English Muffins

English muffins were always our saviour, a safe breakfast or bun option that was mostly readily available. Sadly over time , the safe brands have all started to add milk to their ingredients and now all of the easily available ones contain milk. Sad days for us, as it is yet another product we can no longer depend on being able to buy. I also find it a bizarre time for companies to start adding milk to the ingredients when there is an increasing interest in dairy-free and vegan is the new big thing!

So it was time to either miss out or start making them myself, and I obviously went for the making them myself option. I just can’t stop baking and cooking! It’s not the same, and ideally it’s nice to have some products we can buy, but needs must.

I have to say they’re pretty easy to make, the results are shop worthy and they freeze beautifully, so maybe we can return to the days to always having English muffins on hand.

English Muffins

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 8-10 muffins

400g plain flour

1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast

1 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 tbsp caster sugar

100ml dairy-free milk

25ml sunflower oil

125-150ml water

polenta for dusting, plus a little more flour

Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Pour in the oil, milk and 125ml water. Mix to form a dough adding the extra 25ml water if needed.
Knead until smooth, bouncy and silky. About 10 minutes by hand, 5 minutes by machine.
Place into a bowl, cover and leave to rise for at least an hour. You want the mixture to have basically doubled in size.
Knock back. Dust the kitchen surface with flour and polenta and roll out to a thickness of about 2 cm. Cut out circles using a cutter any size from 8 -12 cm.
Rest on a floured/polenta covered board whilst you heat the pan.
Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan on low until it has an even heat, this will take a good 5-10 minutes.
Cook the muffins until golden on each side and no longer doughy in the middle which will take up to 10 minutes on each side.
Store in an airtight container or freeze once cool for extra freshness,

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

This time of year is just wrong without Hot Cross Buns. I eagerly await the criss crossed beauties appearing in the shops, and very year there’s a new variety to tempt and inspire. These days I wouldn’t buy a Hot Cross bun as I’ve not found any safe ones (I know vegan versions exist but they’re generally not free-from enough for us) and so come March I make batch after batch of buns. I’d really recommend giving it a go, they’re not hard to make and the satisfaction of a house filled with a spicy aroma and perfect buns appearing from the oven is second to none!

I’ve made many friendly hot cross buns and they’ve become a firm favourite, so much so that Little S has them for breakfast if she gets the chance. For some reason my children have an aversion to dried fruit, so I concocted this variation that appeals more to them.

The addition of chopped chocolate may be slightly unconventional, but the resulting buns are delightfully aromatic and tasty with the bonus prize of the chocolate going oozy and gooey when the buns are toasted. The added bonus is that they freeze beautifully. Simply defrost and then warm in an oven or toaster, and enjoy perfect hot cross buns anytime 🙂

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 9-12

500g strong bread flour

1 tbsp dried yeast

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 or 2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

500ml warm dairy-free milk

2 tbsps melted dairy-free margarine

100g dairy-free chocolate, chopped

for the crosses:

2 tbsp flour

3 tbsp water

for the glaze:

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp water

In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices. Make a well in the centre and pour in the dairy-free milk and dairy-free margarine, bring together to form a dough (adding more flour if too wet, or more liquid if too dry)
Knead for about 5 mins until the dough is smooth
Place in a bowl and cover, leave in a warm place to double in size
Knock back, knead again and then form into 9-12 even sized balls. Place well spaced on a baking sheet lined with grease proof paper
Leave to rise again for 10-20 minutes
Mix together the water and flour to make a paste and pipe onto the top of the buns in crosses
Bake at 190 degrees/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes until risen and the buns sound hollow
Make the glaze by dissolving the sugar in the water and boiling briefly. Brush over the hot buns.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
These buns are best kept loosely covered or the glaze will make them go a bit soggy.

Savoury Pretzels

Snacks – I don’t think we’d get through a day without snacks and that’s always particularly apparent at the weekend or in the school holidays. Biscuits and cakes are all well and good but sometimes savoury is the only way to go. Crisps are great, everyone loves crisps right? But they’re not exactly filling and nutritious.

I have a small repertoire of interesting savoury options: sausage rolls, savoury scones, cheesy crackers etc but I’m always on the look out for new ideas which are not only suitable but pleasing to everyone. Then I spied some big pretzels for sale – now that looks like a good idea. Chewy, bread based and certainly filling. I’ve never really delved into the wonderful world of pretzels before but in doing some research it seems they’re often served with mustard. Bingo! Inspiration! So here’s my take on savoury pretzels, topped with a mustard glaze and because dips make everything better, served with a sweet mustard sauce. These certainly keep those hunger pangs at bay with a satisfying snack. They also make great tasty sandwich rolls 😋

Savoury Pretzels

(Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian, can be vegan) contains mustard

makes 8-10

500g strong bread flour

7g dried fast action yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

300 ml warm water

2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda (for the boiling water)

for the glaze:

