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.
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
BOOgasse Bread!
From the misty hills of southern France comes Fougasse, traditionally baked into beautiful leaf shapes for tearing and sharing. But this Halloween, we’re putting a spooky twist on the classic by shaping our Boogasse breads into ghostly figures and haunted faces instead of leaves.
Our Boogasse swaps olive oil for golden British rapeseed oil, adding a sunny, homegrown ... Read more
Fougasse
Fougasse hails from the south of France, where it’s baked into beautiful leaf shapes and served warm alongside meals often with a good glug of olive oil and a glass of wine (or two). Traditionally Fougasse was used by bakers to test their oven’s heat (baking a small amount of dough before baking larger breads), fougasse has now grown into a rustic leaf shaped favourite ... Read more
The Easiest Flatbreads
Yoghurt flatbreads in a jiffy!
This is one of the simplest bread recipes you will find and perfect for kids or beginners but also seasoned bakers.
These flatbreads take barely any time to prepare or cook, making them ideal for an impromptu picnic or unexpected guests.
They’re also infinitely customisable, so you’ll never get bored of making (or eating) ... Read more
A Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Starter
A healthy sourdough starter is your passageway to a well-risen, flavourful loaf. Keep it fed and watered, and you’ll be well on your way to success. Here are our suggestions and top tips to achieve this.
What is my starter made from?
Your starter is made from just flour and water, which goes through a cycle of natural bacteria and yeast feeding ... Read more
Sourdough Recipe for Beginners
I’ve kept this recipe as simple as possible, with all the details you need for a really good sourdough. It may look daunting at first, but the steps are straightforward. Don’t be put off if your first loaves aren’t “Insta-worthy” you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Everyone’s bake turns out differently, and that’s part of ... 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
Reverse Oat Cookies
When you think of an oat cookie, it’s usually one packed with oats and held together with a touch of flour.
But these Reverse Oat Cookies change the game! They’re made with oat flour, giving them that signature oaty sweetness, while malted wheat flakes take the place of traditional oats, adding a delightful crunch and depth of flavour.
They’re ... Read more
Perfectly Plump Hot Cross Buns
This is my favourite recipe for Hot Cross Buns, slightly adapted from Richard Bertinet's superb version. I find that making a tangzhong (a flour-and-liquid roux) gives these buns the perfect texture, a soft, pliable crumb with just enough tenacity to hold up under a generous smear of butter without tearing or collapsing.
I’ve never been a fan of most ... Read more
Homemade Nacho Chips Using Nixtamalised Maize Flour or Masa Harina
If you've made tortillas and have any leftover, you can easily turn them into irresistibly crunchy nacho chips that taste leagues better than anything you'll find off the shelf.
Made with masa harina, these homemade nachos have the perfect crunch and a depth of flavour shop-bought chips can’t match.
I feel I ought to ... Read more
