A Bread Based Bonanza

Unbuckle those belts, we’ve got a double dose of bread with my Chilli, Cheese & Olive Focaccia & my Apricot, Cranberry & Almond Babka plus my Sticky Banana Pudding.

Hey Friends!

So ya know after getting married, getting a stye, getting e.coli, projectile vomiting off the side of a boat and catching covid all in the space of 2 weeks, I have only gone and ticked off another box off the sicky sue list by spraining my ankle. Yup, some torn ligaments later thanks to an unnecessarily competitive game of padel, I have found myself the past week wallowing in a puddle of self pity and self annoyance. Totally avoidable and yet so totally me?

me, my fat ank, meryl and milo

With that in mind, this weeks newsy is packed full of comfort food. The sort you want to dive head first into. The type you wish would never end. The bits and bobs which wrap you up in a cosy carb coma. The good mood food we all deserve at this time of year.

I like to think that I am a simple sort of woman. Give me a bread basket and some butter and I’ll be happy until it all runs out and then proceed to be too full to eat anything else. A simple tried and tested formula. I’ve spoken at length before about my adoration for a bread basket. I dedicated a whole chapter intro to it in One Bake Two Ways (which happens to be on discount for £14.99 on Amazon at the mo!) and it features heavily in the About section here. It’s safe to say I am mildly obsessed with all things gluten and will always look for the opportunity which will present me with some in any shape or form.

I’m not quite sure what it is about freshly baked bread. Is it the smell? The feeling? The warmth? The coziness coursing through my veins all the way to the last bite? Or is it all of it? Either way, I’ll take a repeat order of all that to go, for the rest of my days please. Bread making was the thing I threw myself into during my stint of unemployment, pre-bake off. There is something so gratifying and satisfying, making, working and kneading something all by hand. The results are the results of your time, your effort, your love. And the taste? The taste of bread baked by yours truly is the sweetest tasting bread you’ll ever experience (unless it’s a real shit-tip, then no amount of butter is saving it).

So how better to honour one of my greatest loves in life, than by writing a newsy all about it?

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I promised myself I’d keep it light on the newsy this week but clearly I have no chill because on the menu we have:

• Sticky Banana Pudding: An incredibly easy to make, speedy sort of bake. A light banana sponge, soaked in a orange butterscotch sauce – think of this like banana bread but just moister, squishier, squelchier and smushier. Words that might not scream sexy but a spoonful of this hot served pud on a cold autumn day will make you think otherwise.

• Malaysian Sarawak Layer Cake: The latest Around the World Cake is next on the menu and this time, we pay a little trip back to Malaysia for their Sarawak Layer Cake. Think of this like a more vibrant, better looking version of a Batternberg.

• Chili, Cheese & Olive Focaccia: !!!! When I tell you I cannot stop tearing chunks of this bread every time I walk past it to shovel into my pie hole, I mean ¾ of it has already gone and I made it…yesterday. Please also bear in mind that James is gluten free, so the demolishing is entirely all me. No regrets. Except one, and that is that the bread is ending far sooner than I anticipated which makes me sad. This is focaccia done oh so deliciously well. Expect lots of chili, lots of cheese, lots of olives, rosemary, garlic, marmite and…stock. Souped up Focaccia and I am here for it.

• Cranberry, Apricot and Almond Babka: Rounding off the newsy with a little bit of sweet. Our second serving of bread, but this time a riff on a recipe I did whilst I was in the Bake Off tent. Layers of enriched bread, intertwined with a brown sugar and marzipan butter, dried cranberries and apricots. Finished with an apricot water icing glaze and a scattering of flaked almonds, a slice of this served up alongside your morning coffee is the perfect way to start your day.

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Should I be hobbling around my kitchen trying (go heavy on the trying) to bake? Probs not. Especially after I promised myself I would steer clear of the kitchen this week to rest up my ankle but thank god I don't listen to myself because this right here is the bundle of comforting yum I needed in my tum.

I was in dire need of comfort food whilst I slobbed it on the sofa last week and whilst I would have loved to have gone fancy and bougie, I had to work with what I had in the fridge. Which…was not much. But to the rescue were 5 very, very, VERY ripe bananas (there was no yellow AT ALL on them) plus a few oranges. And what’s more comforting than banana bread??? A moist, butterscotch soaked banana bread, that’s what. This is my Sticky Banana Pudding.