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix together all the ingredients except the bicarbonate of soda to form a dough and knead well until smooth silky and you can feel the gluten and firmed up the dough. Cover and leave to prove for at least one hour.
Knock back and cut into 8-10 even sized pieces. Roll each one into a sausage shape with slightly tapered ends, then tie in a lose knot. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the over to 200 degrees centigrade
Bring a pan of water to the boil, once boiling tip in the bicarbonate of soda and drop each knot into the boiling solution for about 5 seconds.
Remove and place on an oiled baking sheet.
Brush with a little of the glaze and bake for 15 minutes until deeply golden
Transfer to a wire rack and bush with the remaining glaze and sprinkle over a little salt. Leave to cool.
Serve fresh with a dip of equal parts honey/syrup and mustard pepped up with a dash of hot sauce.
These pretzels also freeze well. Defrost thoroughly and then refresh in a hot oven for a few minutes.

Marmite Bagels

I love making bagels; ok it’s a slightly convoluted process but they make me feel like a real, proper baker! When I saw a picture of some marmite bagels on the cover of Olive Magazine, I just knew I had to make my own version. Big S loves bagels and marmite and isn’t so keen on sweet breakfast options – these bagels could have been made exclusively for her!

They really are a delicious savoury bagel variation – certainly not too ‘marmity’ but with add oomph and umami flavours, these certainly aren’t a bland plain bagel! Don’t worry though, if you’re not a marmite fan you will still enjoy these, they’re more savoury and moorish than overpoweringly marmite flavoured.

We had them warm from the oven with Tofutti better than cream cheese, served with carrot soup – a complete winner of a lunch!

But make sure you leave some for breakfast, toasted and with added marmite if you’re a real marmite addict!

Marmite Bagels

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Makes 10

500g strong bread flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp dried yeast

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 and 1/2 tbsp marmite and 1 tbsp syrup dissolved in 300ml water

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp marmite

1 tsp marmite dissolved in 1 tbsp dairy-free milk, for brushing

A few flakes of sea salt to sprinkle

Sift the flour into bowl; add the salt, sugar and yeast.
Pour in the water (with marmite and syrup dissolved in) and oil and and mix until you have a nice smooth, pliable dough (if you have a mixer with a dough hook use that)
Knead until the dough is silky smooth and bounces back when you make an indentation (probably 5-10 minutes)
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Cut the dough into ten equal sized pieces, weigh them if you want them to be exact.
Shape each into a ball, then insert a wooden spoon handle in the middle to make a hole. Twizzle about until the hole is at least 2cm/1 inch across. (Or leave as balls if making burger buns)
Stir in the 1 tbsp marmite into the boiling water. Once all the bagels are shaped, tip the bicarbonate into the water. Place each bagel in the boiling water for about 30 seconds, turning over once. Lift out, drain off the excess water by placing on a clean tea towel. Then place on the baking sheet. Leave to rise again for 30 minutes, covered with cling film
Heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7. Oil a baking sheet.
Brush with the marmite infused dairy-free milk and sprinkle with the salt.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden
Cool on a wire rack.

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche

Mmmm, is there any more comforting and wonderful smell that cinnamon scented baked items cooking in the oven? It’s such a sweet, warm and cosy aroma, with the promise of an irresistible treat nice the baking has finished. This cinnamon swirl brioche loaf hits the spot in so many ways – it looks stunning, smells amazing whist its cooking and tastes absolutely delicious – you can’t go wrong with that!!

I always find the brioche loaves and rolls look tempting on the supermarket shelves, to me they look rich, delicate and indulgent. A sort of luxury loaf for times of celebration. Obviously free from brioche are pretty hard to come by with their reliance on eggs and butter to enrich the dough! This recipe is pretty simple but gives beautiful results – the dough is enriched enough to be luxurious without being sickly, there is just a hint of sweetness in the dough, with the sugary cnnamon swirl giving the favour punch. We loved the slices plain, toasted or turned into a luxurious bread and butter pudding.

I also fancied making a show stopper loaf, one with ‘bake off’ worthy wow factor. I’d seen this technique of splitting and twisting the dough before and thought how stunning the results are for a technique which is essentially totally simple and straightforward. The swiss roll style spiral of cinnamon filled dough is basically split into two lengthwise with a little join left at one end. The two sides are then twisted so the cut edges face upward and then it’s twisted over itself giving a wonderfully gnarly and twisted effect, especially once risen and baked. I think we definitely ended up with the ‘wow effect’ I was looking for!

