A classic pub-style hot meat pie, with chunks of beef and mushroom in an ale-rich pan gravy. The beef for the filling is tossed with a dry mix of spices, brown sugar, sliced onion and wholemeal flour, which holds all the rich juice from the meat as it cooks. Really important to bake it at a low temperature in a sealed container: my way is to wrap it in a non-stick paper, then in foil tightly, ... Read more
A wheat flour-based sauce has been shown in trials to give a more pleasing flavour – what food tech people call mouth-feel – for savoury food, compared to sauces thickened with cornflour or other starches that are better suited to sweet dished. So that old-fashioned pan gravy my mother would make for Sunday roasts was the way to go, and still my favourite.
By browning the butter ... Read more
Packed with flavour and a gentle flaky texture (not the super-high rise made with white flour) this is a very buttery rich pastry with a great wheaten flavour and a gentle honey sweetness. Perfect for savoury and sweet pies, pasties and sausage rolls. Freezes very well, just thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.
makes enough to line and top 2 large pies, to fit our Pie Plate 9" (20.2cm)Method
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A classic, simple pie that is easy to adapt. Though it’s a roast chicken pie you can replace the chicken with cooked firm fish, or a vegetarian alternative like cooked Jerusalem artichokes and carrots, you can get very inventive here and still get a great pie.
You’ll need one of our 20cm (9 inch) Chicago Metallic pie plates, plus our Stainless Steel Flour Dredger (for dusting the ... Read more
Very useful for pies, savoury Danish, our Cream sauce for pies and pastries is good on any pastry or dough that needs a layer of a creamy filling that won’t add too much fat or oil. I use it when I’m making cheese and leek croissants out of day-old baked plain croissants: split them in half lengthways, spread some of this sauce over the cut surface on both halves, then top with grated ... Read more
These are great everyday soft rolls that taste perfectly plain and straight-up, nothing brioche-like about them, even with the small amounts of different ingredients added in. The extra ingredients beyond flour, water and yeast all help to somewhat imitate the “improvers” bigger bakeries add to get the same soft light result, but easier to get hold of for the kitchen or small bakery. ... Read more
Get one of our very sturdy finger roll tins, known as a USA Pans, Finger roll, Hot Dog, Bun tin, and make these great bread rolls extra-soft and light with just a smidgeon of cooked potato, cream, milk and butter.
Makes ten large finger rollsMethod
Have the cooked mashed potato ready and leave to one side. Put the water in a mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Then beat in the ... Read more
A very simple, utterly delicious Dark Mocha Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting has a great coffee flavour and an intense chocolate flavour. I've baked this in our Chicago Metallic Unglazed Professional Sponge Cake Tin (20cm/8-inch diameter), especially good as it's 5cm (2 inches) deep so it can bake a generous thick layer of cake easily.Method
Line the base of a deep Chicago Metallic ... Read more
I’m always looking for ways to create Easter bakes that are big on flavour and a joy to eat but are a little healthier at the same time. Hot Cross Buns traditionally have added sugar but as dried fruit are intensely sweet, so you don’t need any extra. The dates in particular give a warm rich sugar hit. I’ve lived in various African countries and finding butter was often an issue. ... Read more
A baba is a small bread-like dessert "cake" that is soaked in a lightly flavoured sugar syrup, and served cold or at room temperature with big spoonful of slightly sweetened cream and a slosh of rum that gives it its name. As desserts go it’s very simple and unfussy, yet for people like myself who love it we class it as one of the classics of French patisserie. Under the hood this is based ... Read more
Quick to make, dairy-free and utterly rich, dark and delicious, this pound-cake style banana cake uses stoneground wholemeal rye flour and roasted barley malt flour to give a hearty texture and flavour. You can swap the walnuts for pecans if you like, or leave them out. Keeps very well, and freezes perfectly either as a whole cake or sliced. I've baked this in a 2lb loaf tin, which has high-sides ... Read more
For some bakers the 100% Rye Sourdough loaf is considered the King of Sourdough as it has a reputation for both an amazing flavour (which it does) and a complexity in getting it right. It has an intense sourdough tang to it, perfect when paired with strong-flavoured foods like pickled herrings or blue cheese. Though my favourite way of eating it is toasted and buttered with Seville marmalade.
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Make great coffee an extra special event with this butter-rich cake flavoured with freshly-brewed Brazier’s filter coffee. Hazelnut Latte Coffee Cake is a straightforward cake to make and bake, and whether you ice it with a vanilla or coffee buttercream – or follow our lead and ice it with both – it will absolutely keep you buzzing with pride. Top it with some crushed toasted ... Read more
There are several ways we can help the relief effort to support the Ukrainians who are fleeing the war in their country, as well as those staying at home to defend it. We also need to remember the many Ukrainian people working to bake and provide food for their communities, keeping everyday supplies flowing, even while missiles are firing above them...
At BakeryBits, we’ve worked with companies ... Read more
Slightly more complex than grilled cheese on toast but in its own way equally delicious. There used to be many different sorts of rarebits, you sometimes see them spelled as "rabbits" – an English rarebit would be made with good red wine – and they somewhat grew out of the traditions of 19th century gentleman’s clubs.
Wales was renowned back then for toasted cheese on toast ... Read more
Barley was one of the more common grains used in baking in Wales, less so in England, and its beautiful flavour and colour of the milled grain is almost forgotten. Barley is much more typical in baking when it’s sprouted and malted, and we have a great range of BakeryBits malted barley that gives loaves a great rise and flavour.
There are two ways you can use barley flour in a recipe like ... Read more
This Crisp Root Vegetable Fritter Recipe makes crisp vegetable fritters that are flavoured with dill, lemon and onion are a great substitute if you’re looking for an alternative to crab or fishcakes. The texture is light and delicate, with a crisp outside. Roll them in some breadcrumbs so they shallow-fry without sticking: perhaps even your own home-made breadcrumbs from your baking. Serve ... Read more
Fresh carrot juice gives these buns a rich golden colour, extra flavour, and sweetness, and helps to keep them soft for several days. You could use other vegetable juices here, like tomato, beetroot, or a mixture, and a home-juicing machine makes this very easy. Otherwise, you can often buy fresh vegetable juices at the supermarket.
But the heart of these delicious buns is the flours used, and a ... Read more