Category: Baking

I don’t know about you but my toxic personality trait is being able to eat an entire packet of crackers and hummus whilst my dinner is cooking and then still being able to eat my dinner without difficulty. Honestly, how can you blame yourself when the crackers are THIS GOOD?! These Salt & Pepper Honey Spelt Sourdough Crackers are a definite favourite in this household, and yes you must serve them with hummus.

I do low-key have a cracker obsession. “Don’t forget the crackers.” As Wallace would say. It’s my go-to snack and making them yourself sort.. of.. makes.. them.. healthy? Not really but we can convince ourselves otherwise. In this recipe I’m using honey to flavour my crackers, but you can replace this with caster sugar or maple syrup if desired.

I’m also using wholemeal spelt flour instead of white flour to make my cracker dough, because we need those fibres and nutrients. And as always, ancient grains and sourdough are easier on the gut, aiding digestion and mixing up that microbiome (which we love love love here). Without further ado, let’s get into the recipe!

MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES:

salt n pepper honey spelt sourdough crackers

Ingredients

230g bubbly sourdough starter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey (or alternative)
300g wholewheat spelt flour
2 tsp fine salt
Warm water, as needed
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and pepper, to season

Method

In the evening

In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, oil, and honey until just combined.
Add in the flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour has fully absorbed and a dough begins to form.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth.
Add a splash of water as needed if the dough is a little dry. The dough should be smooth but not sticky or flaky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place to ferment overnight (8-12 hours).

In the morning

Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 160 C.
Using a rolling pin or pasta roller, roll the dough into sheets until it is 2-3mm thin.
Cut into long rectangles or squares and transfer to a lined baking tray.
Brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and super crisp.
Leave to cool completely until crispy and firm. Serve spread with dairy-free cream cheese and a drizzle of honey, or dip into hummus. Enjoy!

Once completely cooled, these crackers can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

I hope you love these Salt & Pepper Honey Spelt Sourdough Crackers as much as I do. If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Happy Spring and I wish you all a beautiful day!

Katherine x

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sourdough brioche rolls (aka my brioche addiction part 3)

Okay, I admit I’m just fuelling my own brioche addiction with these recipes but these Sourdough Brioche Rolls really hit the spot. I’ve posted a few sourdough brioche recipes now but these ones are probably my favourite so far. I’m a sucker for easy breakfasts, and these sourdough brioche rolls are fluffy, sweet, and super easy to stick in the toaster, butter generously, and stuff in my face with relish of a wintry February morning. This recipe actually uses exactly the same dough recipe as my Sourdough Brioche Loaf recipe, but I’m going to show you how to make the simplest rolls out of it.

First things first…

We’re well used to what goes on in the Amongst The Flour kitchen by now, I’m sure you guys can tell me what we need to do first. You guessed it, we gotta feed our sourdough starters! I sadly had to throw out my starter a few days ago as she’d gone literally rancid (don’t ask me how I don’t know?) so we’re using a brand new baby this time around. As usual, I’ve fed my starter each day with a 1:1 ratio of rye and white flour, for the best results. For this recipe, this ratio of flour is just fine, but if you want a lighter, meltier, fluffier brioche, I suggest feeding with JUST white flour. You’ll need to keep tabs on the growth of your starter throughout the day, and use it at its peak as soon as it reaches.

Once you’ve got a beautifully bubbly and well risen sourdough starter, add that baby to a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. As always, I use unsweetened oat milk (at room temperature) and extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. Of course you can use whatever you like, but these are just my preferred ingredients after lots of trial and error. We’re adding maple syrup into this dough, and like usual we’re using the A grade rich stuff (because everyone knows that’s best).

Whisk up all of those wet ingredients until they’re fully combined and then add in the flour a little at a time. I always use strong white bread/bakers flour for my breads but all-purpose flour works alright too. I simply find that bakery grade flours provide you with a nicer bread structure, AND a much lighter texture. Add the flour one cup at a time until you end up with a smooth and elastic dough that is not sticky. Add more or less flour as needed. You want your dough to be of low-ish hydration, but not dry and flaky (and this all depends on the humidity of your kitchen).

Once you’ve got a beautiful and tacky dough, knead her a few times before shaping into a ball, placing into a well-oiled bowl, covering with a DAMP tea towel, and leaving the ferment overnight. Always cover your dough with damp tea towel before proofing so that you don’t end up with a dried out and crispy layer on the top of your dough in the morning.

