Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next83 Comments

A savoury spin on hot cross buns! These Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns are packed with flavour from mature Cheddar, they’re topped with a cheesy cross and even more cheese. I serve mine with a quick, homemade chive butter.

Recipe originally posted in March 2014. Recipe and photographs updated March 2023.

This is a recipe redo from 9 years ago! The recipe and photographs were in need of a little update.

You’ll find hot cross buns in supermarkets all across the UK. The traditional hot cross bun is filled with dried fruit and mixed spice, but in recent years, new flavours have appeared and become equally popular choices.

We’re talking chocolate hot cross buns, some with cocoa powder in the dough and others with chocolate chips added. I have a recipe for Vegan Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns.

Red velvet is another flavour I’ve come across, along with apple and cinnamon, and caramelised white chocolate and fudge.

All these sweet hot cross buns are great, but you can also get savoury hot cross buns, with many, including one of my favourite ingredients. Cheese.

These Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns consist of a simple dough that’s flavoured with cayenne pepper and grated mature Cheddar cheese. The cross-topping is usually made by mixing flour and water, but mine is made by mixing together grated Pecorino cheese, flour and water. The cheese adds that extra salty, cheesy deliciousness to each hot cross bun!

Right before baking, I sprinkled the tops of each HCB with even more Pecorino – if you’re not vegetarian, then you can use Parmesan instead.

Serve your cheesy hot cross buns with a liberal amount of salted butter. I made my own chive butter, by mixing softened butter with chopped chives from the garden and a little bit of black pepper.

Also, why not fill your savoury hot cross bun with some crispy bacon – I love vegetarian bacon and think this would pair wonderfully for brunch/lunch. Or spread with butter, followed by your favourite chutney and some extra cheese.

The recipe is time-consuming, but there’s no better feeling than eating a batch of homemade bread you’ve baked right in your own kitchen.

Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns

A savoury spin on hot cross buns! These Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns are packed with flavour from mature Cheddar, they're topped with a cheesy cross and even more cheese. I serve mine with a quick, homemade chive butter.

Prep Time 3 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 3 55

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Hot Cross Bun Dough:

250 ml milk
50 g butter (salted or unsalted)
500 g strong white bread flour
14 g dried yeast 2 x standard 7g packets
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
1 medium or large egg
150 g mature Cheddar coarsely or finely grated

Cheese Cross Topping:

5 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Cheddar can be substituted
5 tablespoons plain flour
5 tablespoons water

Cheese Topping:

25 g Cheddar or Pecorino grated

Instructions

In a small pan, heat your milk and butter until the butter has melted and the milk is just warm to the touch - you don't want the milk boiling hot.
In a large mixing bowl, add your bread flour, yeast (to one corner), salt (to the opposite corner to the yeast) and the cayenne pepper (if using). Give these ingredients a good stir so they're evenly mixed.
Now add the warmed milk/butter mixture, along with the beaten egg and stir until a soft dough comes together.
Knead by hand or in a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm for 2 hours or until it's doubled in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, mix the grated Cheddar into the dough by hand. Divide it equally into 12 pieces (I weigh for accuracy and each dough piece weighs roughly approx. 80g) and roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Place the balls of dough on a large, lightly greased baking tray, leaving space for them to rise. Leave for the dough to rise for another hour, or until the dough has risen and joined up.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Make the cheesy cross topping by mixing the grated cheese, flour and water gently until it's just come together - try not to over mix this, otherwise it becomes tough when baked.
Transfer the cheesy cross topping to a piping bag, snip the end a little just to make a small hole. Pipe a line across the top of the buns and then pipe another line the opposite way, so each bun is topped with a cross. I went over the top of each line again to use up the majority of my mixture - don't worry if you don't use it all.
Sprinkle over the grated cheese and then bake the buns for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden - mine took 25 minutes. Allow to cool and then serve with plenty of butter!

Vegan Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

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Baking · Bread · Breakfast · Vegan

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

November 27, 2021February 13, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

The BEST fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls. Enriched dough filled with a buttery cinnamon sugar filling and once baked decorated with icing.

The next bake in my Christmas recipe instalment is Vegan Cinnamon Rolls.

I based this vegan cinnamon roll recipe on the Cinnamon Rolls already on my blog. I’ve altered the recipe and taken out a bit of the strong white bread flour and replaced that with cornflour, which makes these cinnamon rolls super moist and fluffy without any dairy or egg.

