One of my trainee teacher friends, Hannah, used the phrase “procrastibaking” on a facebook post this evening and I have shamelessly stolen it from her for my pic! Hannah I hope you will find the theft flattering rather than annoying. She, unlike me, has been baking beautiful, dainty little cakes with stars all over the tops that look really more-ish. I, on the other hand, have been procrastibaking hot non-cross-buns to a bastardised old school recipe from when I was in 3B2 at Howard of Effingham School back in the deep and distant mists of time. It’s basically the school recipe but using a fraction of the fresh yeast and leaving it to do its yeasty stuff overnight instead of blasting it with lots of yeast for it to rise quickly.

I’ve decided I love the tip from the Pizza Pilgrims – long rise methods of yeast baking certainly give a much better flavour than quick methods. One day when I have more time (!) I will start myself a sourdough starter…and did you notice that great big pink fat pig fly in between us and the moon as I typed that?

So, here are my magic tents (swing bin liners to us mere mortals) where the yeast is respiring, multiplying and producing carbon dioxide and alcohol quietly while the rest of the world goes on at a much faster pace. You may think they look like nothing special but believe me they are very special indeed! Tomorrow morning, I’ll take the buns out of their magic tents and bake them in a scorching-ly hot oven for a few minutes then four will get split open, slavered with butter (yes, real butter, from cows, tainted only with a little salt) and eaten for breakfast. The rest will get put into the freezer for another day.