Mastering the Art of Baking: Tips and Tricks for Perfect Pastries and Breads

Whilst we were enjoying a loaf of bread my wife made, I thought: "We really do need to write about making bread." Here is the result.

Baking is more than just following a recipe; it's a delicate dance between ingredients, techniques, and timing. 

Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out on your culinary journey, mastering the art of baking is a rewarding endeavour. In this blog post, we'll explore some invaluable tips and tricks to help you achieve perfection in your pastries and bread-making adventures.

Start with Quality Ingredients:

The foundation of any great baked good lies in the ingredients you use. Opt for high-quality flour, fresh eggs, real butter (or top quality plant-based alternatives if baking for vegans) and top-notch spices and flavourings. Using fresh ingredients will elevate the taste and texture of your creations, making them truly memorable.

Precision in Measurements:

Although there's a good deal of artistry and a certain amount of magic involved, we must remember that baking is a science, and precision is key. 

Invest in a good set of scales, measuring items and spoons, and follow recipes closely, especially when it comes to ingredients like flour, sugar, and leavening agents. Even slight deviations can significantly impact the final result.

Understand Your Oven:

Every oven has its quirks, so take the time to get to know yours. Invest in an oven thermometer to ensure accurate temperature readings, and be mindful of hot spots and uneven heat distribution. Adjust baking times and temperatures accordingly to achieve consistent results.

Master the Techniques:

From folding and creaming to kneading and proofing, mastering fundamental baking techniques is essential for success. Take the time to practice and hone your skills, whether it's achieving the perfect pie crust or mastering the art of the flaky croissant.

Don't Overmix:

Overmixing can lead to tough, dense baked goods, particularly with recipes that involve flour. Mix ingredients until just combined to avoid overdeveloping gluten, which can result in a less-than-ideal texture.

Embrace the Resting Period:

Many recipes call for resting or chilling the dough before baking. This allows flavours to meld and develop, while also giving the dough time to relax, resulting in better texture and structure. Don't rush this step, it's often the secret to bakery-quality results.

Experiment with Flavours and Textures:

Baking is as much about creativity as it is about technique. Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavours, fillings, and textures to put your own unique spin on classic recipes. Whether it's adding a hint of citrus zest to your scones or incorporating nuts and seeds into your bread, let your imagination run wild.

Practice Patience:

Good things come to those who wait, especially in the world of baking. Whether it's waiting for dough to rise or allowing a cake to cool before frosting, patience is essential. Rushing the process can lead to disappointment, so take your time and savour the journey.

Baking is a timeless art form that rewards patience, precision, and passion. By incorporating these tips and tricks into your baking routine, you'll be well on your way to creating picture-perfect pastries and breads that will impress friends and family alike. So roll up your sleeves, preheat that oven, and let the aroma of freshly baked treats fill your kitchen, it's time to unleash your inner baker!

(Image courtesy of congerdesign from Pixabay)

Part-Time Baker - Simple Bakes Without the Stress by Florence Stanton

Forget having to spend hours in the kitchen following difficult, complicated instructions! 

In Part-Time Baker, each recipe is clearly labelled with 'Hands-on time' and 'Total time' to make it crystal clear exactly how much effort you'll need to put in. 

Many of the bakes can be prepped in just 10 minutes and there are plenty of cheats and tips for impressive results. There's no need for you to own loads of obscure baking equipment and all the recipes can be scaled up for sharing or scaled down for enjoying by yourself.

Delicious, speedy baking recipes for every occasion – morning, noon and late-night snack, including:

• Cheat's Almond Croissants

• 3-Ingredient Chocolate Twists

• Speedy Sesame Bagels

• Spiced Ginger Traybake

• Vegan No-Bake Chocolate and Pistachio Bars

• Spring Green, Pesto and Courgette Flower Tart

• Mini Pina Colada Loaf Cakes

• Sugar Cinnamon Popovers with Warm Honey

• Espresso Martini Cake

• Molten Caramel Brownie Skillet

Part-time Baker is all about reducing the hours you need to spend in the kitchen, giving you more time to enjoy the tasty results. 