The cinnamon filling I’ve kept exactly the same, we’re using equal measures of vegan butter and brown sugar with a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. We find this has just the right amount of cinnamon flavour, but if you love more cinnamon then add extra.

Prepare the enriched dough and leave it to rise for around an hour until doubled in size. Once the dough has doubled in size, make the buttery cinnamon sugar filling. Now roll the dough out into a large rectangle, then spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, then from the long side roll the dough up into a log. Trim the edges (I usually bake these off to enjoy as well) and slice the dough up into 12 pieces.

Liberally grease a baking tin with vegan butter and then place the cinnamon rolls in the tin. There should be some space between the cinnamon rolls so they have room to join up on the second rise.

I love those cinnamon swirls you simply take out from the fridge, unroll, slice and bake. Those are great for ease, but these homemade cinnamon rolls are far superior with their soft pillowy texture. This recipe does require quite a bit of time investment, but the finished bake is absolutely worth all the waiting!

It won’t be at all long before I make these cinnamon rolls again! They are one of our favourite breakfast recipes along with these incredible Fluffy Vegan Pancakes!

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Best fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls. These make a delightful weekend breakfast, brunch or sweet treat. You cannot even tell they're plant-based!

Prep Time 2 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 35

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Dough:

475 g strong white bread flour
25 g cornflour
50 g caster sugar
14 g fast-action dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
325 ml plant milk
75 g vegan butter

Cinnamon Filling:

125 g vegan butter softened
125 g dark or light brown sugar
1 - 1 + 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

100 g icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons water (add more or less depending on your preferred consistency)

Instructions

To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, cornflour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix to combine.
In a small pan, gently heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted and the milk is just warm.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a dough comes together. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer for 7 minutes until smooth and elasticated. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave the dough somewhere warm for 60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
To make the filling: Cream together the sugar, butter and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Set aside for later.
Grease the base and sides of a 23cm x 30cm / 13 x 9-inch baking tin with extra butter. When the dough has doubled in size, tip it out the bowl and knock the air out. The dough is very soft, so you might need to add some extra flour to make rolling out easier. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a large, neat rectangle about 50cm x 30 cm / 20 x 12-inches and with one of the longer sides nearest to you.
Evenly spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough, ensuring the mixture reaches all the edges.
Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a sausage shape. Using a sharp knife (I find a serrated bread knife best for this), trim the edges of the dough and then cut the dough into 12 rolls.
Place the rolls side by side in the baking tin, with the spiral facing upwards. Cover and leave somewhere warm until they’ve all joined up and have nearly doubled in size – this should take approx. 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the rolls are a light golden colour on top. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15-20 minutes.
To make the icing: Mix together the icing sugar and enough water until the icing reaches your preferred consistency. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls and leave to set for about 5-10 minutes.
Once the icing has set, the cinnamon rolls are ready to eat. The rolls will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

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Bread · Greek Cuisine · Vegan

Greek Pita Bread

August 10, 2021February 10, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Soft and fluffy homemade Greek pockless pita bread. Great served with mezze foods or brushed with garlic and parsley butter.

Many of the recipes I bake for my blog are influenced by my travels. This Tomato Parmesan Focaccia is inspired by focaccia I ate on holiday in Tuscany and Puglia. This Lemon Herb Rice and Halloumi and Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Tzatziki is similar to a couple of dishes I first tried in Cyprus and the Greek Islands I’ve travelled to.

I’m very passionate about Italian cuisine, but I am equally obsessed with Cypriot and Greek food. The same as a lot of people, we all haven’t been able to get away abroad on holiday for quite some time now due to the ongoing situation. Though, that doesn’t mean we can’t experience the same food and bring our summer holiday home.

On the topic of bread and world cuisines: different countries all have their own bread recipes. France has the classic baguette greatly enjoyed with butter and French cheese, India has chapatis and naan bread used to scoop up flavourful curries, Italy has focaccia and pizza and Mexico has the tortilla. For Greece and Cyprus (and other destinations around the Mediterranean and Middle East), they have the pita.

This homemade flatbread is ultra soft and fluffy, it’s more bread-like and substantial than pita bread you can buy readymade. It’s so incredibly tasty torn into pieces and dunked into a bowl of hummus or tzatziki.

The pita bread is prepared the same way as the majority of breads are. Start by mixing warm milk (use dairy or plant milk depending on your dietary requirements) and warm water with yeast and sugar, then leave it for 5 minutes until it’s frothy. After that you’ll add the bread flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, then pop the dough into a well oiled bowl and leave it until doubled in size.