Stretch-and-fold…

About 1 hour after you’ve put the dough onto proof, you’re going to want to stretch-and-fold the dough. The stretch-and-fold process allows for extra gluten strands in your dough and makes the end result fluffier. To complete a stretch-and-fold, go ahead and take the top half of the dough and stretch it away from you. Fold the stretched out half of the dough over the rest of the dough. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat until you’ve gone all the way around. Then shape the dough back into a ball and place back into the bowl.

You’ll want to repeat this process 2-3 times more, leaving 30 minutes in between each iteration. After that, you’re free to re-cover the dough and let that baby rest for the night. In the morning, your dough should have risen to fill the bowl (or at least doubled in height). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and complete one last stretch-and-fold before leaving to sit for 15 minutes (this is called the autolyse process and makes the dough much easier to handle later on).

After 15 minutes, cut the dough into 12 roughly even pieces. We’re now going to shape each of these pieces into a roll. Take one piece of dough and gently cup your hands on the far side of the dough. Pull it towards you into a scooping motion before turning 180 degrees and repeating the process until you’ve got a perfectly round little roll. Place the roll onto a lined baking sheet, and repeat this process for the rest of the pieces. Cover the rolls with a damp tea towel and let prove for 1-2 hours, until they’ve increased in size by 50% and are nice and puffy.

Towards the end of the 1-2 hour proof, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly brush the rolls with a little melted dairy-free butter or plant milk, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown on the top. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing in half and serving. I LOVE to enjoy these sourdough brioche rolls smothered in dairy-free butter and drizzled with honey (and a sprinkle of salt if I’m feeling it). Once completely cooled, you can store these rolls in an airtight bag in the freezer and simply defrost and toast when you want them.

And it’s really as simple as that. Super easy Sourdough Brioche Rolls, perfect for breakfast or just whenever. I really hope you love these brioche recipes as much as I do (should I continue the series?). If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Have a warm and cozy winter, and stay safe and healthy this February! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES:

Super Simple Sourdough Brioche Loaf

Ingredients

110g (1/2 cup) bubbly, sourdough starter
125ml (1/2 cup) unsweetened plant milk
65ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
450g (3 cups) strong white bread flour
1/4 tsp salt

Method

In the morning

Take your sourdough starter out of the fridge and give it a good feed. For this recipe you’ll want your starter to be about the same thickness as pancake batter.
Leave the starter to come to room temperature and double in height throughout the day. By about mid-late afternoon, your starter should be ready to use.

In the afternoon

Once the starter is nice and bubbly and at least double the height it was originally, pour the stated amount into a large mixing bowl. Add in the milk, oil, syrup, and vanilla, and whisk everything together until combined.
Add in the salt and the flour one cup at a time, until everything is combined. You’ll want to use your hands as you add the last of the flour to make sure it’s fully incorporated. Knead gently in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth and fairly elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to prove for 8-12 hours overnight. During the fermenting process, complete 2-3 stretch and folds to create long gluten strands in the dough. Complete the first stretch-and-fold after 1 hour, and then the other 1-2 every 30 minutes afterwards.

The next morning

In the morning, your dough should have risen to fill the bowl, or at least doubled in height. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and complete one last stretch-and-fold before leaving to sit for 15 minutes (this is called the autolyse process and makes the dough easier to handle later on).
After 15 minutes, cut the dough into 12 roughly even pieces. We’re now going to shape each of these pieces into a roll. Take one piece of dough and gently cup your hands on the far side of the dough. Pull it towards you into a scooping motion before turning 180 degrees and repeating the process until you’ve got a perfectly round little roll.
Place the roll onto a lined baking sheet, and repeat this process for the rest of the pieces. Cover the rolls with a damp tea towel and let prove for 1-2 hours, until they’ve increased in size by 50% and are nice and puffy.
Towards the end of the 1-2 hour proof, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly brush the rolls with a little melted dairy-free butter or plant milk, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown on the top.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing in half and serving. I LOVE to enjoy these sourdough brioche rolls smothered in dairy-free butter and drizzled with honey (and a sprinkle of salt if I’m feeling it). Once completely cooled, you can store these rolls in an airtight bag in the freezer and simply defrost and toast when you want them.

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super simple sourdough brioche loaf

By now, we all know that I hate aquafaba with a passion. It is literally my least favourite ingredient in the world (bar maybe coconut cheese) and that’s why I am adamant that I will NEVER use it in any of my bread recipes. In my mission to avoid this darn ingredient, I’ve created this Sourdough Brioche Loaf recipe! A few months ago, I posted a super delicious Sourdough 4 Braid Brioche Loaf recipe which also had no aquafaba, and today we’re repeating the exercise, but making it a little simpler along the way.