Whether you're new to baking or managing a busy schedule, you'll find realistic recipes that look good and taste fantastic.

Florence Stanton started her own online baking social media account @Tasting.Thyme in Aberdeen, Scotland in 2021. She now has over 120k followers, and every day she celebrates self-love through good food and good vibes with zero mention of calories. It showcases easy, approachable, and delicious bakes, both sweet and savoury, that show you don't need fancy training, a huge kitchen or every tool to create truly wonderful food.

The photography is by Majaja Smend.

Devon's Top Food and Drink Experiences to Enjoy This Summer

Want to learn more about your favourite Devon food and drink, meet the producers, taste their creations, make your own and learn some new skills?

Whatever your favourite tipple or your favourite pastime, there's a masterclass or guided tasting to suit everyone. 

Dip into chocolate making. Explore the spirit world. Get hands-on in the kitchen with some seriously good cookery skills. Dust down and scrub your BBQ and learn how to cook on fire or spend a family day planting seeds and exploring nature.

Food Drink Devon, which has a membership of over 350 food and drink producers, hospitality and retailer members, suggests some of the highlights from Devon for you to enjoy this summer.

For wine lovers

Most, if not all, vineyards will be thrilled and delighted to show you around their small or not-so-small patch of heaven and even give you a guided tasting through their vines and wines.

Huxbear Vineyard which is in Chudleigh offers a walking tour where the owner, Lucy, will talk you through the story of Huxbear, their vineyard calendar and winemaking processes. 

You'll learn heaps in about 90 minutes, followed, of course, by a free tasting. Non-walking tours are also available on request and are suitable for people with limited mobility, so should be accessible to everyone in your family or group.

Torview Vineyard, which isn't very far from Beaworthy, goes a a little bit further as it lets visitors get hands-on during their Winemaking Days. 

They run a Red and a Sparking version and your experience is spread over several days, several months apart, depending, of course,  on the wine type.. This year's Red Winemaking experience is almost sold out, but there's space on the upcoming Sparkling, so do look out for that, if sparkling wine's your thing.

Heron Farm Vineyard close to Honiton runs Vineyard Tours which also take in their impressive orchards, to learn about apple juice making, and their Kitchen Garden and Gin Orchard, topped off with a tasting back at the Heron Farm Kitchen & Café.

Sandridge Barton Wines, home of award-winning Sharpham Wine, close to Stoke Gabriel offers several different varieties of tasting experiences, from a casual self-guided options to in-depth guided tastings and tours for those who want to learn more about the processes they employ in their sustainable vineyard and winery.

Lyme Bay Winery near Axminster offers private guided tasting sessions in their Cellar Door, where you'll be talked through each wine, where the grapes are grown, how it's made and they'll even offer you a few all important wine buying tips. You'll leave for home with Winemaker's Notes on each of the wines you've sampled.

More beautiful vineyards with tours and tasting sessions to visit and experience…

Venn Valley Vineyard, near Barnstaple

Alder Vineyard, near Okehampton

Old Walls Vineyard, near Bishopsteignton

Wishing to delve a little deeper into wine? South West Wine School brings together the best wine educators in the south west to run Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) training courses at Darts Farm, near Topsham. Whether learning about different grapes for the first time or analysing a wine in a blind tasting, South West Wine School will take you on that voyage of discovery.

Beer and cider tours and tastings

Explore the world of brewing and fermenting

Sandford Orchards, near Crediton. You'll be able to look behind the scenes at the Cider Works,which boasts that it is the oldest working cider mill in the country, and see how award-winning Sandford Orchards cider is made. Round off the experience with a Q&A session and a cider tasting flight and pizza included in the price.

Salcombe Brewery If you have a desire to learn about beer and brewing, Salcombe Brewery is the place for you. Take yourself and fellow-beer lovers down to Salcombe Brewery. Their tours include a welcome drink in the Taproom, a tour of the Brewhouse with one of their knowledgeable brewers, who'll be more than happy (hoppy, even? Sorry!) to answer your questions, and you'll finish with a beer flight tasting back in the Taproom.

