At What Next, we want to encourage everyone to eat with the planet in mind. In particular, we subscribe to the Planetary Health Diet promoted by the EAT Lancet Commision. This is a diet that is healthy for people and sustainable for the planet, with a project population of 10 billion people.
Some Planetarian recipes from What Next volunteers:
Flat Bread Recipe
- 350 g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- 350 g vegan or natural yoghurt.
Add all the flatbread ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together with a spoon, then use clean hands to pat and bring everything together.
Dust a clean work surface with flour, then tip out the dough.
Knead for a minute or so to bring it all together.
Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal-sized pieces (roughly the size of a golf ball).
With your hands, pat and flatten the dough, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into 12cm rounds, roughly 2mm to 3mm thick.
Use a knife to cut 6 lines into the centre of each round, leaving about 3cm at each end.
Place the griddle pan on a high heat, then once hot, cook each one for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until they have puffed up.
Soda bread
- 350ml vegan milk
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 250g Plain White Flour
- 250g Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
STEP 1: mix the plant milk and cider vinegar together in a jug, then set aside for 30 mins. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
STEP 2: combine both flours, 1 tsp salt and baking soda in a large bowl, then pour over the plant-milk mixture and stir to combine. Bring together into a dough using your hands, then form into a ball. If the ball is very sticky, lightly flour your hands to make it easier to handle. Place the dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly into a thick disc using your hands. Cut a deep cross into the centre using a serrated knife, then sprinkle over the oats and bake for 35-40 mins until the base sounds hollow when tapped. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
A basic/universal Bread Recipe
- 500grams flour. This basic recipe can be made with various types of flour, or combinations of flour. I mostly use half strong white and half wholemeal (organic in both cases)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but apparently can help fermentation)
- 2 teaspoons dried yeast
- 325ml to 350ml tepid water
In a large bowl, weigh the flour. Put the salt, yeast and sugar in the bowl in separate areas. Avoid the dry salt touching the yeast is it can stop the yeast working.
Add 325ml of the tepid water (you may need a bit more; you’ll have to gauge it as it mixes and add a bit more if the mixture is too dry) and mix together to form a dough (use your dough to mop up any flour sticking to the bowl).
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for around 10 minutes. Then return to the bowl and cover for an hour until it is doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for around 10 to 15 ‘presses’ to knock out the air.
Depending in what you are baking the loaf in, you need to shape the loaf accordingly and place on the tray/in the loaf tin that you are baking it on/in. Make sure the tray or loaf tin is oiled or use a baking sheet.
Cover the dough again (needs to be airtight) and leave for a further 60 minutes by which time it should have doubled in size again.
You can sprinkle flour over the loaf, and slash a few times with a knife for a nice finish when it bakes.
Place the loaf in a very hot oven (max heat) for 10 minutes, this is the best way to get the most rise out of the dough. Then reduce the heat to gas mark 6/200C and bake for a further 30/35 minutes.