Bara Menyn is how you say "bread & butter" in Welsh and also the name of the small family bakehouse that is hidden down a side street in the town of Cardigan in West Wales.
We managed to squeeze some time out of the very busy and multi-talented Jack Smylie Wild for an interview and insight into his baking life.
Bara Menyn croissant - a work of art!
Bara Menyn which was ... Read more...
We came up with this idea as a way to re-use leftover croissants years ago when I had a café attached to the bakehouse, and it’s real comfort food – a perfect dessert for these chilly, last days of winter. Because it’s made with croissants and baked on parchment, there’s no additional butter (normally used to grease-proof the dish); but rest assured, this is still ... Read more...
A Guide To Our Specialist Sugars
Using specialist ingredients can set your bakes apart and make your job easier. Knowing exactly which specific ingredient you want is something we want to help you with, so we have compiled a list of our specialist sugars together their uses, to help you choose the right sized sugar that you need. You can also find related recipes below and in each product listing... 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...
You’ve got the right flour, spent time mixing it, shaped it correctly, and the rise looks good, then you try slashing the loaf with a knife and it drags and looks ugly. Well, we’re here to help you avoid that and finish your loaf as well as you started it.
BakeryBits was the first UK company to offer French dough slashing blades for sale in the UK to the public, and since then ... 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...
One thing I used to bake a lot in the 90s as a teenager and also in my early twenties when living abroad in Norway, Switzerland and Spain was Swedish Scones. They're not the same as English scones and are more akin to making soda bread, only we use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda. I have fond memories making them in the mornings, surprising family and friends to create freshly baked ... 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...