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche Loaf

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 1 loaf

500g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp quick action yeast

100ml warm water

150ml dairy-free milk

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, melted

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 tsp cornflour

2 tsp oat milk

1 tsp honey/syrup

1 tsp oil

Mix together the 1/3 cup of sugar and 1tbsp cinnamon and set aside.
Mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, yeast and sugar
Pour in the water, oat milk and melted spread and mix to a soft dough
Knead for a good 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and bouncy
Cover and leave in a warm place to rise, you want it to double in size
Knock back and then roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon and then roll up into a tight swiss roll type cylinder.
Split in half lengthwise leaving a little join at one end. Turn the cut sides up so you can see the cinnamon sugar layers. Twist and then join the ends. Place in a loaf tin, cover with cling film and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes Mix together the glaze and set aside.
Bake for 45-55 minutes at 180 degrees Centigrade until they are golden, risen and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom
For extra shine, brush the top with the glaze 5 or 10 minutes minutes before the end of the baking

Garlic and Herb Knots

I do like making us some interesting bread for a weekend lunch – it makes such a welcome change from the boring sliced bread we’re normally forced to buy. Little S’s sesame allergy means all bakery products are out of bounds and the ready packed varieties are also few and far between. Our bread options get rather monotonous and I so like giving her the opportunity to try all types of gorgeous, fresh baked bread as there is not much better that warm home baked loaves. I found that if I make a bigger batch and freeze half then we always have something interesting to hand. This recipe provides a double whammy of interesting flavour coupled with shape.I think shape is just as important as flavour/smell in making something basic become special. I’ve always found knot shapes particularly appealing and whilst looking complicated, they are so easy to make. You effectively roll out a sausage shape but taper the ends slightly and then tie in a loose knot – simple! The garlic and herb in this recipe adds a subtle twang, enough to get the gist but nothing too overpowering, just as I like it. However, if you’re more of a garlic fan than me, add more and then you can crank it up as much as you like!

Garlic Herby Knots

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 12 rolls

300ml oat milk

2 tbsps dairy-free spread

1 tbsps syrup

400-450g strong white bread flour

1 tbsp dried yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp chopped chives

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, crushed

black pepper

oat milk, for brushing

rock salt for sprinkling

Warm the oat milk, spread and syrup together until the spread has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and salt.
Stir in the herbs and garlic, and a good grind of black pepper.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour. Mix until it has come together to make a soft dough.
Turn out and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.
Place back in the bowl, cover with oiled cling-film and leave to rise for about an hour (it should double in size).
Once the dough has risen, knock back and knead again to form a smooth ball.
Cut into 12 even sized pieces and roll each into a sausage with tapered ends. Tie in a knot and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Loosely cover with oiled cling-film and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Centigrade/210 degrees fan/Gas Mark 6
Remove the cling-film. Brush the tops with oat milk and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and sounding hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack.

Chive Bloomer

Our chives are growing like crazy at the moment and I’ve been using them wherever possible, but still not making a dent in the abundant harvest (much to the bumble bees’ delight as they seem to love love LOVE chive flowers). So it was a case of thinking up ideas of how to use as many as possible, in as many ways as I could! I was going to make a loaf anyway, to make our weekend lunches more exciting, so why not a chive loaf? Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a chive loaf before, but why not? The mellow oniony-ness of the chives would surely give a lovely subtle savoury note to a traditional white bloomer, and white it had to be, the idea of chives in brown bread just seemed so wrong. As it turns out, chive bread is very very good idea, perfect with a ploughman’s style lunch, in sandwiches or with a steaming bowl of soup (we had it with our family favourite tomato soup). Although, I’m not so sure it would work with jam on at breakfast time!! This is a particularly soft bread with a chewy rather than crusty outer.

Chive Bloomer (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

3 cup strong bread flour
2 tbsp soya soured cream such as Tofutti or dairy-free yogurt
2 tbsp dairyfree spread/margarine
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsps dried fast action yeast
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 cup dairyfree milk, I opt for Oatly

Rub the spread into the flour until is resembles fine breadcrumbs, stir in the soured cream. Add the salt, sugar, bicarbonate, yeast and chives.
Pour in the dairyfree milk and bring together to form a dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and silky and bounces back when pressed.
Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm spot to double in size (approx 1 hour)
Knock back the dough, form into a classic bloomer shape on a floured baking sheet (or any shape you like), sprinkle the top with a little flour and score a cross with a sharp knife. This will give the bloomer effect.
Cover with cling film (oiled) and leave for another 30 minutes to rise again.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/350 degrees Fahrenheit, bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Bagel buns

I had a flash of inspiration the other day – how about bagels with no holes? Instead, making them into rolls with that typically chewy exterior and tender insides that would make the perfect vehicle for a burger. That would stand up to a robust filling without danger of disintegration at a crucial moment. Genius! Maybe it isn’t a new idea and you have all been happily eating bagel buns for years, but it’s a new concept to me! I think I’ve mentioned before the pleasure we get from making and eating different types of bread when we’re normally restricted to a limited boring selection. But theses bagel buns were a real success both as an accompaniment to soup and as the bun for a burger – so maybe, just maybe even more versatile than a regular bagel?! Bagel Buns (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan) makes 12

