I wish I could write us all back in time, when we could pop to the shops without fear, when grandparents did not have to wave through a window at their grandchildren. Reading this, most people will be indoors trying to stay well. Here are some recipes that can be made with quite simple store cupboard ingredients. The addition of seeds will help provide some extra fibre and nutrients.
Many of the shops are doing online orders and will deliver bags of different seeds and nuts as well as flour and other baking ingredients. Milk that has slightly soured can be used in place of buttermilk, but this too can be delivered by either milk delivery companies or other shops. A teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar will sour your milk if needed.
If you do not have access to a weighing scales the bread recipe included can be made with a mug. The mug I use is a pretty standard one that is 350mls in size. It is important to use the same mug for the entire recipe, or another one of the exact same size or it will put the ratios out of proportion. When using the mug you do not need to tap it on the counter to compact the flour, just fill it and pour it into your mixing bowl. The recipe can be adapted, you can add whatever nuts or seeds you might have. Sieving the heaped teaspoon of bread soda will breakdown any lumps and allow it to combine well with the flour.
Granola can be a handy recipe if you have porridge oats in the house but would prefer some variety. I use olive oil, but sunflower or rapeseed oil will also work.
Any of the recipes can be made with children, but the jam sandwiches are particularly good. You may need to help little arms beat the butter and sugar but the weighing and rolling can be done by all of the family.
No-weigh seed bread
- Sunflower oil for your tin
- 1 mug of wholemeal flour
- Threequarter mug of plain white flour
- 1 heaped tsp of bread soda, sieved
- Quarter of a mug of mixed seeds
- Quarter of a mug of oats
- Half tsp of salt
- 1 mug of buttermilk
- 1 egg Equipment I use a 350ml mug for this recipe
Heat the oven to 220C and oil a 2lb loaf tin with a thin layer of sunflower oil.
I often put a strip of parchment onto the base of the tin, to be twice as confident that the loaf will come out of the tin with ease.
Stir the flours together and then stir in the bread soda until it is well combined. It is not very pleasant to get a lump of soda, so I do advise sieving it if possible. Stir in the seeds and salt.
Mix the buttermilk and egg together and then stir this into the flour mix. It should be quite sticky and moist. Scoop the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth it out. Sprinkle it with some extra oats and make a light incision in the centre.
Place your tin into the center of the oven and then turn it down to 200C.
Bake for 45 minutes. It should be risen and golden and if you test it with a skewer it should come out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes and then you can transfer it to a wire rack or anything that will let some air to circulate around the loaf.
Fruit and nut granola
- 100mls of olive oil
- 50g of peanut or almond butter
- 50g of honey
- 400g of porridge oats
- 200g of mixed seeds
- 100g of mixed nuts, chopped
- 50g of dried fruit, chopped
Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.
Gently heat the oil, nut butter and honey over a low heat until they are combined.
Stir the porridge oats into the liquid until the oats are all coated. Spread them out onto a baking or oven tray.
Roast gently for about two hours on a very low heat. Stir about three times an hour. You want the oats to dry out and become golden.
Once cooled stir in the seeds, nuts and dried fruit. The granola will store for a few weeks in an airtight container.
