leave enough room in the middle for the food. Small bowls for spreads and salads help keep everything within reach.

If you have glittery gold chargers, this is their moment. If you do not, your favourite plates will do beautifully.

Put out the chargers or placemats, breakfast plates, glasses, cups, cutlery and napkins. Choose the serving bowls and put out the butter knife and salad spoons, so you are not searching for them while the bread is ready.

Decide which cold cuts you want and whether you are making egg salad or salmon salad. If your salad recipe is suitable for preparing ahead, make it according to that recipe and keep it covered in the fridge. Leave the other chilled foods refrigerated too.

Homemade croissants, ready-to-bake pastries and part-baked rolls can all need different timings and oven settings. Check the instructions you are actually using. Work out their order before the morning, especially if they cannot share an oven temperature.

If you are making croissants from scratch, begin when your recipe requires; the evening before is not a universal starting time for laminated dough.

Have the unopened crackers and sweet spreads ready, find the bread knife and choose the music. Keep bread and pastries wrapped or stored according to their instructions until needed.

Start with anything that still needs proofing or baking. While the oven does its part, squeeze the oranges and get the warm drinks under way.

Slice a little feeststol, put the sweet spread into a small dish if you like, and bring out the cold cuts, salmon and salad close to serving time. Transfer the warm bread to a basket or plate.

Light the candles safely clear of napkins and decorations, put on the Christmas music and sit down while everything is lovely and fresh.

There is no need for every item to be homemade. Choose the thing you enjoy making most and let good ingredients take care of the rest.

Lactose-free hot chocolate is one of the lovely options on our breakfast table. With croissants and a slice of feeststol, it already feels festive.

If you prefer coffee, make the kind you enjoy. There is plenty of sweetness on the table, so an elaborate drink is entirely optional.

When shopping, check the individual products you choose if you need lactose-free options. This is a description of our breakfast favourites, rather than a claim that every item on the menu is lactose-free.

If you feel like adding something sweet, here is a little look at making poffertjes at home - the tiny Dutch pancakes. An extra idea for your breakfast table alongside the croissants and fresh rolls.

For us, the croissants matter. So does Bas having his salmon, and having something homemade to put on a warm roll. I like the gold chargers, the juice in lovely glasses and the music playing while we eat.

Your table might have different favourites. Start with those, put a few thoughtful things around them and give yourselves time to enjoy it.