The reason I prefer making my own pita is because the pita bread you get from the supermarket is rather dry and cardboard like quite frankly, nowhere near as fluffy and moreish as homemade.

The pita I’m sharing today is made is plain, I’ve made this recipe and added 1-2 tablespoons of nigella seeds to make naan bread to serve with this Chickpea Tikka Masala. The recipe is so versatile, you can also add herbs (dried or fresh) and other seasonings to the dough to flavour it. Pictured below is a batch of naan bread I made using this recipe.

Follow the recipe but swap the oil in the dough for melted vegan butter, then once cooked brush each naan bread with melted garlic and parsley butter. So delicious!

So here’s the most important part, below is this super easy recipe for making the best and FLUFFIEST Greek Pita Bread, by Akis Petretzikis.

Greek Pita Bread

Fluffy homemade Greek pita bread recipe, worlds apart from the readymade pita you can buy. Delicious used to scoop up hummus, tzatziki and other dips.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Rising Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
160 ml milk (or plant based alternative)
80 ml water (lukewarm)
320 g strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl or jug, combine the yeast, sugar, milk and water. Stir well and then set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to froth.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and give a quick mix together. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients along with the olive oil. Mix again until a dough has formed.
Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes until you are left with a smooth dough - it will be quite sticky. If the dough is difficult to handle add a little extra flour.
Add a drizzle of oil to another bowl and transfer the dough to this bowl, coating it well with the oil. Cover and leave the dough to rise at room temperature for 40-60 minutes or until it's doubled in size.
Place a frying pan on medium heat. Divide the dough up into 6 equally sized pieces (I weigh mine to be accurate). Dust a work surface with some flour and roll each piece of dough out into an oval shape about 20cm long and 10cm wide. They don't have to exact, so don't worry if not every pita looks the same that's the beauty in these being homemade.
Cook each pita 1-2 minutes on each side until they puff up and are lightly golden. Serve the pita warm or at room temperature. Once cooled, they will keep for up to 2 days. They can be frozen, just keep in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and eat within a day.

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Baking · Bread · Cakes · Vegan

Vegan Banana Bread

January 17, 2020October 5, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next13 Comments

This easy and simple banana bread is a delightfully good vegan treat that uses everyday ingredients and tastes like it’s been made in a bakery! Vegans and non-vegans alike will rave about this recipe.

I’m finally back after a bit of time off over the festive season with my first recipe of 2020 and I guarantee that you’ll go bananas for it!

This year I’m partaking in Veganuary, for the 31 days of this month (at least) I’m going entirely vegan and I’m eating a completely plant-based diet. So far I’ve been really enjoying veganism. Before going vegan I’d been vegetarian for a while and wanted a new challenge to take on.

My sister has gone vegan too and as a family we’ve all been thoroughly enjoying sitting down at the end of the day to devour a vegan feast each night for dinner. This is actually the first time in ages I’ve felt super excited about baking/cooking, for a while I’d felt uninspired but going vegan has encouraged me to really think about what exactly I’m eating and where it’s sourced from.

I also wanted to set myself the goal of sharing more vegan recipes on my blog as I only have a few on here and want to expand the collection. I’ve worked hard in my kitchen at home to bake some vegan treats. Whether you’re following a vegan lifestyle, cannot eat dairy/eggs or simply just want to try some vegan food, then I hope you’ll like the recipes I will be sharing.

I’ve trialled this banana bread recipe out a couple of times as I wanted it to be perfect before posting on here. Every time I’ve baked it, it’s disappeared within a couple of days and as soon as the last slice has been eaten, I’ve been craving it all over again!

This vegan banana bread uses no out of the ordinary ingredients that are sometimes found in vegan bakes. You’ll just need overripe bananas, sugar (either caster/granulated or brown sugar), oil, vanilla extract, non-dairy milk (I use soya), apple cider vinegar, flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. The soya milk was literally the only ingredient I had to go out and buy to make this recipe, but since going vegan my fridge is now full of plant milk!

My taste testers all agreed that this vegan banana bread is identical in taste and texture to my classic banana bread recipe – dare I say it that I think this version is even better! I’ve adapted this recipe slightly from Betty Crocker’s Vegan Banana Bread recipe and highly recommend you give it a try if you’re as crazy for banana bread as I am.

Mix the recipe up as much as you want by adding extra ingredients such as chopped nuts (hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts) or even some good quality dark chocolate.

Also, if you like spices in your bakes, try stirring a touch of ground cinnamon or mixed spice into the batter.

