I’m Rebecca Bishop of The Next Loaf Baking School in Wenhaston, Suffolk. I teach fun, informative and hands-on baking classes that’ll leave you feeling inspired and eager to get back to your own kitchen to practise what you’ve learnt! With Christmas fast approaching and lots of classes to choose from, a baking class gift voucher might be the perfect present for the baker in your life so they can choose the class they attend.
I’m also the author of the baking book Two Magpies Bakery and founder of Two Magpies Bakery. Each month my column will feature a delicious seasonal bake, book recommendations, insider tips for ingredients, equipment and much more. To get the latest information sign up for my newsletter www.thenextloaf.co.uk or follow me on Instagram @thenextloaf
All the Gear: dough scrapers
In my kitchen tools have to earn their space in a drawer or cupboard and my dough scraper could certainly win an Olympic gold for hard graft! This simple piece of curved plastic is, literally, my right hand when I’m making bread. Look for one that is stiff enough to chop and move your dough about when mixing and dividing but with a slight flex and curve that hugs the bowl. The best dough scrapers come with different shapes on each edge making them very multipurpose. Use the right-angled edge to scale into various weights, chopping cleanly through the dough without tugging and stretching. The curved edge works to clean bowls and the straight edge is perfect for cleaning messy work surfaces – just scrape off the loose debris, rub a little water into the surface to soften the dough then scrape off with your magic tool!
Baking know-how: the changing seasons
As we move into the warmer month’s bread bakers need to make adjustments to the temperature of their ingredients and their baking environment to prevent dough proving too quickly. All winter we’ve been warming our water and hunting out warm spots in the house then suddenly spring moves into summer and the ambient temperature in your kitchen steadily climbs – it catches us all out every year. You might be thinking quickly proved dough is a bonus but slow really is better for flavour and digestibility. Last month I talked about a piece of baking kit that I love, the digital thermometer, and using it will help you manage and control the dough fermentation process (AKA proving).
To keep our dough at a nice steady 25°c (see last month’s column) you’ll find you’ll need much cooler water and may need to reduce the amount of yeast in your recipe (this is expressed as a bakers % based on flour weight – come to one of my classes and learn more.) One final tip, as temperatures rise, use your fridge to store your proving dough otherwise you risk a pancake even before your dough makes it to the oven.
Spelt Cake
with bay cream and apple compote
Ingredients:
- 220g Unsalted butter, soft
- 170g Golden caster sugar
- 30g Bay sugar*
- 3 Large eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- 180g Spelt flour
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- Salt – fine (generous pinch)
- 50g Sour cream
- 50g Whole milk
- 10 Fresh young bay leaves
- 60g Golden caster sugar
- 100g Double cream
- 1 Bramley apple
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 30g Unsalted butter
Method:
Line and grease 2 x 9 inch sandwich tins and preheat your oven to 160°c (fan).
Make your bay sugar by removing the stalk and central rib from the bay leaves. Add the 60g of sugar and blitz in a blender or spice grinder until a fine green sugar is achieved. Use some in the cake and save the rest to flavour your cream and decorate the cake.
To make the cake add the soft butter to the stand mixer along with your two sugars* (see note on bay sugar) and use the beater attachment until the mixture is pale and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile combine the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the eggs and egg yolks gradually to the butter/sugar mix then add the flour mix – take care not to overmix, just beat until the mix starts to come together. Add the sour cream and milk – the mixture should be loose enough to drop off a spoon.
Evenly divide amongst the tins and smooth the surface. Bake for 16-20 minutes until pulling away from the sides of the tin and dry to the touch on the surface. A cake tester inserted into the cake should come out clean.
Allow to cool in the tins for a short time then turn out onto a cooling rack. While the cakes are cooling prepare your apple compote by dicing all the apple into small 1cm cubes and gently pan frying in the butter until starting to soften. Remove from the heat and cover the pan – this way the apple will continue to cook but the granny smith apples will hold their shape.
Whip the cream until thick, adding 20g of bay sugar to flavour and sweeten.
To assemble the cake pipe a ‘dam’ of the thicken cream around the edge of one cake then fill the central area with the cooled apple mix. Spread or pipe more cream over the apple in an even layer then place the second cake on top. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with the remaining bay sugar.
Baking classes
The Next Loaf baking school is in Wenhaston, Suffolk. Classes are small so there’s lots of personal attention. They’re suitable for beginners or bakers looking for more consistency and challenge so we’ll be mixing, shaping and baking our way through an exciting range of classes including Scandinavian baking, Easter baking, Sourdough, parent and child baking and sourdough pizza – to name a few! Classes (and gift vouchers) are now available to book on my website www.thenextloaf.co.uk
Private baking classes
Planning a special get-together, hen-do or just love to bake with friends and family? If you’re interested in a bespoke classes in your own home for a maximum of 6 people get in touch with rebecca@thenextloaf.co.uk
Upcoming events
• January 2024 onwards – Baking classes in Wenhaston (just off the A12 near Southwold)
visit my website www.thenextloaf.co.uk to book.