The Baker's Blog

What is fortification? It’s when vitamins and/or minerals are added to foods in order to enhance or “fortify” the flour and give it heightened nutritional and health benefits. So what is flour fortification in the UK? Currently, in theory, all milled white and brown non-wholemeal wheat flour manufactured and sold in the UK has calcium, iron, thiamine and niacin added. Folic ... Read more

Get yourself a decent stainless steel dough cutter and make these very easy no-knead Hand-Cut Cornmeal & Olive Oil Rolls. Great flavour and crust but the star is really Mulino Marino’s extra coarse cornmeal which adds these very visible flecks of golden corn through the crumb, and on top too if you like. You can either make the dough in one go, will take about 3-4 hours, or leave the ... Read more

The Unbleached White flour from Gilchesters is truly special. It's not your average bread flour. It creates a loaf with an incredible flavour, a creamy interior and a beautiful dark crust. This recipe makes about 1 kg of dough, which Andra suggests proofing in a 750 g oval banneton.Step-by-Step Instructions 1.      First things first - feed your starter -    ... 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

I've always loved malt loaf: the bought stuff, but only because I've never been able to make one that comes close to that moist malty consistency that just needs some butter on it for a delicious snack.... Until now! With help from our friends at Muntons, we've got an easy recipe that makes a marvellous malt loaf. The secret to the rich, malty flavour and colour is to use a little roasted barley ... Read more

Bread & Flour Glossary — Baking Terms Explained Bread baking and flour milling come with a surprising number of technical terms. What is hydration in bread? What does W value measure? Is strong flour the same as bread flour? How does 00 flour differ from plain flour? This BakeryBits baking glossary explains common and specialist terms used in artisan bread baking, sourdough fermentation ... Read more

Simnel cake with Homemade Marzipan We’ve gone for a traditional Simnel cake this Easter and it’s safe to say everyone at BakeryBits HQ is rather fond of a good fruit cake. For me, this one is just about irresistible, largely thanks to the generous layer of sweet almond marzipan baked through the centre and finished on top. It adds a soft, moist richness that cuts beautifully through ... Read more

The recipe is an old 1950s commercial baker’s recipe for sourdough bagels that uses a sour “old dough”, essentially a piece of dough held over from the previous mixing. As soon as I made it I thought this is exactly the method I’ve been looking for. There’s lots of room for personalising it, using a sour “old dough” mixed very firmly brings out a natural ... Read more

Cozonac -  Soft Fluffy Romanian Sweet Bread   Cozonac is a beloved Romanian holiday bread, traditionally baked for celebrations and shared with family and friends. This Cozonac recipe has come from Andreea (@alint.dulce.rasfat), here is a message from Andreea:   'I was genuinely delighted to hear that so many of your customers were curious about it and I love the idea of ... Read more

Sophie’s Fresh Pasta - Light and Zesty Ever tried making your own pasta? Light, zesty, nutty… this one’s a showstopper! It’s easier than you think, especially with this gorgeous sunshine yellow Ankarsrum, the result is utterly irresistible. Silky lasagnette (mini lasagna), tender and light, tossed in a bright, nutty pistachio & lemon pesto, with a sprinkle of ... Read more