Other beer and cider tours and tastings to consider…

Hanlons Brewery, Newton St Cyres

Hunts Cider, Stoke Gabriel

Red Rock Brewery, Bishopsteignton

Rum experiences

Learn about the art of blending and rum distilling…

Devon Rum Co. Join the team at their waterside venue in Salcombe for a Rum Tasting Experience, complete with a very welcome drink, behind-the-scenes tour of their Blending House. You'll be able to try your hand at bottling rum, then enjoy an in-depth tasting of their four award-winning artisan rums. Ideal for rum fans and groups of friends to enjoy.

Two Drifters Distillery, near Exeter. Want to see a working rum distillery in action? Two Drifters were the first distillery to make rum from scratch in the UK. They'll fix you a drink, then gibe you a fascinating tour of the carbon-negative distillery. Smell the deliciously tempting scent of the genuine molasses and learn how they turn this high-quality material into finest quality rum. And then, it's a welcome return to the Rum Bar for a tasting flight.

Salcombe Rum School A visit here gives you the wonderful chance to craft your own rum and take it home with you. Learn about distillation and rum production, collect your botanicals, and create your own recipe and your own bottle label. Maybe leave the car at home as at least three rum cocktails feature in this experience!

Other recommended tours and tastings include 

Devon Distillery, Dartington

Hattiers Rum, Mothecombe, South Devon

Gin adventures

Go behind the scenes and make your own signature serve

Quayside Distillery, Exeter Quay. Join the gin experts in the lab for a wonderful 90-minute experience learning about the fundamentals of a well-balanced gin whilst you are learning and creating your own unique gin recipe. Or opt for a 60-minute experience with a master distiller where you'll taste your way through their flagship range.

Salcombe Gin School Take charge of a beautiful mini copper pot still to develop and distil your own 70cl signature bottle. Learn how they produce Salcombe Gin and what it takes to produce a balanced and harmonious gin whilst enjoying a 'Salcombe & Tonic'.

Gotland Gin, Beaworthy This novel experience begins in their outside bar with a G&T or soft drink before heading into the nano-distillery to see how Gotland Gin is produced. Next meet their flock of Gotland sheep and lambs during lambing season, then relax back in the bar and learn all about the botanicals while enjoying a few more tasters.

A few more to explore

Devon Distillery Gin School, Dartington

Sidmouth Gin School

Cocktail time

Time to mix, muddle and shake your way to a great time

Devon Rum Co. Cocktail Masterclass. Head to Salcombe to mix, muddle, and shake your way through a hands-on cocktail making session. You'll take charge of your very own and fully stocked cocktail station, have an introduction to mixology, then make (and drink) up to four unique rum-based cocktails. Might be best to not use your car to visit them!

Devon Cove Cocktail Masterclasses. Perfect for a fun night out with family members or friends or to celebrate a very special occasion. Hosted by an expert mixologist, you'll be able to learn how to make a range of delicious cocktails in the Kingsbridge Tasting Room. Try their award-winning spirits, learn the history of cocktails and play a few games, too!

Bar Buoy 'Cocktail Compass'. A one-off Tour, Talk and Tasting Event at the home of Bar Buoy handcrafted, ready mixed cocktails in Exmouth. Thursday, September 21, 7-9:00pm.

Coffee

Take your barista skills to the next level

Owens Coffee, Ivybridge. Latte Art Essentials Workshop. A two-hour course to awaken your inner barista and take your love of coffee to a higher level. However, it's important to realise that this is not your average coffee class, it's a vital experience that's all about having fun, unleashing your creativity, and elevating your coffee game, too. Several other coffee tasting, brewing and barista courses are on offer at Owens, too.

Learn cookery, fire and baking skills

From learning the right way to chop your onions, to how to cook over coals, to baking  the perfect sourdough

High Grange, Axminister Learn lots to apply in your own garden at this bespoke barbecue school which covers the full gambit of outdoor cookery. At Fire School you'll cover a variety of outdoor fire cooking and barbecue techniques and butchery with chef and food writer, Luke MacKay. Enjoy what you've just cooked, around the big oak table for lunch. Other masterclasses are available too.