I have one successful vegan sweet recipe ticked off my list, now on to the next!

Ingredients:

60ml (1/4 cup) unsweetened plant milk – I like using soya milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 overripe bananas – you’ll want the skin to be spotty and turning black

200g (1 cup) sugar – you can use a mix of caster/granulated or dark/light brown sugar

120ml (1/2 cup) oil – you can use coconut, canola/vegetable or even melted vegan butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

240g (2 cups) all-purpose/plain flour

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Line a 900g / 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhanging the edges of the tin so you can lift the banana bread out easily once it’s baked. Set the tin aside for later. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
In a small bowl or jug, add the soya milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and leave it for 5 minutes – this helps the cake to rise.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until they’re smooth. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and the milk/vinegar mixture and beat until smooth and completely combined. Now sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt over the top of the other ingredients and gently fold until no lumps of flour remain – be careful not to over mix the batter.
Transfer the batter into the tin and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester when inserted into the centre comes out clean without any uncooked batter attached to the cake tester. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove the banana bread from the tin and leave it to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the banana bread has cooled to room temperature, slice it up and enjoy. The banana bread will keep stored in an airtight container for up to one week. The banana bread is delicious served as it is or spread with vegan butter, chocolate hazelnut spread or peanut butter.

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Baking · Bread · Breakfast

Cinnamon Rolls

November 18, 2019November 25, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next14 Comments

Homemade from scratch cinnamon rolls. Wake up to these tempting rolls for breakfast or brunch for a delicious start to your day!

A batch of freshly baked cinnamon rolls is my go-to breakfast treat on weekends off work and the smell of these baking in the oven is simply so enticing.

I’ll quite happily admit that I’ve baked (and still do!) those super scrumptious pre-made cinnamon rolls that are cross-between bread and pastry and come with a small pot of sugar to make into icing. When I’m not too busy and have some spare time to be the kitchen, then I really do love baking bread and preparing enriched dough.

I have a handful of bread recipes on my blog, mostly savoury, so for a change I felt like baking a sweet bread recipe. Making enriched dough was one of my first patisserie lessons at culinary school. Back at the start of my first year, myself and my fellow classmates/chefs in training were set the task of baking Chelsea buns and various bread recipes to develop our dough and bread making skills – I learnt a lot in those classes and was inspired to continue baking bread.

I’m yet to meet anyone who doesn’t enjoy cinnamon rolls. I can’t get enough of the soft, pillowy dough filled with a yummy cinnamon-infused butter and sugar mixture. I figured you’d probably share the same love of cinnamon rolls as I do?

You’ll start this recipe by preparing the dough. Take strong white bread flour and add salt, dried yeast, sugar, softened butter, an egg and milk. I also add the zest of an orange to my dough as I really like the flavour it adds, but this is an optional ingredient.

Mix all the ingredients and knead your dough until it’s well elasticated. Leave the dough until it’s doubled in size – this recipe is one that takes a bit of time and patience, but I promise you it’ll be worth the wait.

While the dough rises, you can prepare the buttery cinnamon sugar mixture. Take the same quantity of butter and light brown sugar and add a tablespoon (you can add more if you’re a super fan) of ground cinnamon, after giving it a good mix it’s ready to spread evenly over the dough.

Now roll the dough up tightly lengthways and cut 12 pieces from the dough – don’t worry if each piece is not identical or the same size/shape as that really won’t matter once your cinnamon rolls are baked. Generously butter a baking tin (exact measurements listed in the method below) and place the cinnamon rolls in the tin – there will be space between each roll and enough room for them to expand and join up on the second rise.

Once the rolls have all joined up and have doubled in size, now they can be baked. You don’t want these to colour too much on top as they dry out very easily in the oven if baked for too long. Leave the rolls to cool slightly and in the meantime you can get all your ingredients ready to prepare the icing to top the cinnamon rolls with.

The cinnamon rolls right in the centre are my favourite – I love how extra soft they are and like how slightly crisp cinnamon sugar filling goes on top when baked

I decided this time to decorate these cinnamon rolls with a zingy orange drizzle icing. I absolutely adore cream cheese frosting, however since the recipe I shared before this one was covered in a generous layer of cream cheese frosting, I decided something different would be a nice choice for these cinnamon rolls.

I recommend eating these cinnamon rolls on the day of baking to truly experience them at their best, but they will last for up to 2-3 days at room temperature. That being said, we thought these rolls tasted just as good on the second day as they did on the day of baking.

