A Good Day to Bake: Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood

by Benjamina Ebuehi

"Whether you are an experimental baker or someone who likes to play it safe, you will find something to please you in this elegant book. Ebuehi's recipes always seem to work — no easy feat in a baking book." – Bee Wilson, The Times

A Good Day to Bake is full of 70 sweet and savory baking recipes for any day of the week, led by flavor. Going through the ritual of bringing out the measuring scales, pouring out flour, whipping up the eggs, stirring the batter and impatiently slicing up warm cake is a beautiful thing that deserves to be enjoyed all year round no matter the day, season or occasion.  This is a cookbook that embraces simplicity, mindfulness and the therapeutic comforts of baking. The Great British Baking Show's 2016 contestant Benjamina writes so warmly about cakes and her recipes speak to a natural, seasonal and down-to-earth way of baking. Chapters include Herbs & Tea, Stone Fruit & Berries, Vegetables, Best of Beige, Spice Cupboard, and Chocolate.  Because every day is a good day to bake.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2022

About the author

Born and raised in South London, Benjamina has always had a sweet tooth and a fascination for all things baking related. She appeared on the seventh series of The Great British Bake Off in 2016 and finished as a quarter finalist, being praised for her approachable and creative recipes with unique flavour profiles. After taking part in the show, Benjamina entered the food world full time and now works as a food stylist, writer and content creator.

She has written 3 cookbooks, The New Way to Cake, A Good day to Bake and I’ll Bring Dessert. Benjamina is a regular columnist at Guardian Feast where she shares new recipes twice a month. Her writing and food styling work has been featured in publications including BBC Good Food, Waitrose Magazine and Ocado Life and she has created online content for a variety of brands such as Baileys, Amazon, Neutrogena and KerryGold.

Benjamina is an ambassador for Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise bakery seeking to empower women who have had a social and economic disadvantage.

Reviews

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With cook and baking books there is something about finding someone who has the same taste preferences as you and with that uses a lot of ingredients that line up with what you love to see in food. This book though was kind of the opposite of that for me? That being said I think for someone else this could be a fantastic book because they are going to be blown away by these extremely creative recipes. No matter if they didn't gel that much with my personal taste buds, I think this has some of the most inventive and daring flavor combos I have ever seen in a baking book and that inventiveness deserves applause.

Ebuehi was a contestant on Great British Bake Of but I have not seen the season she was on. But like any normal person, a few years ago I had my moment of obsession with that show, so I am always open to try any contestant's recipes and seeing this at the library I was like, yeah, gimme. I got around to trying 5 recipes but like I said above: not that many were truly calling to me. Ebuehi mixes interesting things into her sweets: like herbs and tea, miso or tahini etc. I think she likes a good sweet meets savory. I liked the chapter titles, one was called brown things (lol) and another was dedicated to tea in baking etc. She had a chocolate section which I found surprisingly uninteresting, I am a chocolate lover so that was weird but none of those I wanted to try.... I definitely was more tempted to try the savory baking in here. So, it went a bit weird for me. Usually I am sorry I have to return a library cookbook before I can try all I want but here I felt like I was good.

Let's look at what I tried (btw, all of these can be found pictured on my IG) in order of how I tried them:

1) I started with the Lamb Sausage Rolls because I knew my husband would love something like that. And they were good and a fun challenge to make, something I had never done. They turned out good, but they didn't blow me away, but it's something I am glad I tried. 3/5*
2) Honey Rosemary Scones: OMG, these are amazing. I would not have expected this combo of herb and honey to be such a winner but I loved them. This is the one recipe I am holding onto from the book and can't wait to make them again. It also made me wonder about some of the flavor combos in here I shied away from, maybe they would also be unexpectedly great? 5/5*
3) Rosemary Ricotta Nectarine Focaccia: Since I still had fresh rosemary and wanted to master the Focaccia I prepared these next but I had to swap nectarines for canned peach, it just wasn't the season, and I am sure using fresh food and nectarines would have been better (love nectarines!). I really liked the flavors of this but not all of my friends who also tried agreed, some found it weird and didn't care for it but one of them absolutely loved it. So I feel like this is a specific taste. The focaccia disappointed me though, a bit tough. But that might be me, this is my 3rd recipe to work from and they never turn out right. 3/5*
4) Fresh Mint and Lemon Loaf: listen, I love a good lemon cake and we love mint in this house but I don't know about this one. The first night I thought this was great with the fresh mint taste but the more time passed the more the mint taste intensified and it was too much. We didn't finish the cake in the end... 2/5*
5) Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chorizo Turnovers: I went back to savory, with a twist in that I made them veggie for me (without chorizo) and sans the sweet potato for my husband so maybe we didn't get the full effect for how these could have been but I found them just okay. I love sweet potato so including them goes long ways for me but these didn't impress me much. They also turned out giant, didn't expect that when I started preparing them. 2/5*

To sum up: it was okay. I think this is a beautifully produced book that simply didn't hit my taste buds the right way. It's creative and all the recipes were clear in their instructions. I also didn't have any recipe fails or a situation where I couldn't handle the dough or something like that. If you want something fresh and creative in baking: this is a great idea. But for me it didn't hit right.

