Darryn is now with BakeryBits after spending 22 years living in Scandinavia, based in Copenhagen. A lifelong interest in cooking and baking was developed at a young age helping out at home while both parents ran their own business from home.
Darryn has been vegetarian for over 40 years now and because of this he has developed an interest in experimenting with baking and cooking to get new and exciting flavours and textures. Growing up and travelling, it was hard to find any interesting vegetarian food, so making it himself was the only option...not only that but he grows his own produce both when in Copenhagen and now in Somerset.
Darryn worked in great cook shops for 12 years in Denmark where he dealt with everyone from Michelin star chefs to enthusiastic kids learning to cook. He found BakeryBits while searching for fresh yeast and quickly became a regular customer, in fact he popped by so often to pick up some ingredients he ended up working there.
He has lots of recipes and experiences to share and really enjoys helping out anyone who wants to improve their baking.
Having blisters on your crispy crust on your bread that cracks when you squeeze it is so satisfying you'll just want to slice it up and devour the whole lot.
I have tried a few different methods and found that there are a few simple tips that will help you obtain a nice crackly crust.
Create tension in your dough with the final shaping before placing it into your banneton or baking tin.
... Read more
Tear and share brioche with a pesto and cheesy filling
Having a soft and sumptuous, comforting and tasty brioche that is stuffed with cheese and pesto is a marvellous thing, but to share it is even better.
This is a great way to use up any odd bits of cheese that are knocking about in the fridge. This recipe is with pesto but you could just as easily use tapenade, semi dried tomatoes, Marmite or ... Read more
Welcome to my BakeryBits Christmas 2023 gift guide. Whether you are looking for fabulous festive gifts to get your star baker yearning to switch on the oven or are after pocket-friendly perfect parcels as stocking fillers, I have compiled two lists to inspire you or your gift giver this year selected from our range. I've been a keen home baker for decades and have spent 20 years working in the ... Read more
What exactly is a Mendiant?
Mendiants have quirky roots in France from the Middle Ages. They were part of the Provençal tradition with toppings denoting the original robes of the four Mendicant order of friars. Today they are a well-loved tradition in many a French household and if you try making these they could be a firm favourite in yours. They are commonly eaten over the Christmas period so ... Read more
This soup pairs perfectly with our Pumpkin Bread recipe or works well as a stand alone for whatever bread you have to hand to mop up the last remnants from the bowl after eating.
I like to experiment with different types of pumpkins as they give different results. Some of my favourites are Crown Prince, Turban, Butternut and the Hubbards, both Golden and Blue.
These all have different taste ... Read more
Having some fun with your baking is always a good idea and getting a great result that tastes as good as it looks is what its all about.
I love soup and not just for the autumn, but when the pumpkins are in season I stock up the freezer with homemade soup to see me through the winter.
While pumpkin soup making I had some leftover roasted pumpkin chunks which I added to a simple bread recipe and ... Read more
Finnish shortbreads are not actually Finnish! Now that's out of the way they are shortbreads and 100% tasty.
The Danes say they invented these traditional Christmas biscuits and call them Finnish bread (Finskbrød in Danish) where as the Swedes maintain that they invented these tasty Yuletide treats and call them Finnish sticks (Finska pinnar in Swedish). The Finns could not give a hoot, ... Read more
I really like the contrast made between the jet black ciabatta burger buns topped with contrasting sesame seeds, and the deep yellow crispy-coated halloumi, topped with a spicy sauce - they are fun to make and are a tasty treat for a Halloween night.
The buns are soft and airy - softer still with the addition of the carbon powder - and sprinkled with sesame seeds for a little contrast and ... Read more
Granola first made an appearance in 1863, then called “Granula” but it wasn't until the late 1960s that the modern style of Granola was invented, slowly growing in popularity until hitting the mass-market in 1972. It has continued to grow in popularity ever-since but not always for the better: some producers have added cheap fillers to reduce the production costs thereby lowering the quality ... Read more
You've made your delicious Danish-Style Rye Bread. Now, here is how to make some open sandwiches just as you see in Denmark.
When people hear “potato on bread” most think about a chip butty...but in Scandinavia the open-topped sandwich is a staple for lunch and their potato topped rye bread is absolutely delicious.
Here is a simple recipe for you to try on a nice slice of ... Read more
My rye bread recipe comes from my 22 years living in Denmark, where people either bake or buy rye bread for their family every week. Indeed, most Scandinavians eat rye bread daily and the Danes are no exception. Similarly to crispbread (like Ryvita), everyone from little kids to burly men eat what looks like dainty slices of rye bread for their lunch.
It wasn’t until I tried eating some for ... Read more