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Dough:

500g strong white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

50g light brown sugar

14g fast-action dried yeast (2 x 7g standard UK packets)

1 large orange, zested (optional)

75g butter (salted or unsalted), softened and cut into small cubes

200ml milk, luke warm – this must be warm to the touch, but not boiling hot otherwise the yeast will not activate

1 large free-range egg, at room temperature

Cinnamon Filling:

125g light brown sugar

125g butter (salted or unsalted), softened

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Orange Drizzle Icing:

150g icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice or water – start by adding a little at a time until the icing reaches your preferred consistency

Method:

To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and orange zest (if using). Mix to combine and add the softened butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the warm milk and the egg and mix until a dough forms.
Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer for 10 minutes until smooth and elasticated. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave the dough somewhere warm for 80-90 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.
To make the filling: Cream together the sugar, butter and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Set aside for later.
Grease the base and sides of a 23cm x 30cm / 13 x 9-inch baking tin with extra butter. When the dough has doubled in size, tip it out the bowl and knock the air out. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a large, neat rectangle about 50cm x 30 cm / 20 x 12-inches and with one of the longer sides nearest to you.
Evenly spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough, ensuring the mixture reaches all the edges.
Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a sausage shape. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges of the dough and then cut the dough into 12 rolls.
Place the rolls side by side in the baking tin, with the spiral facing upwards. Cover and leave somewhere warm until they’ve all joined up and have nearly doubled in size – this should take approx. 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the rolls are a light golden colour on top. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15-20 minutes.
To make the icing: Mix together the icing sugar and enough orange juice/water until the icing reaches your preferred consistency. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls and leave to set for about 5-10 minutes.
Once the icing has set, the cinnamon rolls are ready to eat. The rolls will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

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Baking · Bread

50/50 Bread Rolls

January 23, 2017December 2, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next15 Comments

Vegan bread rolls made with half strong white bread flour and half wholemeal flour. These bread rolls suit everyone down to the ground!

A few years ago I wouldn’t have known where to start when it came to baking homemade bread, it was my mum who developed a love for bread making before I soon did. She made basic loaves and rolls, brioche and other delicious breads for while before I decided to jump into the kitchen to explore and try out some bread recipes of my own inspired by her.

Recently I shared my mum’s white bread rolls with you and since then I’ve been thinking of sharing a wholemeal version of the original recipe.

When making wholemeal bread and rolls I prefer to use half regular strong white bread flour and half wholemeal flour. In my experience using completely wholemeal flour makes the dough too heavy, whereas adding half of each flour balances out the texture and the bread rolls aren’t dense at all. If you want to make these rolls with 100% wholemeal flour then feel free to do so!

The great thing is that these bread rolls are also suitable for anyone following a vegan lifestyle because they’re made with olive oil instead of butter and also water is added instead of milk to bring the dough together when kneading. This recipe is very adaptable so if you don’t have oil olive you can substitute that with another oil such as sunflower/vegetable or even melted butter if you’re not opting for a vegan bread roll.

These homemade wholemeal bread rolls have that distinctive nuttiness you typically taste with wholemeal bakes. They can be filled with your favourite sandwich fillings or even dunked into a bowl of soup. Whichever way you decide to serve these rolls I know you will thoroughly enjoy them!

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

275g strong white bread flour

275g wholemeal bread flour

1 and 1/4 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (substitute with another oil or alternatively use melted butter)

310ml warm water – the water should only feel warm to the touch, not boiling

Method:

1. To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine both flours along with the yeast, sugar and salt and mix together (remember to make sure the yeast and salt are on opposite corners of the bowl). Add the olive oil and warm water and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes by hand or with an electric hand or stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes until the dough is soft and elasticated.

2. To knead and rise the dough: Once the dough is kneaded, lightly oil another large mixing bowl. Add the dough to the bowl and lightly coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a kitchen towel and leave somewhere dry and warm for at least an hour or until doubled in size. This should take around 60-90 minutes.

3. Once the dough has risen fully divide it into 12 equally sized pieces. I weigh the dough to be accurate then shape each piece of dough into rolls. Place the rolls onto a large baking tray that’s either been lightly oiled or lined with a silicone baking mat. Space the rolls apart by a 1-2 inches so they have enough room to rise and spread slightly. Cover with clingfilm or a kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for further 45-60 minutes or until the rolls have joined up and doubled in size.

4. To bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until crisp and well risen. You can check the rolls are completely baked by tapping the bottom of one, if it sounds hollow then they will be cooked all the way through.