Ashburton Cookery School is one of the UK's top cookery schools offering inspirational cookery courses taught by a team of keen and very expert chefs. With over 40 cookery courses to choose from, designed to suit beginners as well as the more advanced home cooks amongst our readers, they'll teach you to cook with imagination, passion and enjoyment… and how to chop an onion properly, too, as we just mentioned!

One Mile Bakery Boudicca Woodland runs One Mile Bakery in Exeter, making and delivering delicious and utterly delightful homemade bread, soups and preserves by bike within one mile of home mile, BUT she also teaches sourdough and other breadmaking classes in her Breadshed Microbakery. Her classes fill up rapidly, so do get in quick!

Sweet treats

Chocolate heaven for big and little ones…

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium Introduction to Chocolate Making. This lovely workshop session includes a talk on chocolate, learn the entire process of turning a bean into the chocolate you recognise whilst the chocolatier demonstrates how to hand-craft, hand-dip and properly decorate chocolates. They also run a 'Short & Sweet Tutorial' ideal for children and parents.

Salcombe Dairy Chocolate Factory Experience the sights, sounds and aromas of bean-to-bar chocolate being made and packaged onsite thanks to full height glass dividing walls between the factory and the shop.

Flapjackery Barbican Trail Pop into Flapjackery on Southside Street to pick up a free children's trail which takes you around the sights and sounds of Plymouth's historic Barbican. Chocolate treats for children who complete the Barbican Trail.

Growing and foraging

Learn more about working with nature to produce food more sustainably…

The Husbandry School near Ashburton. If you are interested in growing more of the food you eat and wish to do so in a natural, fully sustainable way, then Husbandry Skills courses are ideal for you. Or you'll be able to take your family and spend the day exploring nature and picking great things to eat on the way round.

Taw Valley Microgreens Lunch & Learn, a hands-on introduction to growing your own microgreens. Learn about producing food sustainably, enjoy a tasty lunch, walk in the meadow and return home with a freshly picked microgreen punnet. (That's Food and Drink love growing microgreens in our conservatory.)

The Pig at Combe Dig a little deeper into THE PIG's 'plot to plate' ethos with their free Kitchen Garden tours every last Friday of the month.

Broomhill Estate From photography to foraging, metalwork to music lessons, cookery to art appreciation, Broomhill Estate near Barnstaple is 103 acres of imagination and creativity. Sounds great!

Ebb Tides Seaweed, Sidmouth Seaweed Foraging and Pressing. One-off event on Sunday 17th September 1-5pm

The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth. Sowing with Donkeys. One-off event on Monday, September 18, 3-6pm.

For more information on any of these experiences visit the individual member's website or for information on Food Drink Devon visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Worried about driving to and from the venues? Then you might like to check out suitable high quality hotels with the Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association website https://www.devonhotels.com.

(Incidentally, please mention our food and drink blog, That's Food and Drink, when you make a booking at any of the above food and drink venues)

Co-op serves-up new Brixworth, Northamptonshire, store

Co-op is launching a new, improved, larger store this week (Friday, 21 July) to serve the village of Brixworth in Northamptonshire.

The 5,000 sq ft convenience store, which supports 25 jobs in the locality, is in excess of double the size of its Hunters Way store which will relocate to the new Northampton Road site.

Opening times are between 7am-10pm daily (10am-4pm Sundays), the new store includes a free ATM to provide access to cash for people living in the community. There's also an in-store bakery, a Costa coffee dispenser and hot food options, too. The Post Office will also relocate (from the Hunters Way branch) to the brand-new location following the launch.

Brixworth’s new Co-op store will also be including an enhanced, improved range of fresh, healthy products; great meal ideas; everyday essentials; food-to-go; Fairtrade products, flowers, chilled beers and award winning wines; ready meals, pizzas and, a free-from range. Also vegan and plant-based products, including Co-op’s exclusive vegan range, GRO. (I'm not a vegan, but I love the Co-op GRO sandwiches!)

