The nation has been hit by a baking craze! Lockdown gave some of us more time to do some of the simple things in life, like baking, and, if you were lucky enough to get flour and yeast you could create some delicious treats!

I’ve always enjoyed baking, so loved having an excuse to do a bit more. It was nice to have something to keep my mind busy and nourished. In this blog, I will share some of the recipes I made during lockdown, and hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Regular ole white bread

Makes two, 400g loaves

Ingredients

500 grams Flour

1 teaspoon salt

5 grams Yeast

300ml water

30ml Olive oil

Method

• Combine flour and salt
• Add in yeast
• Pour in water
• Add Oil
• Stir until combined enough that it stays together, then pour out onto a lightly floured bench
• You now need to knead your dough. I have learnt a new way of doing this that is a easier way but takes a bit more time overall
• Knead your dough for 10 secs then leave in the bowl for 10 minutes. Do this 2 more times for a total of 30 seconds of kneading. Note: with this your dough will be sticky – DO NOT add anymore flour – it will get better
• Leave to prove for 1 to 2 hours depending on room temp and the temp of the water you used. It should be twice the starting size
• After proving, knock the air out of your dough by folding it and pressing out the air
• You now can portion the dough into two loaves and shape them, then leave to prove for another 40 minutes to an hour.
• Pre heat oven to 230 degrees C with a tray in the bottom of the oven (you will pour water into this tray when you put in the loaves to add steam to give your bread a good crust)
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes. You should hear a hollow sound when you tap the bread.

Banana Choc chip Muffins

Ingredients

70 Grams butter

1 Egg

3 Medium sized Bananas

1 ½ cups Flour

½ Cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ Teaspoon Salt

¾ Cup Chocolate Chips

Method

• You want to start by melting your butter in a good-sized bowl
• Add egg to butter
• Squish your banana in the skin gently for a bit then add them to the butter and egg
• Using a fork squish and mix the wet ingredients together until the banana is mushed
• In another bowl, mix flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda and salt
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry then fold in together gently until just combined
• Add in your Chocolate chips and mix them in gently (be careful not to overmix)
• Using a muffin tray fill the cups to about ¾ full
• Bake for 20 minutes at 180 deg C

Chocolate chunk cookies

Ingredients

150 Grams Butter

75 Grams Brown Sugar

75 Grams White Sugar

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

225 Grams Flour

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 Block of Chocolate

About a handful of Chocolate chips

Method

• Melt the butter
• Pour the sugar into a big bowl add in both the sugars and mix
• Once creamy, add in egg and vanilla extract, then mix again
• Add in Flour, baking soda, then mix in fully
• Cut up chocolate block into chunks of varying size, then add with chocolate chips into mixture
• Put into fridge for an hour or overnight
• Make into small sized balls, pop them on the baking tray, push down with fork
• Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C

Hope you have enjoyed this stray from the normal in our blogs. Let me know how much you enjoyed my recipes!

Steven.