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.
What exactly are Mendiants?
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. Mendiants are commonly eaten over the Christmas ... 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
Elasticity vs. Extensibility in Bread Dough: What’s the Difference?
Understanding how and why your dough behaves the way it does is a key part of mastering bread baking.
Two fundamental properties of dough are elasticity and extensibility. They might sound almost the same, but they are actually quite different.
These two properties are affected by two naturally occurring proteins in the flour ... Read more
Folic Acid & Flour: What Bakers Need to Know
You may have noticed something new appearing on flour bags recently, namely folic acid. Although it won’t become a legal requirement until December 2026, many UK millers have already begun including it, so bakers are starting to see “folic acid” listed among the fortification ingredients.
If you’re wondering why it’s ... 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
Purple Heart Sourdough Discard Crackers
These crackers started life as a “use up the discard” bake… and very quickly became something I needed to have a stock of, for those cheese and cracker moments when you don’t fancy cooking.
Made with blue masa flour, they end up with a beautiful natural purple hue and a subtle corn flavour that sits somewhere between a tortilla ... Read more
Big Puffy Yorkshire Puddings
Crisp Edges, Chewy Centres, Pure Joy.
I’ve taken a classic recipe and given it the BakeryBits treatment using golden rapeseed oil, beautiful French T65 flour and baked in a USA Pan tin so they rise like a sourdough starter on its best behaviour.
Crisp edges, satisfyingly chewy centres they’re everything you want from a Yorkshire, just… ... Read more
Honey–Glazed Carrots & Parsnips
A ridiculously easy side dish that looks like you've made an effort.
Looking to win “Best Supporting Veg” this Christmas (or for any Sunday roast)?These sticky, sweet-and-spicy honey–glazed carrots & parsnips are your shortcut to side–dish stardom.
(The hot honey was tempered by the sweetness of the veg but if you ... Read more
Gloriously Golden Roast Potatoes
Crisp, golden and the true stars of the roast, I’ve always had a soft spot for crispy, crunchy (yet fluffy on the inside) roast potatoes.
These are exactly that, helped along with a couple of golden ingredients to make them shine.
If I'm going to be busy concentrating on something fancy for a roast dinner or Christmas mealtime, I like to make some in ... Read more
Bready or Not: Spooky Sandwiches for Halloween!
We’ve been raising the dead (and our dough) to bring you some frightfully fun baking ideas that’ll make your kids smile when they open their lunchbox this Halloween.
Using our Simple Yeasted Loaf recipe we added a ghoulish twist, a heaped teaspoon of Farina di Carbone to turn our loaf jet black and perfect for spooky creations.
We ... Read more
