Cakes & Bakes: Yeasted flat breads

Yeasted flat breads

Because of the continuing hot weather, we’ve still not turned on our oven this week. That doesn’t mean I can’t produce any home-made bread, though. I’ve brought out my trusty cast iron griddle stone once again to make some delicious yeasted flat breads on our induction hob.

Yeast mixture

Many flat breads are yeast-free so can be rustled up in a matter of minutes. However, I had ample time today to spend on making these and waiting an hour or so for the dough to rise.

Ball of yeasted flat bread dough Ball of yeasted flat bread dough

I bought a marble board a few years ago, and I can attest that it’s hard to beat for rolling out dough and pastry with ease.

Portions of yeasted dough

The recipe makes 8 flat breads. If, like us, you don’t need that many at one sitting, you can simply cook, cool and freeze the extra for a later date.

Flipping flat bread on a cast iron griddle stone

These lovely, soft breads are so versatile; they’re perfect as an accompaniment to curry, Mexican fajita wraps or alongside dips such as hummus or baba ganoush.

Click here or on the image below to save this yeasted flat bread recipe to Pinterest

Yeasted flat bread recipe

Yeasted flat breads

Yeasted flat breads

Andy Baraghani
Course Bread
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • tsp sugar
  • 180 ml/6fl oz warm water
  • 7 g/2¼tsp active dry yeast
  • 350 g/12½oz plain or strong bread flour
  • 140 g/5oz full fat plain Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp fine salt

Instructions
 

  • In a measuring jug, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in the yeast and allow to sit until foamy (about 10 minutes)
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the yoghurt, olive oil and yeast mixture. Bring together to form a shaggy dough
  • Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or a reusable elasticated food cover and allow the dough to sit in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour)
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Form the pieces into balls and, working with one ball at a time, roll each out into 15cm/6" rounds about ½cm/¼" thick
  • Brush a little olive oil on a large cast iron skillet/griddle stone and bring up to a medium-high heat
  • Working one at a time, cook each flat bread until bubbles appear over the surface (about a minute). Flip and cook until cooked through (about 1 more minute). Continue to cook, turning often, until browned in spots on both sides (about a minute longer)
  • Transfer to a plate and wrap up in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft. Repeat with each of the other balls of dough
yeasted flat bread ingredients
To serve: brush each flat bread with a little olive oil
Keyword bread, flat bread, flatbread, yeasted bread

Cakes & Bakes: Jammy cornmeal griddle cakes

Stack of jammy cornmeal griddle cakes with butter pat on top

This past week or so has been so warm, we’ve not had our wood-fired range cooker running. That means I couldn’t produce an oven-cooked recipe for this week’s Cakes & Bakes post; no cake, no bread. Jammy cornmeal griddle cakes are a delicious brunch dish cooked on a stove top using a griddle stone or cast iron frying pan.

Wet & dry griddle cakes ingredients

Using half cornmeal and half wheat flour gives the pancakes a unique flavour. Buttermilk & bicarb rather than ‘plain’ cow’s milk gives the texture a softness and lightness.

Blackcurrant jam added to griddle cakes mixture Blackcurrant jam swirled into griddle cakes mixture

A little swirl of jam takes the griddle cakes to a different level; we used some home-made blackcurrant jam, but you can use any other to your liking – strawberry, raspberry, apricot, plum… If your jam is a little thick, simply mix it with a couple of teaspoons of water to get a thinner consistency.

Cooking a stack of jammy cornmeal griddle cakes on stovetop

Serve your stack of cornmeal griddle cakes with a knob of butter on top or with extra jam or maple syrup drizzled over.

Click here or on the image below to save the recipe to Pinterest

Jammy cornmeal griddle cakes recipe

Stack of jammy cornmeal griddle cakes with butter pat on top

Jammy cornmeal griddle cakes

Course Breakfast
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g/3½oz cornmeal either fine or coarse
  • 100 g/3½oz plain flour
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 200 ml/7fl oz buttermilk
  • 50 g/1¾oz unsalted butter melted, plus extra for the skillet
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 tbsp jam we used blackcurrant, but feel free to use any other fruit

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your griddle/ large cast iron frying pan over a low heat. Rub a bit of butter all over it
  • In a large measuring jug, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, bicarb and salt. Make a well in the centre
  • In a medium measuring jug, pour in the buttermilk. Add the melted butter and stir to combine
  • Pour the buttermilk/butter mixture and beaten egg into the well in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to bring the mixture together
  • Spoon in the jam and swirl it through a little. Don't over-mix, a few lumps of flour is fine
  • Once the griddle is hot, pour/ladle on approx. 3tbsp/50ml of the mixture into a round shape. Allow the griddle cake to cook for a couple of minutes. When bubbles begin to form and the top begins to dry out around the edges towards the middle, flip over and cook the other side for another minute. Repeat until all the batter is used
jammy cornmeal griddle cakes ingredients
Serve with extra jam, a pat of butter or maple syrup
Keyword cornmeal, griddle cakes

Pecan toffee ice cream

Pecan toffee ice cream

With all this warm, sunny weather, there’s only one thing on my mind… home-made ice cream! I got my trusty Cuisineart machine out of the loft this week and made us some pecan toffee ice cream.