This super simple Sourdough Brioche Loaf is super light, super fluffy, super buttery, and the best upgrade to your breakfast. All of that, and it’s traditionally fermented, making it lighter on your gut and therefore easier to digest. I got the inspiration for this recipe simply because I wanted to enjoy a brioche without having to braid it! I love a good French toast made with brioche and using sourdough starter instead of yeast just takes the biscuit.

Something about a slightly sweet, buttered slice of brioche just sings cosy winter time for me, and I’m making the most of the cold weather whilst its still here, to indulge in a few extra baked goods. I love to enjoy this brioche bread freshly sliced and still slightly warm, spread with dairy-free butter and a drizzling of honey. Adding a pinch of cinnamon always adds a bit of warmth to the whole thing too. Okay, without further ado, let’s get into how we make it!

Baker’s Schedule…

DAY ONE

As is the way we do things here, this recipe starts by feeding our sourdough starters! First thing in the morning, I take my starter out of the fridge and leave her to come to room temperature before giving her a generous feed. For this recipe, I’m feeding my starter in a 1:2 ratio of rye and white flour. I usually add in equal measures, but for this recipe we want to dough to be a bit lighter and fluffier, so I add more white flour. After feeding, let your starter double in size over the course of the day.

Once beautifully risen and very bubbly, I make a start on the dough. For this recipe, I use unsweetened oat milk (at room temperature) and extra virgin olive oil. You can use whichever plant milk you like – I tend to use oat milk in my baking because I’ve found it’s most stable at higher temperatures. You can also use melted dairy-free butter instead of olive oil if you wish, just make sure you have the exact same amounts (I consider olive oil to be more of a wholefood than dairy-free butter which is why I use it more often). For maple syrup, I use the rich A grade stuff for the best flavour, but you could use any alternative you like as long as it’s not too heavy e.g. I wouldn’t recommend molasses or similar.

Whisk up all those wet ingredients until well combined, then go ahead and add in the flour. For this recipe I’m using strong baker’s flour (also known as bread flour) instead of all-purpose/plain because I find it gives you a much softer bread at the end. Add in the flour one cup at a time, until your dough is smooth and elastic (not sticky). You might need to add more or less flour, depending on how wet your sourdough starter is and the humidity of your kitchen. Once a dough has formed, knead her a few times before shaping into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, covering with a DAMP tea towel, and leave to ferment overnight.

During the fermenting process, we want to complete a few stretch-and-folds for extra gluten strands and fluffiness. To complete a stretch-and-fold, go ahead and take the top half of the dough and pull it away from you. Fold it over the top of the rest of the dough, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat this process until you’ve gone all the way around. Do this 2-3 times, leaving 30 minutes or so in between each iteration. After that, cover your dough once again and let that baby rest for the night.

DAY TWO

In the morning, your dough should have risen to fill the bowl, or at least doubled in height. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and complete one last stretch-and-fold before leaving to sit for 15 minutes (this is called the autolyse process and makes the dough easier to handle later on). After 15 minutes, it’s time to shape the dough. To do this, cup your hands on the far side of the dough, and pull it towards you in a scooping motion. Turn 180° and repeat. We’re aiming to create a tall and firm loaf shape.

Once you’re happy with the shape of your dough, place her into a parchment paper lined loaf tin, seam-side down (if you can). Cover with a DAMP tea towel and leave to prove for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has risen to fill the tin. Towards the end of the prove, preheat the oven and brush the loaf with some plant milk or melted dairy-free butter. Bake until lovely and golden brown, then let cool completely. Slice, spread generously with dairy-free butter and drizzle with honey (or maple syrup) and enjoy! This brioche also works really well toasted or as French toast.

And there it is in all its golden glory – another super simple Sourdough Brioche Loaf with no funny business. I really hope you love this brioche recipe as much as I do. If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Have a warm and cozy winter, and stay safe and healthy this February! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

Super Simple Sourdough Brioche Loaf

Ingredients

110g (1/2 cup) bubbly, sourdough starter
125ml (1/2 cup) unsweetened plant milk
65ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
450g (3 cups) strong white bread flour
1/4 tsp salt

Method

In the morning

Take your sourdough starter out of the fridge and give it a good feed. For this recipe you’ll want your starter to be about the same thickness as pancake batter.
Leave the starter to come to room temperature and double in height throughout the day. By about mid-late afternoon, your starter should be ready to use.

