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.
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
Salt isn’t just a seasoning—it’s a powerful tool to enhance flavours and elevate your baking and cooking. But with different varieties, how do you know which salt to use?
Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the perfect salt for every dish or bake.
1. Fine Pink Himalayan Salt
Flavour Profile: Subtle, clean, and slightly sweet, with earthy mineral notes.Best For: ... Read more
Tortillas Made with Nixtamalised Maize Flour or Masa Harina
I like a tortilla as much as the next person, probably more, but what’s this "nixtamalised" business? Maize (corn) is traditionally used to make a flour for tortillas called masa harina. However, unprocessed corn has a tough outer skin, making it tricky to mill into flour and harder for us to digest. Thousands of years ago, the ... Read more
Fluffy Middle Eastern Sourdough Flatbreads
I love Middle Eastern-style cooking, and having a pliable fluffy flatbread is indispensable for mopping up hummus, pesto or sauces and for wrapping and transporting falafels or fritters laden with labneh pickles and a zesty salad.
These are easy to make and whilst being light and fluffy they are strong enough to let you to load them to the gunnels.
... Read more
Brown Bread Ice-Cream using the Ankarsrum Ice-Cream Attachment
It might sound like a strange mix with brown bread and ice-cream but it works fantastically well.
The toast infused ice-cream coupled with caramelised breadcrumb nuggets that give sweetness, light maltiness and texture to this delightful brown bread ice-cream made with the Ankarsrum Ice-Cream Attachment for the Ankarsrum Mixer.
You ... Read more
Panettone Style Cookies
Making a panettone just before Christmas, when time is disappearing quicker than the evening sun, can seem like an indulgent project.
However, if you love the taste of panettone and want to bake something everyone will enjoy, these cookies are something you’ll definitely want to "accept".
They’re easy to make, the dough can be prepared ahead of time, ... Read more
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 & 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 ... Read more