2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp quick action yeast
500g strong bread flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300ml warm water
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp dairyfree milk for brushing
Salt crystals for sprinkling

Pour the flour, yeast, sugars and salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the water and oil, bring together and then knead until you have a silky, pliable, smooth dough. This can be done in a stand mixer if you have one. Cover and leave in a warm place to double in size
Knock back and cut into eight equal pieces, roll each into a ball and then place on a greased baking sheet, covering the rolls with oiled cling-film, to rise again. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade
Bring a pan of water to the boil and then tip in the bicarbonate to make a fizzing, boiling liquid. In small batches place the buns into the boiling liquid for about 30 seconds, remove and drain on a clean tea towel.
Place back on the oiled baking sheet, brush with dairy-free milk and place straight in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Sun dried Tomato Bagels

I simply love my new Kitchenaid, it has made such a massive difference to my life. I’m using it 3-4 times each day – well days when I’m not at work and home and on a cooking mission. One massive difference is the ability to knead dough – I have to admit I can be lazy when it comes to kneading, after a few minutes of hard work (and it really is hard work) I always end up thinking ‘I’m sure that’ll be enough’ but invariably it isn’t quite. But no more. My little kitchen assistant happily kneads away until we’ve achieved those silky, springy results.

So with this kneading help, I’m on a mission to make some interesting breads every week – little S in particular has so few breads she can safely enjoy (due to the risk of sesame traces amongst other things) and has to put up with such dull varieties, that she is loving trying all these new options.

Bagels have long since been a favourite for Big S but are firmly out of bounds due to little S’s sesame allergy so these homemade ones went down a storm. The sundried tomato flavour is subtle but clearly present and the herbs add a touch of the Med. I’ve also found that they freeze brilliantly – simply defrost and warm in the oven for gorgeous fresh bagels any time you like.

Sundries Tomato Bagels (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Makes 10

2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tbsp fast action dried yeast
4 sun dried tomatoes, blitzed or mashed to a paste with 1tbsp of the oil they came in
300ml warm water
500g strong bread flour
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp non-dairy milk (oat for me), for brushing
A few flakes of sea salt to sprinkle

– In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, salt, yeast and oregano.
– Pour in the tomato oil mixture and water and mix until you have a nice smooth, pliable dough (if you have a mixer with a dough hook use that)
– Knead until the dough is silky smooth and bounces back when you make an indentation.
– Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
– Heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7
– Oil a baking sheet
– Bring a pan of water to the boil
– Cut the dough into ten equal sized pieces
– Shape each into a ball, then insert a wooden spoon handle in the middle to make a hole. Twizzle about until the hole is at least 2cm/1 inch across.
– Once all the bagels are shaped, tip the bicarbonate into the water. Place each bagel in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Lift out, drain off excess water and place on the baking sheet.
– Brush with the milk and sprinkle with the salt and a little extra rosemary.
– Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden
– Cool on a wire rack.

Brioche Burger Buns

Brioche burger buns seem to be all the rage, with their impossibly glossy tops, rich soft crumb and sweet taste. Interesting breads are so often lacking if you avoid milk, eggs and nuts/seeds, so I thought I’d jazz up our Friday night burgers with an attempt at an egg and dairy-free brioche. I really didn’t think it would work – brioche is essentially bread packed full of eggs and butter. Actually though, the results are really pleasing and very much like regular brioche – OK, the glaze on the top isn’t quite as dramatic as an egg-based brioche glaze, but I was pretty pleased with the results.

The crumb is slightly sweet and much richer than a classic bread roll. They worked beautifully as a burger bun, and regular readers of my blog will know I’m always concocting new burgers, so why not try it with my Mexican bean burgers, my smoky chipotle mushroom burgers, heck or even Jerk spiced sweet potato patties?

The left-overs were utterly sublime made into a bread and ‘butter’ pudding.

Brioche Burger Buns (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 8-12

500g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp quick action yeast
100ml warm water
150ml oat or other milk
1 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 cup dairy-free spread, melted

Glaze:

1 tsp cornflour
2 tsp oat milk
1 tsp honey/syrup
1 tsp oil

– Mix together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar
– Pour in the water, oat milk and melted spread and mix to a soft dough
– Knead for a good 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and bouncy
– Leave to rise, you want it to double in size
– Divide into 8 big or 12 small rolls and roll into neat balls. Score the tops if you wish (I did)
– Place on a baking sheet, cover with cling film and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes

– Mix together the glaze and brush over the tops
– Bake for 20-30 minutes at 200 degrees Centigrade/Gas Mark 6 until they are golden, risen and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom
– For extra shine, brush the tops with more honey 5 minutes before the end of the baking