She might not be the sexiest bake in town but she's saucy, smushy and squelchy in all the right places. We're heading into Autumn so beige is all the rage, kids. Sprinkled and studded with dark chocolate, feel free to leave off of switch to milk chocolate for a sweeter alternative (would be my preference). Best served up piping hot and topped with ice cream, I ate it the next day cold, drowning it in steaming hot custard. A habit I hope I never drop.

And if the above hasn’t convinced you, this is a real lazy person bake. I did 97% of this sat down whilst James chauffeured the tray to and fro from the oven. All I had to do was scoop it out the tray whilst it was still hot and gobble. What ya waiting for??

Recipe Makes: 10 inch x 13 inch / 25 x 33 cm deep baking tray

Recipe Serves: 12 to 15 slices

Y O U – W I L L – N E E D –

• Sponge

325 ml Whole Milk

1.25 tsp Almond Extract

225 g Ripe Bananas, mashed

4 Large Eggs

75 g Unsalted Butter, melted

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

440 g Plain Flour, sifted

170 g Light Brown Sugar

4 tsp Baking Powder, sifted

1.75 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda, sifted

½ tsp Cinnamon Powder

¼ tsp Salt

1 Extra Large Orange, zest only

100 g Dark Chocolate, chopped

• Sauce

400 ml Evaporated Milk

300 ml Double/Heavy Cream

300 g Unsalted Butter, diced

300 g Light Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1.5 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

1 tsp Cornflour, sifted

1 Extra Large Orange, zest only

• To Serve

Vanilla Ice Cream

M E T H O D –

1. Preheat oven to 150C Fan/170 C/335 F/Gas Mark 3 and liberally grease the bottom and sides of a 10 inch x 13 inch / 25 x 33 cm deep baking tray with butter.

2. For the sponge, add all the wet ingredients for the sponge: milk, mashed banana, eggs, melted butter, apple cider vinegar, almond extract and vanilla bean paste into a bowl. Give it a good stir with a balloon whisk and mix until smooth. Leave to one side.

3. Into a larger bowl, add all the dry ingredients for the sponge: flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb, and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix – integrate all the ingredients now to avoid overmixing in the next step.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl and thoroughly mix using a balloon whisk. Once you are left with little to no visible flour streaks, use a rubber spatula to wipe down the edges and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no flour pockets.

5. Transfer the batter to your greased tin and use the back of a spoon to level out the batter. Pop the tray into the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

6. Whilst the sponge is baking in the oven, make the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a pan and placing over a medium heat.

7. Allow the butter to gently melt, stirring little and often for the sauce to get saucy. Once the sugar has dissolved and the butter has completely melted, allow the sauce to cook for a further 5 minutes to reduce slightly and thicken.

8. Once the sponge is baked (give the top a press and if it bounces back, you’re all good), remove from the oven.

9. Use a skewer to poke holes into the sponge (the more the better) before carefully pouring about 3/4 of the hot sauce over the top. Don’t worry about the liquid pooling, let time do its thing. Cover the top of the tin with clingfilm and allow the pudding to sit for at least 30 minutes to soak up all the liquid.

10. When ready to serve, portion up the sponge into 12/15 generous servings and use a fish slice or spoon to scoop out. Transfer to a serving plate, top with some vanilla ice-cream, a drizzling of the reserved sauce before finishing with a light sprinkling of orange zest and sea salt.

Moving onto the next bake on the menu – a real slog of a cake, which challenged me mentally, emotionally and physically, a Malaysian Sarawak Layer Cake.

Featuring at number 18 on my soon to be ending cake list, the latest cake is inspired and influenced by Indonesia's Kek Lapis. Malaysia's version features intricately patterned, brightly coloured layers for a showstopping slice, making this one of the most eye catching and intriguing bakes I have ever made.

I have been wanting to make this cake for the longest time now and honestly, what a silly soss past me was because wow - talk about high maintenance. As someone who loves extra cakes and bakes, this one nearly sent me over the edge.

The recipe I followed featured no additional flavourings and instead focussed on the use of vanilla and condensed milk for a subtle flavour profile. On looks alone, this cake hands down wins but on taste compared to the others we've had before, it just fell a little flat. If future me ever decides on welcoming a self-enforced cake breakdown with open arms, I would *for sure* switch up the flavour profiles and introduce a layer of flavours – similar to the Neapolitan Marble Loaf from the last newsy.

