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Well, it’s been a while since my last blog post.

Not that I have given up but the last few months have been busy with setting up my new bakery business. I have continued to eat and drink well, with local ingredients wherever possible, and have a sizeable backlog of stories and pictures to share.

However a lot of energy has gone into establishing myself as an artisan baker.

I always enjoyed making bread but at Ballymaloe Cookery School where bread was made each day my love really took off.

Breaking away from Local Government gave me the chance to do something with bread and Bill King Artisan Baker came into existence in October last year, just as regular blogging took a break.

I am baking Real Bread using only Flour, Water, Yeast and a little Salt.

A trial at the newly established Llanyrafon Manor Food and Craft Market, where I shared a stall and rapidly sold out, was enough to convince me that people really did want an honest and pure product and it was all systems go.

Of course there was the period of getting past the statutory hurdles, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and HMRC which took a while, and learning about business where I had great help from some free seminars. But, by November I was up and running.

My regular Market is Llanyrafon on the last Sunday of the month but I also have regular customers and bake a couple of times a week.

Now I need a new oven as demand outstrips the capacity of my small domestic one, but I intend to stay true to principle and remain a micro-baker.

Part of the fun is teaching others to bake bread and I really enjoy the half day courses that I run and am always pleased to hear how students are getting on with their breads.

Courses are run from home so that I can show how a domestic oven will turn out good breads and give people confidence to carry on – a small amount of fresh yeast to take away gives them even more encouragement.

A brief explanation of the bakery is given on my website www.billkingartisanbaker.co.uk and you can read reviews of the courses here:

http://icouldeatthatrightnow.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/baking-for-fun-artisan-baking-with-bill-king-my-experience/

http://cwmbranlife.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/cwmbran-man-follows-his-dream-to-open-a-cookery-school-in-the-town-baking-with-bill-king/

So what of the future?

I will be posting new food blogs here, and have some good stuff to come. But on the baking front I will be continuing the Market and courses but for now the main task is improving my Italian to translate the new book I bought in Sorrento!

Cakes and Craic

I have just spent three days cooking with my granddaughter. Though she enjoyed making fresh pasta and Foccacia - especially poking the holes, it was cake that really excited her, to the extent that she stuck some black tape to her chin to be Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes!

Making a range of cakes reminded me how much fun they can be so here are a couple of recipes which all received the "Poppy" treatment.

Lemon Muffins Makes 10 or 12

For the Muffins

300 grams Plain Flour

175 grams Caster Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 Lemon

50 grams Butter

225 mils Milk

1 medium Egg (beaten)



For the icing

2tbsp Lemon Juice

175 grams Icing Sugar

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and add the sugar, mix well.

Zest the lemon and place the zest in a small saucepan with the butter (cut into cubes). Place on a low heat and add 4 tbsp of milk. When the butter has melted remove from the heat, cool slightly and add the rest of the milk and the beaten egg..

Combine the butter mixture with the flour and sugar and spoon into muffin cases.

Bake for 15 minutes at 200c.

Remove and leave in the tin whilst you make the icing by beating the lemon juice into the icing sugar. Ice the buns whilst they are still warm so that the icing spreads easier.

Cool and put into an airtight box.

Carrot Cake

I use the Avoca Cafe recipe (and so does Rachel Allen)

Makes 2 cakes, just as well as it is more-ish!!

Ingredients
14oz caster sugar

14oz grated carrots (I use a microplane)

14 oz self-raising flour

14fl oz sunflower oil

4 eggs (I use medium)

1tsp salt (I use Halen Mon) or even their Vanilla Salt

1tsp mixed spice

1tsp vanilla essence



Combine eggs, sugar and oil and mix well with an electric mixer.

Add salt, spice and vanilla essence and mix well.

Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly

Add grated carrots and mix through.

Pour into 2 baking tins, well-greased or use a paper liner.

Bake for 1 hour at 170c 325f Gas mark 3. Check after 55 mins especially in a fan oven.

Cool in tins for 15 mins the turn out on to a rack.



For topping

6oz cream cheese e.g. Philadelphia (I use Mascarpone)

2oz butter (softened)

Zest of a lemon and juice of ½ a lemon.

6oz icing sugar.

Combine all ingredients and spread on cake.


Madeira Cake

Probably the most versatile of all cakes, It can be added to to change the taste and can be cooked round, in loaf tins or in a swiss roll tin to make a range of traybakes.

Ingredients – for 18 cm square tin or 20 cm round tin




350 g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

250g softened margarine (I used softened butter)

250g caster sugar

4 xl eggs – beaten

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Method




Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease the tin and line the tin with double thickness of greaseproof/baking paper (I tend to use commercial baking cases). Grease the paper and set the tin aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add in the sugar; mix well with a wooden spoon.

Now add in the margarine/butter, eggs and lemon juice. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Now beat the mixture, either using the wooden spoon, vigorously for two mins or one minute using electric beaters on medium speed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. To test if baked, press lightly in the middle. If the cake springs back, it is baked. Or alternatively, test by inserting skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

A traybake will take 20 minutes or so as the mix is much thinner.

Variations all added at the mixing stage

I tsp Coffee essence - Camp or Irel

Grated Zest of an orange or lemon

Mixed fruit and candied peel

Cherries

Traybake toppings

Icing as for the Lemon Muffins

The Carrot Cake topping

Raspberry Jam and sweetened dessicated coconut

9oz Icing sugar combined with 3 tbsp Orange or Rose water to amke a runny fondant icing - it will set in time

Enjoy!