A funding boost is provided locally via Co-op’s Membership programme. Membership of Co-op unlocks extra value with personalised offers and, Member price benefits to help its Members save even more. 

Also, Co-op members are rewarded with 2p in every pound that they spend on Co-op branded products which is added to their own personal Membership account balance, with Co-op donating the same amount to local good causes and, community organisations - so, Members can make a difference locally simply by shopping at their local Co-op.

Community causes which are currently being supported by the Brixworth store are: Sunny Socks Nursery School; Brixworth Wombles, the community litter picking group and, Brixworth First Responders.

Steve Littlewood, Co-op Store Manager, said: “It's really very exciting to be launching Co-op’s newest store. Our aim is to operate at the heart of local life in our community and, we are really looking forward to welcoming Members and customers into their new and improved store. We've worked hard to develop the range, choice and added services to create a compelling offer to serve our community, but to do so conveniently.”

A soft plastic recycle unit is also available in store to enable the community to recycle ‘soft plastics’ including: crisp packets and bread bags, lids from ready meals and yogurt pots, biscuit wrappers and, pet food pouches, too. 

As a result, this means all Co-op’s own food packaging is100% recyclable through either local authority kerbside collections, or its in-store soft plastic recycling unit.

Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, it is owned by Millions of UK consumers and alongside Food, it operates Funeralcare; Insurance and Legal Services.

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership is available by visiting coop.co.uk/membership.

Better bread for less dough as Tesco revamps its in-store bakery range

Shoppers looking for fresh, tasty bread are to be offered a fresher bakery experience at Tesco, with the introduction of new highest quality, limited-edition speciality bread and sweet products, available for less than the premium prices often found at trendy artisan bakeries.

The major move has seen the supermarket re-design its in-store bakery options launching nearly 30 new lines, including six limited-edition products.

As part of the revamp, which will roll out to all Tesco bakeries this month, the supermarket will also include nutritional information on packaging, such as calorie content and daily recommended allowances.

Said Tesco Lead Bakery Product Development Manager, Sarah Donovan: “Times are changing in the baking world, and we’re seeing the emergence of an adventurous new type of shopper who is very eager to try more premium artisan varieties of bread and sweet treats.

“But we don’t believe shoppers should have to pay higher prices for artisan bakery items, which is why we’ve launched a new range of great quality products baked daily in store.”

Among new artisan bread lines being introduced are:

Tesco Finest Cheddar Boule – 400g - £2.25. Fermented for 12 hours and bursting with indulgent, melted pockets of Vintage and West Country Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses. Stonebaked for a deep crust.

Tesco Finest Halkidiki and Kalamata Olive Batard 400g - £2.25. Made with a blend of Greek olives – black olives from the southern Ionian area of Kalamata and green olives from the northern Halkidiki peninsula to give a full and rounded flavour.

Tesco Finest Limited Edition Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia – 250g - £2.25. Crafted with a long fermented Italian style Biga dough, made and hand topped with Italian extra virgin olive oil, Anglesey sea salt and rosemary. 

Added Sarah Donovan: “Instead of seeing bread as just something to toast in the morning or make a sandwich with, more people are beginning to appreciate it as a food to savour and one that can have many different flavours and complex tastes.

“This has resulted in a major boom for speciality bread with sales of focaccia, ciabatta and Mediterranean varieties all selling really well.” 

New sweet lines include:

Tesco Finest 2 Victoria Sponge Muffins – £1.75.  Made with a light and fluffy vanilla sponge the muffins are filled with strawberry jam and topped with strawberry pieces with buttercream enriched with clotted cream.

Tesco Finest 2 Sicilian Lemon Meringue Pastries - £1.90. A new twist on the classic lemon meringue pie. These Danish pastries are made up of 24 layers of delicious flaky pastry with a zingy Sicilian lemon favoured filling and finished with crunchy meringue pieces and a drizzle of icing.

Tesco has dropped the price of bread and butter across its stores and online as part of its commitment to provide value for customers during the cost-of-living crisis. The move has included reducing the price of the supermarket’s most popular bread, the Tesco Toastie white bread, from 85p to 75p.

www.tesco.com