When I posted this on insta, people questioned whether this was a cake or whether it sat more in the biscuit territory but I can confirm, despite it looking firm, the texture of each slice was deliciously moist and spongy.

I’m not surprised this has featured on Bake Off as a challenge - ya know, something mildly bonkers with nowhere near enough time to complete which would guarantee chaos, crying and carnage? That perfect trifecta for compelling tv watching. Thank GOODNESS it featured a year after I was on the show because let me tell you, if I had to do it, none of that footage would have been safe for tv.

Recipe Makes: 1 Cake

Recipe Serves: 10 slices

Y O U – W I L L – N E E D -

225 g Unsalted Butter, room temp

350 g Caster Sugar

80 ml Neutral Oil (e.g Veg)

150 g Condensed Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

7 Large Eggs, separated

170 g Plain Flour, sifted

120 g Cornflour, sifted

¼ tsp Cream of Tartar

45 g Unsalted Butter, melted

2 x Food Colouring, of your choice

M E T H O D –

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F grill. Grease and line the base of a 20 by 20 / 8 by 8 inch square tin and a 23 by 33 / 9 by 13 inch pan. Do not grease or line the sides of both tins.

2. For the batter, add 225 g of butter and 200 g caster sugar into a stand mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment to beat until pale and fluffy for at least 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the oil, 110 g condensed milk and vanilla. Mix well until combined.

4. Begin to add the egg yolks, one by one, mixing well between each addition. In the meantime, add both flours to a bowl and use a balloon whisk to combine.

5. Once all the egg yolk have been added, add the flours in two parts, lightly mixing until only just combined. Leave to one side.

6. Into another stand mixer bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use the whisk attachment to mix until foamy. You want the whites to hold a medium peak before you begin to gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Continue mixing until the whites reach stiff peak.

7. Add ¼ of the meringue to the flour mixture and mix well to loosen. Add the rest of the meringue but this time use a spatula to gently fold through until combined.

8. Add 300 g of batter to 2 different bowls. Add a few drops of food colouring of your choice to each bowl and mix well.

9. Add 100 g of plain batter to your square tin and either use the back of a spoon or an offset palette knife to spread it over the base evenly. Pop into the oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked. For an even colour, rotate the pan after 2.5 minutes.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and lightly press the base of a flat bottomed glass across the top of the baked sponge to smooth and level out.

11. Mix together 45 g of melted butter and 40 g condensed milk. Use a pastry brush to the surface with the buttery milk mix.

12. Add 100 g of a coloured batter, smoothing out before placing into the oven. Repeat the same process, alternating the coloured batter with the plain in between so you are left with 2 layers of colour 1, 2 layers of colour 2 and 5 layers of plain in between them.

13. Once the final layer has been baked, allow the sponge to sit in the tin for 10 minutes before running a knife along the sides. Turn out the cake onto a large sheet of clingfilm and wrap well. Leave to completely cool.

14. Grab your larger lined baking tin and add 250 g of plain batter. Spread over the base evenly before placing into the oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden and fully baked. Rotate halfway through for an even colour.

15. Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool for 2 minutes before turning out onto a large sheet of clingfilm. Wrap well before leaving to cool.

16. Once both sponges are cool, begin to assemble by trimming the edges of the layered cake. Measure the height of the cake and slice the cake into strips, using the height measurement as the width.

17. Lay one strip down and brush the side with the milky butter. Add another strip next to it, but rotate the strip 90 degrees first. Repeat the brushing and rotating process for the last two layers, but lay them on top of the first two – similar to a Battenberg.

18. Tightly roll the strips in clingfilm and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.

19. In the meantime, trim the edges of the large single layer sponge. Once the coloured cake has chilled, lightly brush over any surplus melted butter across all sides before placing on top of the single layer sponge, along the short edge. Gently roll both sponges so the coloured sponge is completely covered. Trim any surplus sponge.

20. Wrap the cake log tightly with clingfilm before placing in the fridge for at least 4 hours to chill and set.

21. Before serving, trim both sides to neaten before cutting into 1 cm slices.

Maybe now just go for a lie down?

Moving onto our main bakes of the day. A big reason for my existence. Delicious, buttery, bread based carbs. Starting off with our savoury serving of my Chili, Cheese & Olive Focaccia.

The first bread recipe I stumbled across in the book I declared my baking bible/sanity saviour was for simple bread rolls. Ya know the sort you’d demolish at a restaurant. The ones you want to dunk into hot steaming soup. The ones which shatter into crumby smithereens on the top when you poke it and the ones you FOR SURE want to shovel in a plethora of freshly chopped salad, cheese and meat for a sandwich so epic, all courtesy and manners go flying out the window as you hoover it away.