In the afternoon

Once the starter is nice and bubbly and at least double the height it was originally, pour the stated amount into a large mixing bowl. Add in the milk, oil, syrup, and vanilla, and whisk everything together until combined.
Add in the salt and the flour one cup at a time, until everything is combined. You’ll want to use your hands as you add the last of the flour to make sure it’s fully incorporated. Knead gently in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth and fairly elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to prove for 8-12 hours overnight. During the fermenting process, complete 2-3 stretch and folds to create long gluten strands in the dough. Complete the first stretch-and-fold after 1 hour, and then the other 1-2 every 30 minutes afterwards.

The next morning

In the morning, your dough should have risen to fill the bowl, or at least doubled in height. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and complete one last stretch-and-fold before leaving to sit for 15 minutes (this is called the autolyse process and makes the dough easier to handle later on).
After 15 minutes, it’s time to shape the dough. To do this, cup your hands on the far side of the dough, and pull it towards you in a scooping motion. Turn 180° and repeat. We’re aiming to create a tall and firm loaf shape.
Once you’re happy with the shape of your dough, place her into a parchment paper lined loaf tin, seam-side down (if you can). Cover with a DAMP tea towel and leave to prove for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has risen to fill the tin.
Towards the end of the prove, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°C) and brush the loaf with some plant milk or melted dairy-free butter. Bake for 30-45 minutes until lovely and golden brown, then let cool completely. Slice, spread generously with dairy-free butter and drizzle with honey (or maple syrup) and enjoy! This brioche also works really well toasted or as French toast.

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sourdough walnut & cranberry loaf

I’m back and kicking off the year with a brand new sourdough recipe! Recently, I’ve been experimenting with different types of breads and this Sourdough Walnut & Cranberry Loaf has got to be my favourite so far. I’ve always loved a good walnut cob, and cranberries in sourdough just singggggg winter time to me, so why not combine the two? This loaf is your basic white sourdough loaf, but with a subtle crunch of walnuts, and a pinch of tart sweetness from dried cranberries. Really, the best and only way to enjoy this bread is with a good slathering of cream cheese, and it is to die for!

Interested in sourdough? Check out these recipes:

If you make this Sourdough Walnut & Cranberry Loaf make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys, and you can be sure that I’ll try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made!

Have a beautiful week, happy February and I wish you a safe and warm winter! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

Sourdough Walnut & Cranberry Loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup bubbly, active sourdough starter
1 cup water, room temperature
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cups strong white bread flour
2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened

Method

In the evening

In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, water, and oil until just combined.
Add in the flour and salt. Using your hand, work all of the ingredients together until the flour is fully absorbed and a dough has formed.
Add in the walnuts and cranberries and knead everything together until the walnuts and cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and roughly shape the dough into a ball. Cover with a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place to rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, its time to stretch and fold the dough. Take the far side of the dough and stretch it away from you. Fold the stretched out dough over the top of the rest of the dough. Turn the dough 90˚ and repeat the process for the other 3 sides until you’ve gone all the way around.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and leave to rest in a warm place for 1 hour. After this time, repeat step 4 again (completing another stretch and fold). Once completed, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl (seam side down), cover with a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place to prove overnight (8-12 hours).

In the morning

The dough should have risen plenty overnight. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and leave to sit for 15 minutes.
To shape the dough, place your hands on the upper half of the dough and push it across the work surface towards you. Turn 90˚ and repeat until you’re happy with the shape and height of the dough.
Place a well-floured tea towel into a large bowl. Onto the floured surface of the tea towel, place the dough seam-side up into the centre and cover with the towel. Leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, preheat your oven to 210˚C (450˚F) and line the bottom of a Dutch oven pan with parchment paper. Place the dough seam-side up in the Dutch oven pan and score (optional).
Once the oven is up to temperature, place the bread in the oven with the lid to the Dutch oven on, and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and leave to bake for another 40 minutes until golden brown on the surface.
Remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Once handleable, remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and leave to cool completely (1 hour minimum) on a wire rack.

Enjoy this Sourdough Walnut & Cranberry loaf fresh with lots of cream cheese OR slice and seal into a freezer-safe airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

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vegan cranberry & orange rolls

It’s December now, and I’m starting to feel the Christmas spirit with these Vegan Cranberry & Orange Rolls. All throughout the autumn I was making batches of cinnamon rolls to keep my soul happy, but since the yule tide is just around the corner, I wanted to spice things up a little and give my usual cinnamon rolls a Christmas twist. These cranberry and orange rolls are just the thing to do it! The dough is soft, fluffy, and zesty with the scent and taste of fresh oranges. The filling is sweet, tart, sticky, and all things cranberry. I absolutely adore this flavour combination and these rolls are just PERFECT for breakfast time over the holiday season.