5. Allow the rolls to cool for a few minutes then carefully transport them onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely to room temperature before serving. Rolls can be toasted prior to serving if you want to serve them warm. The rolls will keep fresh in a bread/sandwich bag for up to 2 days, if you want you can freeze the rolls but they’re best eaten fresh on the day of baking.

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Baking · Bread

White Bread Rolls

September 13, 2016February 14, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next24 Comments

These homemade white bread rolls are crisp on the outside yet fluffy and tender on the inside. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to make your own bread rolls completely from scratch, then this easy recipe will be a great one to start with!

Today’s recipe has been long coming. I’ve pretty much been waiting and putting off sharing it for ages now. I don’t know why, because these bread rolls are a winning recipe and a food I absolutely love.

This is actually one of my mum’s recipes and these rolls always go down a treat at family picnics and during the holidays. Usually mum is requested to supply the bread or rolls at family gatherings, they’re also delicious spread with garlic butter and made into garlic bread, dipped into olive oil and balsamic or even just slathered with butter.

The dough is pretty straightforward to prepare. We like to use olive oil in place of butter, adding olive oil as an alternative to butter and water instead of milk makes the recipe vegan and we think it also produces a lighter and crustier bread.

I always find readymade rolls to be overly sweet, over-proved and generally under baked and these are just a few reasons why I have been put off them. The bonus of making your own bread rolls means you know exactly what ingredients have gone into the bake and you can control how much salt and sugar is added. Homemade bakes like these rolls are mostly free or any unwanted additives and preservatives so they’re that little bit better for you.

Homemade bread rolls are a great accompaniment to a warm bowl of soup or filled with your favourite sandwich fillings. As the cooler months loom, a day you’re stuck in the house due to the weather is the perfect opportunity to spend baking bread. This is not the quickest recipe I’ve shared but it really is worth the extra effort and time.

Below I’ve listed some tips I think you will find helpful if you do give the recipe a try.

Important Points:

Always check your yeast is in date. If in doubt, always use new yeast.
Warm the water – be careful to make sure it’s not boiling. I find the easiest way to check is to test with your finger, if the water is a tepid heat then it’s ready to use. There’s no need for any specialist equipment!
Keep the yeast and salt apart. Salt will kill the yeast and stop the dough rising. When putting the ingredients in the bowl place the yeast and salt in opposite corners.
Substitute the extra virgin olive oil for another oil or alternatively use the same quantity of softened butter.
To make sure you’ve kneaded the dough enough before the first rise test by poking your finger into the dough very slightly, if it springs back then the dough is ready for shaping. If not, carry on kneading the dough for a few extra minutes.
I’d recommend weighing the dough before shaping into rolls. Weighing the dough means all the bread rolls will be the same size and will bake more evenly and it’s definitely worth spending a bit extra time doing this step.
I prove my dough in my fan assisted oven at 40ºC. Leaving the dough at room temperature to rise will work just as well. If it’s a cold day it will possibly take a little bit longer to rise.
This recipe makes 12 standard sized bread rolls, You can make 24 smaller slider-sized rolls if you prefer, however baking time will be cut by about half compared to the original recipe. To check doneness, use the same method of checking if they’re baked completely through by tapping the bottom, if it sounds hollow then the rolls are completely baked through.
Bread and rolls are always best eaten when they’re fresh. To experience the full flavour and texture of these rolls I would recommend tasting one on the same day of baking.

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

550g strong white bread flour

1 and 1/4 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (substitute with another oil or alternatively use melted butter)

310ml warm water

Method:

1. To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and mix together (remember to make sure the yeast and salt are on opposite corners of the bowl). Add the olive oil and warm water and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes by hand or with an electric hand or stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes until the dough is soft and elasticated.

4. To bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until crisp and golden in colour. You can check the rolls are completely baked by tapping the bottom of one, if it sounds hollow then they will be cooked all the way through.

I recently baked these bread rolls again and added around 100g of chopped sundried tomatoes and a few sprigs of rosemary (chopped) to my dough. I brushed the tops before baking with some oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes. Then, halfway through the baking time, I sprinkled the tops with 100g of grated Cheddar cheese. They were delicious!

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Baking · Bread · Dips and Sides

Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread

June 15, 2016October 17, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next61 Comments

Cornbread with a delicious savoury addition of mature Cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeño chilli peppers. Dunk into a warm bowl of chilli con carne, soup or spread with butter.

Cornbread is the epitome of summer picnic food for me and I love that it pairs well with so many different dishes, dipped into a bowl of chilli con carne, served alongside barbecue ribs, grilled chicken or simply served as it is.

