Our Home Bakery

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On this page you will find some of Malcolm’s recipes for traditional Irish baked goods. Malcolm previously ran his own home bakery before retirement. Enjoy!

You can download a pdf version here: BREAD 2

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Some important tips

Before you start, it’s important to remember some important tips to get the best results from your baking.

  • When working with any mix that requires whisking in a machine, add flour gently (or sugar in the case of meringue) because while being whisked air is being trapped in pockets throughout the mix and this is what we are relying on to expand in the heat and give lightness. Hence we need to keep as much trapped air intact as we can. Open fingers and folding in is important.
  • Do not worry about working with your hands as long as they are clean. It helps you get the feel of doughs and batters. This way you get to know if a batter or dough needs more flour or water.
  • Always sieve baking soda.
  • Baking powder is a mix of 1 part soda to 2 parts cream of tartar.
  • To make plain flour into soda flour you would add to every 4lb of plain flour, 1-oz of soda, 1-oz of salt and 2-ozs c of tartar.
  • To make self raising flour from plain flour you would add to every 4=lb I=oz soda,+2=ozs of cream of tartar. Or 3=ozs of baking powder.
  • Always mix bread doughs well to break down the gluton and give that stretchy feel to the dough.
  • Do not over handle scone doughs or sodas as this will make them tough.

Converting units

If you would like to convert from volume (cups) to grams, then please check out this convenient chart.

If you would like to convert from celsius to fahrenheit (or vice versa) then please use this online tool.

These recipes are all in ounces. If you would like to convert to grams, then please use this tool. As a rule of thumb, 1oz is 29g and 16oz (or 1lb) is 454g.

Crusty loaves, large and small crusty baps

Ingredients

4 lb strong white bread flour
1 oz salt
1-oz castor sugar,
1-oz soft marg.
2 oz fresh yeast/ or 1 oz of dried
About one and a half pints of tepid water. (if using whole meal flour add about ¾ pt water extra)
(total dough weight: 6lbs)

Method

Mix the salt, sugar & marg well into the flour
Dissolve the yeast in the water
Add together mix and knead until the dough becomes stretchy like putty, and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
May take 15 or more minutes by hand, or use a dough hook on a kenwood.
When ready put the dough into the bowl again
Put a warm damp cloth over the dough and leave
Until it doubles in size.
May take about 1 hour, and then knock back the dough to its original size.
Allow to prove again until it doubles again. This time it may just take about ½ hour.
Once again knock back and bring onto table, (no flour on table.)
Scale the crusties at 12 oz then knead and shape into whatever shapes you want.

Scale large round baps at 8 ozs each and mould into rounds
Scale small round baps at 2 ozs each and make round.
Put the bread when shaped unto baking trays or in tins if preferred.
Heat the oven to 500 or 200c. Leave the trays near the heat.
When the bread proves again, dust the baps with a light coating of flour. Make a simple wash of 2 eggs and a little milk, and then brush the crusties with the mix. This will give the bread a good shine. Cut the crusties on top with a sharp knife about ¼ inch deep.
Put all into oven, turn down the heat to 400 and bake until well coloured. The bread should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom side if baked. Enjoy your fresh bread. Note if using yeast improvers do not prove the dough, put in to baking tins and allow proving to the correct size then bake.

Fancy Breads, Barmbracks, Cream Cookies, Iced Fingers

Ingredients

4 lb strong bread flour
4 ozs marg
4 ozs castor sugar
1 ozs salt
2 ozs yeast
1¾ pints of tepid water. (a little egg colouring.)
Dough weight— 7 lb.
(Tip—cut down the sugar to 1oz and no colour if you want burger baps or hot dog rolls)

Method

Use the same method as for the crusty loaves.
Weigh out as follows:
Cream cookies 2 ozs dough and mould into rounds, when baked cut and add cream. Dust with icing sugar.
Fingers 2-ozs then mould and shape into finger like pieces.
Barmbracks 8 ozs and add 2 ozs sultanas then shape round.
Rich fruit loaf—add half of dough weight with a mix of sultanas, cherries, and chopped walnuts. Scale at 1lb and put into 1lb loaf tins, wash with egg and bake when proved at 180c . About 30mins.

Traditional Irish scones

Ingredients

1-lb = self raising flour- or scone flour
4ozs = marg
4ozs=castor sugar
½ pint of buttermilk
A little egg colouring (or yellow food colour, very little)

Method

Rub the marg well into the flour
Make a well in the centre
Add the sugar and milk
Dissolve the sugar, and then mix all together (Tip–do not over mix as this will make your scones tough.)
Put mix onto well floured table. (Tip—always use plain flour to dust.)
Fold over until smooth on top, then pin out to about ½ inch.
Cut with scone cutter and place on greased tray, and egg wash.
Have oven ready at 220c and bake at 180c
Tip: the hot oven will help to lift scones.
For fruit, cherry, walnut, or whatever you like, add about ¼ of the mix weight, pin and bake as before.
Enjoy.

