The Baker's Blog

When people first see a Japan Kneader dough sheeter, the obvious question is often "Why it is manual?". At first glance, that can seem like a compromise. In practice, it is one of the main reasons these machines stand out. Japan Kneader’s dough sheeters were designed in response to a very practical problem: how do you make proper laminated dough in a compact kitchen, without relying on a ... Read more

Spring Panzanella Salad with Extra Virgin Olive Oil This Spring Panzanella Salad with Olive Oil is a wonderfully simple salad that hits all the right notes, fresh, indulgent and full of flavour. It’s the kind of dish you can enjoy all year round, but in spring, when green vegetables start to feel exciting again, it’s a real treat. Crisp leaves, soft herbs and golden croutons come ... 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

Ficelle are very thin baguettes, crisp and so delicious, and here I’ve made them into heart-shaped rolls: they’re still long, thin and crisp but with an angled cut in the middle I was able to shape them into heart-shaped rolls that are sweet to look at, and so good to eat. The great flavour and crunch is really all down to using a type of French flour known as T55, and the Cotswold ... Read more

Sweetheart Sandwiches – Jam-Filled Biscuits I’ve always wondered just how easy it is to make this well-loved biscuit at home and I’m here to tell you, it’s very easy. When they’re homemade they taste even more special (although that comes as no surprise). These Sweetheart Sandwiches are made from a crisp, buttery biscuit base, similar to shortbread, sandwiched ... Read more

Purple Heart Sourdough Discard Crackers These crackers started life as a “use up the discard” bake… and very quickly became something I needed to have a stock of, for those cheese and cracker moments when you don’t fancy cooking. Made with blue masa flour, they end up with a beautiful natural purple hue and a subtle corn flavour that sits somewhere between a tortilla ... Read more

Folic Acid & Flour: What Bakers Need to Know You may have noticed something new appearing on flour bags recently, namely folic acid. Although it won’t become a legal requirement until December 2026, many UK millers have already begun including it, so bakers are starting to see “folic acid” listed among the fortification ingredients. If you’re wondering why it’s ... Read more