Cornbread isn’t really that popular where I’m from, but I don’t know why as this classic American quick bread is truly amazing.

I first made this recipe about a year ago, I was enjoying a lazy day watching a Barefoot Contessa marathon and on one of the episodes Ina was preparing cornbread with a twist. The delicious twist was the addition of sharp, mature Cheddar cheese, spicy jalapeño and spring onion (scallions). As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to bake some for myself as I loved the sound of all those flavours combined together.

I especially love this cornbread served warm with butter. It’s incredibly tasty!

Even though I’ve said this cornbread is brilliant for packing up for a picnic, it’s also fantastic in the cooler months enjoyed with a bowl of chilli or soup for those times when you’re in need of some comfort food. Cornbread is pretty much perfect for all seasons, which is especially great at the moment as the UK summer seems to have mysteriously disappeared yet again and all I’m craving is warm winter foods.

I’ll have my fingers crossed hoping summer will make a reappearance sometime soon… 😉

This cornbread has just the right balance of sweetness and it’s deliciously moist without being too crumbly like some cornbreads tend to be. I’ve spent some extra time with this recipe translating the cup measurements into grams as everyone needs a good, trusty cornbread recipe in their repertoire and it definitely needs to be this one!

(Makes 12-16 large pieces)

Ingredients:

360g (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

125g (1 cup) cornmeal or polenta

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

50g (1/4 cup) caster or granulated sugar

480ml (2 cups) milk

3 large free-range eggs

225g (2 sticks/1 cup) butter, melted and cooled slightly

225g (8 ounces) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

4 or 1/3 cup spring onions (scallions), chopped – use both white and green parts

1-2 large jalapeños, seeds removed and minced (you can add more if you’d like)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking tray with parchment paper then set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cornmeal/polenta, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In another bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and melted butter until thoroughly combined.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until no lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to over mix.
Fold through 2/3 of the grated cheese along with the spring onion (scallion) and jalapeño. Leave the cornbread batter to rest for 20 minutes.
After resting spread the cornbread batter into the baking tray and top with the rest of the grated cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining. Leave to cool completely in the baking tray, then slice up into 12-16 large pieces or alternatively pieces of any size you like. Cornbread will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Serve cold or warm.

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Baking · Bread · Italian Cuisine · Vegetarian Recipes

Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia (Focaccia al Rosmarino)

August 25, 2015April 24, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next87 Comments

Traditional Italian focaccia. Fluffy olive oil bread topped with fragrant rosemary and sea salt.

There really is nothing better than homemade bread. Freshly baked, it always tastes amazing. Focaccia is one of the bread recipes I make most often – baking it every week, usually at the weekends when I have more time. Sliced up it makes a brilliant light lunch or appetiser served as part of an antipasto. I’ve already shared a few focaccia recipes on the blog, but this time I wanted to share a basic rosemary focaccia. I love the simplicity of this bread, and of course the beautiful aromatic flavour.

I made this focaccia for a recipe test run a few weekends back. To say the least, it went down a treat and got devoured as quick as anything. With just four people in our household, it vanished pretty quickly soon after baking – which is definitely a great sign! Hands down this is my favourite focaccia recipe!

I kept the flavours very simple. Rosemary and sea salt is a classic focaccia topping and one of our favourites. We use homegrown rosemary, we took a cutting from the villa we stayed at a few years ago in Tuscany, we planted when we got home and ever since it has flourished, and produces enough rosemary for our culinary needs each year!

This focaccia starts with an olive oil bread dough. I use extra virgin olive oil which adds real depth of flavour, gives the bread that authentic taste and keeps it soft and fluffy. You can prepare the dough by hand (the traditional way) or use an electric mixer like I do. Both ways will work just as well, producing a fluffy and crisp focaccia.

You can top the focaccia with anything you like. Bake it until golden and then tear and dip into some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour

7g (1 packet) fast action dried yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

50ml (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

300ml (1/2 pint) warm water – make sure it isn’t boiling

Toppings:

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

A few sprigs fresh rosemary

Course sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

In a large mixing bowl add the flour. Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other. Add the sugar and then mix to combine.
Mix together the water and oil and then add the flour. Using a wooden spoon mix together until a soft and sticky dough comes together. Then lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic for 10 minutes. You can also knead the dough in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
Once kneaded, lightly oil a bowl and add the dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – this will take around an hour.
When doubled in size lightly grease a baking tin (approx. 22cm x 32cm) with olive oil (1-2 tbsp). Add the dough and press out into the tin until even – it doesn’t need to look perfect! Cover the tray and again leave in a warm place until doubled in size. (45-60 minutes approx.)
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Press small holes into the dough with your fingertips. Poke the rosemary in the holes and scatter over the oregano and sea salt. Drizzle the focaccia with a little extra oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and lightly coloured. Once the bread sounds hollow, remove from tin and cool on a wire rack. Slice up and enjoy anyway you like Serve the focaccia dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It can be served both at room temperature and gently warmed in the oven. Both ways are delicious!