Traditional Irish Hot Plate Breads

(Tip Use soda flour if you can get it then no need for additives of salt, baking soda and cream of tartar).

Ingredients

This is a simple mix but difficult to get right.
4=lb plain flour (not bread flour)
1=oz salt
1=oz baking soda (Tip—always sieve baking soda
2=ozs cream of tartar.
3 pints buttermilk
A drop of cooking oil

Method

(Tip -mix should be soft but not sticky)
Mix the flour, soda, tartar, and salt together into a bowl,
Then add the milk, with open fingers to bring together but do not allow it to toughen.
Put mix onto a floured table (always remember plain flour for dust)
Scale at 1lb heads, pin and cut into four.
Place onto hotplate. Turn when 3/4 way cooked.
When turned put a cloth over the sodas to keep in the heat.
When baked take them off the plate and wrap in cloth
This allows the steam to soften the top and bottom.

Variations

Fruit soda: add some sultanas into the flour and continue.
Treacle soda: dissolve some treacle into the milk and add.
Irish fruit bannock: add the fruit as above and scale dough at 1lb. Place into round baking tins, cut top with knife like this +
Place into oven already heated to 220c bake at 180c about 30-45mins.

Pancakes

Ingredients

2 lb self raising flour
1 lb castor sugar
4 eggs
1 pint of buttermilk
1/8 pint of cooking oil

Method

Put flour into bowl, make a well in centre,
Place sugar, milk, eggs, and oil into the well.
Blend all into the milk.
Then bring all together by beating with hands until creamy.
Using a large spoon or ladle drop some mix on to hot plate,
When the mix begins to bubble on the top turn the pancake over
Continue baking until brown both sides.
(Tip: the hot plate will be at the right temp when a dust of plain flour starts to colour a light brown.
You can make plain, sultana, chocolate chip, and many other different pancakes.

Irish Potato Bread

Ingredients

2 1/2 Lbs Peeled Potatoes Boiled and Mashed. Leave Until Cold Or Use 2&1/2 Lbs of Tesco Mash Potato, and Microwave, Again Leave Until Cold (Tip: Much Easier)
Add ½ Oz Salt and ½ Lb of Plain Flour.
Bring All Together and Scale Heads of 1lb

Method

Mould Round– Pin Out—and Then Quarter
Put Onto Hotplate and Turn When Brown Underneath.
(Tip:the Plate Needs to Be Hotter for These Than Pancakes or Sodas.

Scones on the Griddle or Griddle scones

Griddle scones ingredients and method

Follow scone ingredients and method from Traditional Irish scones.
Add whatever you like, sultanas, cherries, nuts etc.
Scale heads at 8 ozs. Mould and shape into rounds.
Pin out to a small square, and then quarter. Or pin out like the oven scones cut round and put unto hotplate.
Put onto hotplate and bake. When scones rise turn and bake through. Cover with a cloth to help the baking.
When the sides are dry, the scones are baked.
(Tip: the hotplate should be cooler than for pancakes or sodas.)

Short Crust Pastry Basic Mix

This recipe can be used for apple pie, german biscuits, custard pie base and lots of other uses

Ingredients

4 lb plain flour
2 lb marg
1lb castor sugar
½ pt of cold water
A little egg colour

Method

Beat the marg until light
Dissolve the sugar in the water.
Add the water and the flour to the marg.
Mix together until it all forms a dough.
Put dough onto a floured table and use as desired.
Bake apple pies or custard pies at 180 degrees C.

Very Moist Wheaten and Bran Loaf

Ingredients

4 lb medium wheat meal, & 6 ozs bakers bran
4 ozs brown sugar
1+1/2 ozs baking soda (sieved)
1 oz salt
6 ozs soft margarine
3 pints buttermilk
3 tablespoons of syrup

Method

Mix the meal, bran, soda, and the salt together.
Rub in the margarine
Dissolve the syrup into the milk and add in
Mix all together
Put into loaf tin, filling about ¾ of the tin.
Bake at 160 for about 1 hour
Use knitting needle to check when baked.
Put needle into centre of loaf, if dry when taken out the loaf is baked.

Traditional Irish Wheaten Bread

Ingredients

2=lb plain flour
2=lb course wheaten meal
4=ozs fat or marg
4=ozs sugar
1=oz salt
1=oz soda (sieved)
2=pints buttermilk

Method

Add all the dry ingredients together, then rub in the fat,
And add the milk. Mix well.
Wheaten loaf scale at 1lb and put into greased loaf tins
Wheaten bannock scale at 1 and ½ lbs mould round
Place on baking tray, and cut top with knife, like +
Sprinkle some meal over the top.
Bake at 180c for 45 mins, check with knitting needle as before

Puff Pastry

Ingredients

4=lb strong bread flour
1&3/4 pts of cold water
1=oz salt
3=lb puff marg
Tip: Puff marg is a special fat which is quite hard, like fat that has been in a fridge. If you cannot buy it locally try ordinary marg or butter from a fridge. The whole secret is to keep the mix cold.

