Dave has baking in the blood going back three generations, he's baked fancy stuff for fancy pants people and lovely stuff for normal people. The most interesting thing about him seems to be how tall he is but he loves to bake for kind people most of all. Dave is currently Head Baker at the picture perfect Pump Street Bakery in Suffolk where he lives with his lovely little family. He also writes on occasion for Sandwich Magazine and his first baking book is out on April 27th 2023 - Backyard Baking.

In collaboration with his BBQ buddies, DJ BBQ and Chops, Backyard Baking contains 50 recipes to get us outside and bake over fire, like some kind of sun kissed honey pie. Photography by the veritable deity of food images David Loftus and a team that exudes joy and competence from every pore. The book is out on April 27th and you can pre order now from all the usual places. Now go! Get! Yeee ha! Scram! (Love you) x

Follow Dave over on instagram HERE!

Pan-a-cakes

Ring the bell! Ring it loud and ring it long! Come one and all up the hill to the confession booth, be shrived of thy sins. A blank canvas you shall have to write this year's sins in syrup and nutella. Before an enforced, delayed and elongated Veganuary let’s all get our snouts to the trough - and let that trough be filled to the brim with pancakes. That’s all you need to know about the history of Pancake Day in a nutshell…if you know more then keep it to yourself for crying out loud - the children have heard enough for one day.

When playing a word association game, if i was to innocently say “pancake” you may instantly begin to drool like the slovenly dog you are at heart. Your mind filled with words like “yumsome” “mega-yes” and “sugar-me”. Pancakes can be quite divisive and often require careful negotiations to keep the table happy. Fatties? Thinnies? Inbetweenies? Lemon? Sugar? Syrup? Marshmallow fluff? I once went to a friend’s house whilst incarcerated at primary school and they had savoury pancakes. Savoury. I mean come on! Why not whip out the horsehair vests while you’re at it?

Here are two recipes for the usual suspects, a trad - parchment thin disc of bridled passion, and a fluffy overly exuberant one that begs for bedrizzlement from every angle. Whatever goes down in your household this day of carby frisbees, have a great time and remember…as with life…it's your pancake so do whatever you want with it.

Slim Jim Skinny butts (Thin Pancakes)

Makes - depends on a) how greedy you are b) how big your frying pan is - but let's say 6.

Ingredients:

225g Plain Flour

2 Large Eggs

550ml Whole Milk

Pinch ‘o’ Salt

Tsp Sugar or Honey

Butter or oil for the pan.

Method:

This is going to sound basic, because it is. Sieve your flour into a bowl, add in the salt and sugar (or honey). In a separate bowl whisk together the milk and eggs. Add wet to dry and whisk like a champion for a couple of minutes. Put in the fridge with the whisk for 1-4 hrs. 

When you’re ready to cook up some pan-a-cakes just whisk the batter and leave out so it can watch you get everything else together. Take a flat frying pan and pre-heat on a medium hob. Get a piece of kitchen roll (or similar) and rub into some butter or oil - you will use this to wipe the pan between pancakings. The cardinal sin is to put too much fat in the pan, we all know the first one is a write off but let's give it a chance. Once the pan is hot, whisper some butter onto the face of the pan and ladle some mix in. Roll the pan around like it's navigating a force 9 storm on the high seas and return to the hob. Once the bottom begins to brown, flip it with all the flamboyance of Oscar Wilde on his release from Reading Gaol. Serve it up to your tastes and repeat until the mix has all gone. Scenes.