Note: The focaccia is best eaten on the day of making, but it will keep in a bread bag or airtight container for an extra day.

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Baking · Bread · Breakfast

Lemon and Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

May 6, 2015September 4, 2017 What Jessica Baked Next66 Comments

Fluffy lemon and raspberry swirl sweet rolls. My favourite weekend breakfast recipe!

I was inspired to create my own yummy morning recipe when I heard about a partnership between Casper and the Infatuation for their very own “#BreakfastInBedFest”. Casper is a memory foam mattress company based in NYC who believes bed time is the best time, and there’s nothing better than waking up to breakfast in bed. It leave us a better reason to stay in bed longer anyways, right?!

I’ve taken my Triple Lemon Sticky Buns recipe and added some beautiful raspberry flavour to the mix! These sweet rolls are beyond heavenly and incredibly fluffy, buttery and delicious! I can’t think of anything better to wake up to eat in the morning than a sticky bun!

As part of this blogging project #BreakfastInMyBedFest with Casper Sleep and The Infatuation I was asked to share a great breakfast recipe ready for Mother’s Day. For my readers from the States these would make the perfect Mother’s Day brekkie for your mom! My mum is lucky I’ve decided this year to celebrate Mother’s Day twice {we celebrated it back in March in the UK!}, so I baked these and surprised my mum over the weekend with a freshly baked batch of what I like to call pure fluffy sweet roll heaven. And they did not disappoint! Plus there really is nothing than spending the weekend eating the BEST EVER sticky buns in bed!

As soon as these left the oven in his true form my dad hinted that he wanted to try one! So I quickly whipped up a delicious tangy lemon sugar icing and drizzled it all over each sweet roll! Then the important step came next. Devour them! That’s definitely the best part of making sticky sweet rolls, taking the very first bite.

When you bite into each sweet roll you get a flavour explosion of raspberry jammy goodness. As you can imagine it really is a dream to eat these! When the sweet rolls bake the raspberries transform into a tangy jam filling. Then comes the sticky lemon glaze – which again I could eat by the spoonful…

{Makes 12-14 rolls}

Ingredients –

550g strong white bread flour

14g fast action dried yeast

55g caster or granulated sugar {superfine sugar}

85g unsalted butter, softened

250ml semi-skimmed milk

1 large free-range egg

1 lemon, zested

Raspberry Lemon Filling –

285g (10 ounce) packet of frozen raspberries {not thawed}

80g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour {cornstarch}

1 lemon, zested {optional}

Method –

1. Make the dough: In a large stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar and the zest. Mix gently on low speed just to combine. Then add the butter and rub in fully, until no lumps of butter remain. Now gently heat the milk in a small saucepan until it’s just warm and you can still poke your finger in without it burning. Then on a low speed, gently pour the milk in and add the egg, mix until a soft and sticky dough comes together. Then knead for another 5-7 minutes or until you have a soft and well elasticated dough. Now remove the dough from the mixer and knead gently on a board for about a minute just to bring it together into a ball. Place back in the bowl, cover fully with cling film and then leave somewhere warm for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

2. Make the filling: In a medium bowl toss together the sugar, frozen raspberries and cornflour. Roll the dough out on a flour surface to roughly 20cm x 50cm. Scatter the raspberry sugar filling evenly over the dough. Roll up tightly into an 18-inch log. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12-14 pieces. Place the rolls in the greased tin, making sure they’re well spread out. Then cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place for another hour or until they’ve joined up and doubled in size.

3.To bake: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Bake the buns for 20 minutes. Then allow too cool completely to room temperature. For glaze, just combine the icing sugar and lemon juice, mix until you have a smooth and drizzling consistency. Then drizzle liberally all over the baked buns. Finish with a little extra zest and then enjoy!

Just waiting to be glazed! These buns are my favourite to make and celebrate the weekend with. I love to enjoy one for breakfast with a warm cup of coffee! You NEED to run to your kitchen right NOW and make these ASAP!