For once, I’m making rolls WITHOUT using sourdough starter. You heard it straight from me: when it comes to Christmas, I like things to be ASAP (as simple as possible). That’s why I created my ebook ‘A Simple Christmas’. A Simple Christmas is a collection of vegan recipes for the holiday season. This ebook is full to the brim with rich, warming, and simple foods to help you enjoy Christmas in a kind and stress-free way. In 70+ pages, I share with you my favourite recipes to celebrate the yule tide and all of its flavours. You can look forward to simple and delicious recipes such as Cosy Gingerbread Waffles, Frozen Berry Cinnamon Rolls, Winter Vegetable Wellington, Stollen for Snowy Days, and so much more!

Shop Our Latest Ebook

A Simple Christmas is a collection of vegan recipes for the holiday season. This e-book is full of rich, warming, and simple foods to help you enjoy Christmas in a kind and stress-free way.

In 70+ pages, Katherine shares with you her favourite recipes to celebrate the yule tide and all of its flavours. This e-book takes your average recipe book and gives it a vegan twist, with a multitude of recipes ranging from traditional Christmas favourites to new seasonal dishes. You can look forward to simple and delicious recipes such as: Cosy Gingerbread Waffles, Frozen Berry Cinnamon Rolls, Winter Vegetable Wellington, Stollen for Snowy Days, and so much more!

It is my hope that, within these pages, I can help you to celebrate the holiday season in a simple and exciting way. Whether you’re completely new to the plant based world, have been here for a long time, or just want to try your hand at something different in the kitchen, this ebook is here to supply you with a multitude of vegan recipes to enjoy this winter. Hearty, warming, and simple foods are the focus of this ebook. A Simple Christmas has been curated and developed to encourage new and already vegans to try their hands at vegan festive foods this holiday season. It is our belief that nothing is better than homemade. All of the recipes in our ebook have been well tested, so you can be sure of great results in the kitchen!

Okay, onto the recipe!

If you’ve never had orange and cranberry as a flavour combination before, then baby you’re in for a treat! I know a lot of Christmas recipes contain chocolate or gingerbread or other, but I absolutely love a good fruity recipe splashed in here and there throughout the holidays. For this recipe, we’re using instant dried yeast to make a super quick, super fluffy dough. With these rolls, I wanted to make sure that you could get the best of both flavours, so I split up the flavours for different components of the rolls. We’ve got all that orange goodness in the dough, and that sticky sweet cranberry in the filling.

First things first, let’s talk produce. At this time of year, I like to use produce that’s genuinely IN SEASON. You won’t find me using fresh blueberries or otherwise over Christmastime, because those types of goodies just aren’t naturally in season where I live. As well as in season, I also make sure that as much as the food I buy is grown organically. The best way, I’ve found, to get my hands on ORGANIC, IN SEASON, LOCALLY GROWN fruits and vegetables is via a veg box. I love Riverford Organic Farms for this very reason and I make sure to get a good load of fresh fruits and vegetables from them each week (not sponsored). Riverford Organic Farms grow 100% organic (as it says on the tin). Their produce is slow grown (aka NATURALLY), their packaging is home compostable, their chefs share cooking inspiration so you never run out of ideas when it comes to cooking healthy and delicious meals with your veg (and therefore never waste any of it). Alongside all this, Riverford is employee owned, they NEVER air freight their produce, and they’re fair to both farmers and customers alike. I’ve been using Riverford’s veg boxes for almost a year now, and I’ve NEVER been disappointed.

Once you’ve sourced yourself some good quality oranges and cranberries, we can get onto baking! Now, I’m gonna share with you my secret to a super duper soft and fluffy sweet dough. First, you’re gonna want to make your own buttermilk. I know, I always do a double take when vegan recipes tell me I need buttermilk. Don’t worry. In this instance, I’m talking about something completely different. The first step to any good sweet roll dough, is to first heat your butter and milk together over a bain-marie. Instead of dairy butter, when it comes to baking I always use a vegetable fat based butter (or margarine, as it’s sometimes called). You can usually buy blocks of vegetable fat margarine in the supermarket.

