Baking in a Shower Cap

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Bread, dough, Fabulous Baker Brothers, Shower cap

Another favourite baking tool of mine is the disposable shower cap, of the kind you find in hotel rooms, or at your local chemist.

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Hot Cross Buns

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Crosses on hot cross buns, Easter, Hot cross bun, Tea Time Treats

Although in our 24 x 7 x 365 society Hot Cross Buns are available all year round, it still seems appropriate to make an effort to make them for yourself at Easter. I must say that my previous attempts have always been disappointing in one regard. That is the crosses. Call me obsessive, but I do want them to be distinct and neat, like the ones on the buns you buy. But I had never yet achieved that.

Don’t Knead: Work the Dough!

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Bertinet, Bread, dough, Kneading, Working

I have been baking bread on and off since I was a teenager, but it was only in the last six months that two things happened that revolutionised my bread making. The first was buying a plastic scraper (or two actually). Far more radical was buying a copy of Richard Bertinet’s Dough. This has completely transformed the way I make bread, and has made me into a breadmaking fanatic, whose weekends don’t seem complete unless some new challenge is underway.

My Favourite Baking Tool – A Plastic Scraper

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bakiing, Bread, dough, plastic, scraper

I bought one of these for the first time about six months ago. It only cost about £1.50, and has paid for itself many times over, as it is just so useful in so many ways. I was so pleased with it that I almost immediately threw all financial caution to the wind and bought another one.

Rich Almond Biscotti

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Almonds, Amaretto, Biscotti, cantucci

These are a petite variation on traditional Biscotti di Prato (otherwise known as Cantucci or even Cantuccini). But what they lack in size they certainly make up for in flavour, with toasted almonds enchanced by Amaretto and a subtle undertone of aniseed.

Ciabatta Wars Episode 2 ½

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Biga, Ciabatta, Pre-ferment

My intention in writing this blog was always to give a balanced view of my baking experiences, and that means including the failures as well as the successes.

So here is the beginning of an unfinished saga which starts in abject failure, continues with a qualified success, and ends… well, we’ll see in due course (watch out for episode 3).

Croissants – The Hard Way

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Almond croissant, Almond Paste, Croissant, Fresh from the oven

“Is there an easy way?!?”, I seem to hear you ask. Well maybe… but more of that later. I can quite understand why people might think croissants are time-consuming and fiddly to make. You certainly can’t just dash them off in a couple of hours, and some stages of the process can be quite tricky.

Sour Cream Sandwich Loaf

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Loaf, Sandwich, sour cream, Toast

The recipe for Sour Cream Sandwich Loaf in Dan Lepard’s Short and Sweet is quite outstanding. With its soft and light crumb and only slightly crunchy crust it makes excellent sandwiches. And if you make toast with it, it will fill the house with a wonderful creamy aroma, as it does when the loaf is first baked.