Until this. When I first made focaccia, I honestly felt legit. I no longer just felt like someone trying to bake away the boredom, yearning for some structure and meaning to my day. I felt like someone who had some purpose and some joy. I know it sounds daft when I say baking truly saved me, but I mean it. It saved me from myself; from what I thought my life should look like and be. The lack of stability and routine really threw me but in that period of nothingness, I ended up finding everything. So, my friends, when I say I am passionate about bread. I BLOODY MEAN IT. And I mean it for good reason.

Carbs are my lifeline and I want to share one of the recipes which brings me a lot of joy to make and even more to eat. My sister LOVES this focaccia, and I can bet my life on the fact she will ask me for it at least once a week (she’s gonna be fuming when she sees I’ve made it for the newsy and not shared any with her). My dad also thought this savoury cake (please don’t ask - I have no clue myself) was one of the best he’s eaten. So, there you have it folks, high and albeit slightly odd praise from two of the most discerning people in my life. And just so we are all working to the same barometer here, my family do not understand censorship to save your feelings or playing it nice for niceness sake. They will tell it how it is (a good and a bad thing) and I wouldn’t change it (I’m saying that in case they are reading this – hi mum x).

The beauty of focaccia is the process. I have made this recipe with and without a stand mixer and both produced incredibly tasty results (one of course involving a slightly messier process). And whilst getting a stand mixer (post bake off might I add) changed my life and efficiency, I love the therapeutic process of kneading a focaccia by hand. Yes, it’s messy as hell. Yes, you will have to call upon help as that one rolled up sleeve keeps finding its way back towards your hand and yes, you will probably sweat and curse me several times for convincing you to try it that way, but it is so worth it.

my kinda love story

Use the bread to dunk, to slather or to sandwich when fresh (I opted for lots of salami, rocket salad, avo, cucumber and red onions, drizzled with a tonne of hot sauce cause I’m nothing without it) and then when you’re sandwiched out, toast slices slathered with a garlic and herb compound butter, turn it into croutons or blitz into the tastiest breadcrumbs when stale.

The version I am sharing with you today features double cheese (mozzarella and comte), lots of chilli (oil and flakes), kalamata olives (cause I could eat them by the bucketful)…and a key ingredient, stock. I’ve opted for chicken and a touch of marmite for that umami hit but to keep it veggie friendly, you can switch it for vegetable stock. Focaccia is made up of a high percentage of water, so why keep it bland when we can make it bougie?

I am a true believer in making recipes your own. If something I have suggested or added doesn’t tickle your pickle and I can’t convince you to give it a try, swap it out or switch it up. Food for me is a playground and one where I don’t like rules. I take a particular dislike to anything or anyone telling me what to do (youngest child syndrome?) so please DO YOU.

Here's some little switcheroo suggestions:

S W A P -

• Olives for Red Onion (sliced raw or even reduced down in a touch of balsamic) or Sundried Tomatoes

• Mozzarella for Feta (for a nice salty kick) or reliable Cheddar, Gouda or Provalone

• Chilli Oil for Garlic Oil

• Rosemary for Sage or Tarragon

• Garlic for are you crazy? Garlic is life and should never be swapped.

OR how bout using my base recipe but mixing it up with the below?

C O M B O ‘ S -

• Sundried Tomato, Caramelised Onions and Pesto (sub out the chili oil for good quality extra virgin olive oil)

• Baby Tomato, Cheddar and Chive (keep the chili oil for a nice heat)

• Feta, Lemon & Spring Onion (sub out the chili oil for good quality extra virgin olive oil)

• Chorizo, Mozzarella, Passata (just a few dollops here and there) & Oregano (yes, like a pizza focaccia)

With all that deliciousness in mind, I also have an incredible recipe for a sweet focaccia with roasted plums, cherries and lemon thyme over in my book One Bake Two Ways (which is on discount at the moment on Amazon for £14.99!!). A recipe for whichever side of the foodie fence you sit on – perfect for the stereotypical libra that I am.

Recipe Makes: 20 by 30 / 8 by 12 inch tin

Recipe Serves: Depends on how you are serving it – 12 squares, 6 big sandwiches, 1 portion to share, tear and dunk

Y O U – W I L L – N E E D -