To your bain-marie, add the margarine and plant based milk (unsweetened, as always). Let the margarine melt completely and stir the mixture occasionally to ensure it all heats evenly. Once the butter has completely melted, remove the bowl from the bain-marie and place it on a heat-proof surface. Now, you’ll want to let that ‘buttermilk’ cool until it is between 27-32°C. This temperature range is the PERFECT temperature for yeast, helping it to activate and do its stuff without denaturing. Once the ‘buttermilk’ is at this temperature, add in 1 tbsp of the sugar and the yeast. Whisk that all together and let sit for 5-10 minutes whilst the yeast blooms (it should get all foamy on the top).

Whilst that blooms, mix together all of your other dough ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yeasted ‘buttermilk’ to the bowl and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. The next part is easy, simply turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for a couple of minutes until its smoooooooth and elastic. Shape that baby into a ball and place in a well oiled bowl, cover with a DAMP tea towel and let double in size for around an hour. Whilst that’s proofing, we’re going to get to my favourite part – the cranberries! First time I tested this recipe, I sort of winged the filling and SURPRISE SURPRISE it turned out GREAT. Chop up your cranberries all odd and add them to a frying pan along with the sugar and orange juice. Heat on high until the sugar has fully dissolved, then lower the heat and let simmer until you’ve got a thin jam. Once the cranberries are all glossy and sticky, remove the pan from the heat and let that filling cool completely.

Now, y’all know what I say about rolling out the dough, but today we’re actually using a rolling pin! No, I’m not ill. These rolls still end up super super fluffy eve after being rolled out a little. Flour the surface, rolling pin, and the dough just a teensy bit and then roll out the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Spread on that delicious cranberry filling we made earlier until evenly distributed across the top of the dough. Take the long edge of the rectangle and roll it semi-tightly into a log. Not too tight, not too loose. Cut the log into 9 individual rolls and place the rolls cut-side-up into a lined skillet. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until puffy.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes whilst you make the icing, then drizzle that icing over the top until the rolls are covered and super sweet and sticky. Serve warm fresh from the oven and enjoy! I loved loved loved having one of these for breakfast on a cold and snowy morning. They seriously are probably my best rolls yet, and definitely a family favourite. I hope you love these Vegan Cranberry & Orange Rolls as much as I do. If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Have a joyous and merry winter and a very happy holidays! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

vegan cranberry & orange rolls…

Ingredients

For the orange rolls

140g vegan unsalted butter
250ml unsweetened plant milk
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp dried instant yeast
the zest of 1 orange
450g plain flour
50g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of fine sea salt

For the cranberry filling

300g fresh cranberries
8 tbsp dark brown sugar
the juice of 1 orange

For the icing

130g icing sugar
cold water, 1 tsp at a time

Method

To make the dough

Over a bain-marie, heat the vegan butter and plant milk until the butter has completely melted. Stir occasionally to make sure everything heats through evenly. Remove the bowl from the bain-marie and place onto a heat-proof surface. Let the ‘buttermilk’ cool until it is between 27-32°C, stirring every now and then to make sure the butter doesn’t form a skin.
Once at the correct temperature, add the tbsp of sugar and the yeast to the ‘buttermilk’. Whisk together and let bloom for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is frothy on the top. Meanwhile, combine all the other dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add the yeasted ‘buttermilk’ to the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until a dough has formed. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for a couple of minutes until completely smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and let proof for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile, make the filling.

To make the filling

Chop your cranberries up into chunks (not quite minced, but not too large). Add the cranberries to a frying pan along with the sugar and orange juice.
Heat the ingredients over a high heat and stir together until the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture starts to simmer, reduce the heat and let the liquid reduce until you have a thin jam. The cranberries should be glossy and soft.
Once the cranberries are soft and the liquid almost all gone, remove the pan from the heat and leave the filling to cool completely.

To make the rolls

Onto a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Spread over the cooled cranberry filling until it is evenly distributed across the surface of the dough.
Taking one lengthways edge of the dough, roll it up into a log shape (not too loose, not too tight). Cut the dough into 9 evenly sized pieces.
Into a parchment paper lined skillet or brownie tin, place each roll cut-side-up, leaving 1-2 cm in between each roll. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for 30 minutes until the rolls are puffy.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°C). Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown on the top. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
Into a bowl, add the icing sugar and 2-3 tsp of water. Whisk together until smooth, glossy, and thin enough to drizzle off of a spoon. Add more water, 1 tsp at a time, until the desired consistency is achieves. You want it thick enough to set on top of the rolls, but not spreadable.
Drizzle the icing onto the rolls until nice and sticky. Serve the rolls warm and fresh from the oven, and enjoy!