Method

Place the flour and salt into bowl
Cut the marg into 1 inch cubes
Put the marg into the flour and mix it through gently
Add the water and some egg colour.
Mix gently with dough hook until the marg is even all through – do not over mix. Let the marg stay in cubes.
Place mix onto floured table
Pin out to a rectangle approx 1 inch thick using flour to stop it from sticking to either the table or the pin.
Fold from each end into the middle, and then fold again.
This is called a full turn.
You must do this three times.
P/16 after the last turn, flour the pastry and put into grease proof paper, then put into the fridge to rest and cool again.
After a least 2 hours take the pastry onto the floured table and use as desired.
This pastry is used for, cream slices, cream horns,
Apple turnovers, puff apple tarts, puff rhubarb,
Meat pasties, pies, sausage rolls, and much more.
All of these bake at 180c.
For all the above pin the pastry out quite thin remembering that it should rise about 4 times it’s size. Cut into the shapes needed. The heat in the oven melts the marg and causes air pockets which expand. Therefore raising the pastry and giving the puff look.

Full Egg Custard Tarts

Ingredients

2=eggs
5=ozs castor sugar
milk up to 1pint

Method

Put into measuring jug
Make up to 1pint milk.
Whisk together and put into prepared tins lined with the basic shortcrust mix.
Bake about 180c for 25-30 mins until the custard is set.

Traybakes (Fifteens)

Ingredients

10=ozs biscuit crumbs
3=ozs coconut
3=ozs chopped cherries
15 marshmallows
1 tin of condensed milk.

Method

Mix all together, put into a long type baking tray
Place into fridge then cut into squares when cold

Traybakes (Chocolate Crispies)

Ingredients

4= average size mars bars
5=ozs marg
5=tablespoons of syrup
7=ozs rice crispies

Method

Melt the mars bars, marg, and the syrup over a gentle heat, then add the crispies, and mix all together.
Put mix into a baking tray , when cool and set cover with melted chocolate.
Cut into squares, with sharp knife dipped into hot water.

Basic Cake Batter

This batter can be used for all sorts of cakes, such as maderia, sultana, cherry, & walnut cakes, as well as for some pastries, including Fairy cakes, diamonds, plain paper cases, batter in pastry.

Ingredients

1 =lb castor sugar
1=lb cake marg
1 pint of eggs (about 10)
1lb 60zs self raising flour

Method

Beat the sugar and the marg together until creamy.
Add the eggs slowly and mix in one at a time
Then fold in the flour and mix all together
If doing sultana, cherry or walnut cakes add a little more flour to the mix to hold the fruit.
Most bake at 180c test with needle or knife when ready.

Full Egg Sponge

Ingredients

1=lb 2ozs cake flour
1=lb 2ozs castor sugar
1=pint of eggs
Two tablespoons of warm water
¼ of oz cream of tartar

Method

Put all these ingredients together into a bowl
And whisk on fast speed for 20mins.
Tip: Make sure the bowl is clean and dry before use.
Dissolve ¾ oz of soda in 2 tablespoons of tepid water
Then fold into the mix gently.
Being careful not to break the air bubbles which are now in the mix. You are relying on these air pockets to expand in the heat and give a light sponge.
Put into round tins and bake about 180c for 20/25mins
You will know when baked by gently pressing on the top of the sponge, if it springs back then it’s baked.

Rich Shortbread

Ingredients

8 ozs of castor sugar
1lb of butter
1 lb of plain flour
8 ozs corn flour

Method

Put the flour, cornflour, and sugar, together in a bowl
Rub in the butter.

Then when it forms a dough, put onto the table and pin out. Using a biscuit cutter make into shortbread pieces
Bake at 170c untill golden, baked when dry through.
Sprinkle with castor sugar and serve when cold.

Choux Pastry

Ingredients

1=pint water
8=ozs marg
14=ozs of strong bread making flour
Pinch of salt
1=pint of eggs (usually 10)

Method

Boil the water and the marg.
When the mix is boiling stir with one hand while adding the flour and the salt with the other.
This will form a soft ball that should come away from the sides of the pot.
Then put mix into a machine at the fast speed and add one egg at a time until it is completely absorbed into the mix then add another. Etc
Pipe unto very lightly greased trays and put into a hot oven – about 210c. Turn down the heat to 180c. Leave for approx 26/30 mins. Quickly open door and lift one out. Close door immediately to keep in the steam or the eclairs will drop flat. If the one you took out is dry all around and firm they are all baked. Good luck.

Basic Savoury Pie Paste

This recipe is used for large mince or chicken pies.

Ingredients

2 lb of marg
4 lb of plain flour
4 eggs
1and ¼ pts of water
A pinch of salt

Method

Rub together the flour, salt and marg.
Add the water and eggs. Mix into a paste.
Use as needed for tops and bottoms of pies.
A little egg wash helps to colour the top.
Tip: Always cook the meat or chicken well before you put it Into the pie.