Pecan toffee Ice cream maker

First off, I made the toffee. This step takes no more than 10 minutes and the toffee can be made days in advance, if needed, just store it in an airtight container until needed.

You can make the toffee with other types of nuts if you prefer; Brazils, macadamias, almonds (use almond extract instead of vanilla paste/extract in the ice cream recipe), peanuts, walnuts… or a mixture of nuts.

Tub of home-made pecan toffe ice cream

Second, I made a basic vanilla ice cream mixture. Once churned, I stirred in the bashed up pecan toffee – don’t forget to set aside a few shards for decoration.

If you’re anything like me, you like to add even more toppings to your ice cream – chocolate, butterscotch, maple or caramel syrups are all good… chocolate chips or chunks are even better!

Click here or on the image below to save my recipe to Pinterest

Pecan toffee ice cream recipe

Pecan toffee ice cream

Pecan toffee ice cream

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

For the pecan toffee

  • 100 g pecan halves
  • 50 g butter
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp water

For the ice cream

  • 180 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup full fat milk
  • 140 g/5oz/⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 300 ml/10½ fl oz/1½ cups double cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, to taste

Instructions
 

For the pecan toffee

  • Grease & line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Lay out the pecan halves on the prepared sheet. Put the sheet of pecans next to, or actually on, the stove-top
  • In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (a cast iron skillet would be ideal) over a medium heat, add the butter sugar and water. Stir to until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved
  • Turn the heat up to high and allow the mixture to bubble and begin to evaporate. Do not stir during this stage
  • Keep a close eye and nose on the bubbling mixture, you're looking for the colour to start turning brown to begin smelling like caramel. It can get to this stage and suddenly go over in an instant and begin to burn. Just as you think the mixture is at this point, pour it carefully over the pecans. Be very careful, the mixture is exceedingly hot and sticky
  • Allow to cool completely
  • Break up into fairly large shards. Set aside 6 of these shards and put the rest of the pecan toffee into a large mixing bowl
  • Using a large pestle (or the end of a rolling pin, like I did) grind the toffee into smaller pieces - not quite a powder, you want small chunks
  • Set aside while you make the ice cream

For the ice cream

  • In a large saucepan over a very low heat add the milk and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside and allow to cool completely
  • Stir in the cream and the vanilla paste/extract
  • Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn following the manufacturer's instructions
  • A couple of minutes before the end of the churning process, with the machine still turning, spoon in the ground pecan toffee
  • When the toffee has been combined well into the ice cream, turn the mixture out into a 1-litre lidded tub and put into the freezer to 'ripen' for at least a couple of hours
Pecan toffee ice cream ingredients
To serve: Scoop portions out into bowls or coupes and garnish with the reserved shards
Keyword ice cream, pecans, toffee

Cakes & Bakes: Malted flapjacks

Malted flapjack with mug of tea

Our house is rarely without biscuits of some type or variety; digestives, shortbread, cookies… However, when we’re out for whatever reason, a batch of flapjacks is easy to rustle up. For a twist on my regular recipe, I decided to try making malted flapjacks using medium oatmeal rather than my usual porridge oats.

butter, malt extract and honey in a saucepan Malted flapjacks in a cake tin before going into the oven

This is a ‘no sugar’ recipe, the sweetness comes from honey, the malt extract and natural sugars in the fruit. The dried fruit & nuts I used were sultanas and chopped hazelnuts and walnuts. However, you could use any combination that takes your fancy, or you happen to have in your store cupboard.

Cooked malted flapjack Sliced malted flapjack

A single tablespoon of malt extract – two, tops – will suffice for this recipe. Malt extract is potent stuff, you don’t want the taste to be too overwhelming. Using the medium oatmeal instead of the rolled oats gave a crunchy texture and nutty flavour – I really like it!

Click here or on the image below to save my malted flapjacks recipe to Pinterest

Malted flapjacks recipe

Malted flapjack with mug of tea

Malted flapjacks

Course Snack
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tbsp malt extract
  • 400 g medium oatmeal
  • 75 g chopped fruit & nuts I used a mixture of sultanas, hazelnuts and walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/Gas mark 3
  • Line a square brownie tin with parchment paper. Set aside
  • In a large saucepan, melt the butter, honey and malt extract over a low heat. Stir occasionally to combine
  • Add the oatmeal and fruit & nuts and combine well. Remove from the heat
  • Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and, using a spatula or serving spoon, level it out pressing down firmly, not forgetting the 4 corners
  • Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top begins to turn brown
  • Allow the flapjack to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before lifting it out and slicing into portions
Malted flapjacks ingredients
Keyword flapjack, malt, oats