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vegan pumpkin chocolate chunk blondies

I know everyone else is already talking about Christmas, but I’m still not over pumpkin season! These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Blondies are THE BEST way to round off all that fall baking. Sticky, gooey, chocolate coated, pumpkin goodness (and they’re plant based). I mean what else could you want?! All that and they’re literally so easy to make – just whisk everything together in a bowl and BOOM: the perfect treat for a gloomy day. Serve warm straight from the oven, drizzled with melted vegan chocolate. You can seriously taste the pumpkin in these babies too, so don’t scrimp out on the pumpkin puree!

I know, I know, it’s basically December, I’m late to the pumpkin party… but you guys! These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Blondies are the BOMB. I made these the day after it snowed this week to cheer myself up a little and by joe it worked! If you’re a pumpkin lover (I mean, who isn’t?) then you’re going to ADORE these. These babies are far from healthy, but I like to convince myself that I’m getting some veggies in by adding pumpkin to everything. Heavy on the chocolate though… but necessary!

Probably what I love most about this recipe is how darn easy it is to make! LITERALLY all you have to do is melt some butter, add it to a bowl along with all the other ingredients, whisk everything together, fold in some chocolate, and BAKE! I’m really taking a break from those two-day-long sourdough recipes with this one. You can enjoy these bad boys within the hour! Of course, at this time of year I always have some premade pumpkin puree to hand in the fridge or ready to defrost in the freezer. It’s the quickest and easiest way to add another layer of flavour to your baking!

For a good pumpkin puree…

I ALWAYS go for organic produce where I can. In this recipe, I used an organic butternut squash from Riverford Organic Farms (not sponsored) and honestly you can taste the difference! I don’t know how I went so long buying non-organic pumpkins. With buying from a veg box as well, I KNOW that my fresh produce is from LOCAL FARMS and IN SEASON. I share a lot of information about the importance of these things in my post on Sustainable Food which I wrote as part of my Sustainability Series. If you haven’t already, this series is worth a read.

Now back to the blondies! In this recipe, I melted my butter until it was just melted (so it still had that creamy look about it) and made sure that my pumpkin puree was at room temperature before adding it to the butter so that no curdling occurred. For this recipe, I also switched out the light brown sugar for coconut nectar sugar. I only recently realised just how bad cane sugar is for the environment (particularly if it is unsustainably farmed). I wanted to use beet sugar, as it’s grown LOADS here in the UK, but seriously you CANNOT find it in my local supermarkets. Coconut sugar seemed like the next best thing and you CANNOT taste the coconut which is a bonus in my house.

Alongside the butter (non dairy, of course), sugar, and pumpkin puree, I added a flax egg (1tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp warm water), vanilla extract, plain spelt flour, baking soda, and sea salt to the bowl. Literally it takes about 5 minutes to make the batter for these blondies. All you have to do is whisk all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. I chopped up my chocolate until variable sized chunks before folding it into the batter (I like to use a mixture of sweet and bitter chocolate in all my baking, just to mix things up a little). And then its into the tin and into the oven to bake! Be wary not to overbake these – you want them to be gooey, not cakey.

And that’s it really! Photographed, you can see that I drizzled these blondies with a little melted vegan chocolate. This is optional, but all I did was melt some sweet and bitter chocolate together and then used a spoon to drizzle it over the top. The more the merrier, in my opinion. If you drizzle on the chocolate whilst the blondies are still warm, you create this super sticky, chocolatey goodness which is really just what we all need as we edge into winter.

I hope you love these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Blondies as much as I do. If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Have a joyous and merry winter and a very happy holidays! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Ingredients

190g vegan butter, melted
100g light brown sugar
200g pumpkin puree
1 flax egg
1 vanilla extract
180g plain flour
¼ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
100g vegan ‘milk’ chocolate
100g vegan dark chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a brownie tin with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients (except for the chocolate) until fully combined and completely smooth.
Chop up the chocolate into chunks (they don’t need to be of even size) and add them to the blondie mix. Fold in with a spatula until evenly distributed.
Pour the blondie mix into the prepared brownie tin and flatten the top with the spatula. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Best enjoyed warm out of the oven. Optional: drizzle with melted vegan chocolate for extra stickiness and enjoy!

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the cutest vegan lebkuchen

In collaboration with Bloom In Doom Magazine

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I can’t think of a cuter cookie than the humble lebkuchen. I make a huge batch of these little cuties every single year and they just make the build up to Christmas soooo magical (and delicious)! Gently spiced, soft heart-shaped cookies (with a splash of brandy…) glazed in orange drizzle icing, and dipped in dark chocolate. Best enjoyed when dunked in hot chocolate! This recipe is from my ebook ‘A Simple Christmas’ and it really is THE FAVOURITE recipe, so if there’s anything to make this holiday season, it’s these!

A Simple Christmas is a collection of vegan recipes for the holiday season. This ebook is full to the brim with rich, warming, and simple foods to help you enjoy Christmas in a kind and stress-free way. In 70+ pages, I share with you my favourite recipes to celebrate the yule tide and all of its flavours. You can look forward to simple and delicious recipes such as Cosy Gingerbread Waffles, Frozen Berry Cinnamon Rolls, Winter Vegetable Wellington, Stollen for Snowy Days, and so much more!

Shop Our Latest Ebook

A Simple Christmas is a collection of vegan recipes for the holiday season. This e-book is full of rich, warming, and simple foods to help you enjoy Christmas in a kind and stress-free way.

Hearty, warming, and simple foods are the focus of this ebook. A Simple Christmas has been curated and developed to encourage new and already vegans to try their hands at vegan festive foods this holiday season. It is out belief that nothing is better than homemade. All of the recipes in our ebook have been well tested, so you can be sure of great results in the kitchen!

Now let’s get to business…

These lebkuchen are a household favourite and I gift them to all my friends every Christmas. Honestly, I’m always one for handmade Christmas gifts, ESPECIALLY if they’re edible! Not only are these cookies super yummy, they’re just so good to look at. I love how pretty the dappled icing looks on the surface of each cookie, and when you take a bite, it’s all flaky and the chocolate melts on your tongue and the cookie is all soft and gently spiced. I can’t think of a better way to define the yule tide.

Lebkuchen are traditional German Christmas cookies. Similar to gingerbread, these little beauties were originally derived from ‘honey cakes’ which can be traced back to the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. This recipe, however, varies slightly from the traditional, as it doesn’t make use of any honey or animal products at all. When it comes to Christmas time, I always want to make everything I bake as friendly-to-all as possible, especially if I’m making a large batch of something to gift to people.

These lebkuchen are completely vegan and don’t require any yeast (that’s right, not a sourdough recipe today my friends)! Instead, we simply combine in a little arrowroot and baking powder and let the dough sit for an hour – this helps to form gluten strands in the cookie dough, making it softer and more chewy (the desired texture here).

In terms of flavouring these cookies, my family prefers a less gingery style of cookie, so I’ve gone with a good old mixed spice here. Typically mixed spice consists of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, star anise, and cardamom. You can either buy ‘ground mixed spice’ from the supermarket, or make your own by adding varying proportions of the above spices (I would favour cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, however, as the other spices are more overpowering). Alongside mixed spice, I throw in a couple heaped tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder. You can’t taste the chocolate in the dough but it adds more depth to the overall flavour of the cookie.

The REAL chocolate flavour comes from the coating…

To decorate these babies, I always go for a simple icing sugar and orange juice glaze. You could use any citrus fruit juice you wanted, I just prefer oranges. When it comes to the icing, the thicker the better. The first few times I made these lebkuchen, I made my icing too thin and most of it ended up on the counter top rather than the cookies! You want it to be runny enough but still thick and glossy. As for the chocolate layer, you MUST wait until the icing is completely set first, otherwise the two merge and create a mess!

For the chocolate layer, I just use a vegan dark chocolate form the supermarket and dip the bottom of each cookie into that melted goodness. You could, however, choose to coat the ENTIRE cookie in chocolate, dip the top of the cookies in chocolate, dunk half the cookies in chocolate, or drizzle the chocolate over the top. Its completely up to you. As you can see from the photos, I went for a bit of everything and in my opinion, this is the prettiest way to go.

Well, there you have it folks! The cutest, simplest, tastiest vegan Christmas lebkuchen. Truly, you guys, nothing beats these lovely little cookies around the holidays. Dunk them in your hot chocolate, eat six of them in one sitting, gift them to your loved ones, hang them on the tree, you name it. Versatile and delicious. I hope you love these vegan lebkuchen as much as I do. If you make this recipe, make sure you leave a like and a comment down below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and you can be sure that I will try my best to get back to you soon! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @amongsttheflour I love seeing the photos of recipes you’ve all made! Have a joyous and merry winter and a very happy holidays! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Katherine x

Shop Our Latest Ebook

A Simple Christmas is a collection of vegan recipes for the holiday season. This e-book is full of rich, warming, and simple foods to help you enjoy Christmas in a kind and stress-free way.