2.5*

[Janet Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many new tastes make this book a must read for anyone bored with the same old thing. If there's a downside, it's that some of the ingredients are difficult to find for those of us in the US who live outside of major urban areas. Both terminology and measurements can be challenging, too. I considered downstarring by 1 for these issues, but decided that the incredible creativity in this book is overwhelming. They star flavors not usually used in bake goods, like tea, herbs, and less usual fruits and veggies, so tastes are new and even startling in a good way. The book includes a few gluten free recipes. For those of us who are fans of The Great British Baking Show, Ebuehi was a quarter finalist in 2016, and it's clear she is top of class as a baker--both in skills and imagination. She's also a food stylist, so the photos are wonderful. While I understand that not everyone will fall in love with new tastes, they are just up my alley!

I never review a cookbook without actually making at least 3 recipes. My first attempt was the Rosemary & Honey Scones, which I took to an afternoon get-together at my DIL's house. They were not a hit with everyone--not everyone loves rosemary--but DIL and I really loved them, as did a couple of her friends. Easy, peasy, and I'll be making them again. My diabetic husband loves deserts, and it's a challenge to make him happy without loading up the carbs. The Plum & Pistachio Frangipane tart was easily converted to a low carb dessert by using an almond flour pastry and artificial sweeteners--results were spectacularly good. As was the Blueberry & Lemongrass Pavlova, no flower to sub in this meringue based desert. And then the showstopper Flourless Chocolate, Olive Oil & Almond Cake! This one, too, adapted well to artificial sweeteners, and I used sugar free dark chocolate in the ganache. Both DH and DD, who is on a rigid Keto diet, polished off this delight, and the grandsons never guessed they weren't loading up on a sugar hit. I've baked a couple of the loaf cakes in this book, freezing all but a slice or two when they were right out of the oven as most are kind of just for me and a guest or two with coffee or tea.

I started out with a digital copy I borrowed through OverDrive, but had to buy my own copy as this book belongs on every baker's shelf.

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her latest book, A Good Day to Bake, Ebuehi offers more recipes that celebrate flavour and gives home bakers further ways to bring calm into their kitchens. In her Introduction she says: "It can be so easy to get lost and caught up in the rhythms of the week, but let the kitchen -- however big or small -- be a space in which you let loose, slow down and are present."(9)

When I bought a copy of her first book, The New Way to Cake, I found that, "[w]hile being exceptionally flavourful, these bakes feel steadfast and comforting."(read review here) Ebuehi takes time to develop recipes that are delicious and perfectly textured. It is almost impossible to think that even though I utterly adore The New Way to Cake, A Good Day to Bake is a "forever favourite" for me (I use this term to refer to the books a person will carry with them across their life into old age). This may be since savoury baking recipes have been included this time and, I've found that this book is a great source of brunch/lunch/snack inspiration. Within the first week of this book coming into my hands, I baked a half dozen recipes! None of the recipes are fussy or difficult, and they all make excellent use of pantry staples (this wasn't a book that I found I needed to shop for extra ingredients).

The book is organized into 6 chapters: 1) herbs & tea, 2) stone fruit & berries, 3) vegetables, 4) best of beige, 5) spice cupboard, and 6) chocolate. Many of the themes present in her first book, continue in her current book -- she makes beautiful use of teas and tisanes to bring flavour to her recipes, as is the case with the spices she applies so skillfully when building flavours. Recipes aside, I enjoy reading about how Ebuehi's experiences lend inspiration to her bakes. It's clear that she's looking to share the "therapeutic and comforting" nature of baking with her readers. I found myself leaning into those beautiful, fleeting moments -- when the dough comes together feeling silky-smooth after kneading or when a bake is on the verge of being ready to emerge from the oven and the baking scents are wafting through the house. It's not always about the result, because Ebuehi encourages us to enjoy the moments of calm along the way.

While we've loved all the bakes from A Good Day to Bake, one of the favourites is the Smoked Paprika & Halloumi Flatbreads. The smoked paprika is bloomed in melted, foamy butter, and once it's cooled, it gets added to the dough (which is made mainly from flour, yogurt, warm water, and yeast). When the dough is puffed up and ready, a small round of dough is filled with grated halloumi, then rolled out into a 6" circle. The flatbreads are fried then served with a side of garlicky tomato salsa. I made these for lunch one Sunday and my daughter insisted on saving one so that she could take it in her lunch the next day. The smoked paprika adds both flavour and colour to the flatbreads. Don't make my mistake and only make one batch -- double (or even triple!!) it so that there is plenty!

Even as I finished writing that last paragraph, I think on all the other bready bakes I made from the book, and they are equally as good as the flatbreads. If my husband had his way, he would have our kitchen devoted to churning out the Chive, Tarragon & Dill Twists (a delicious take on the Turkish simit) and for me, I could enjoy a whole tray of Spring Onion & Comté Buns all on my own. I'm not sure if it's the combination of Marmite, cream cheese, and comté in the filling or the addition of the finely sliced spring onions but these buns are supremely delicious! We enjoyed them with soup, but I also liked having the leftover buns with my morning coffee.

Speaking of enjoying a morning coffee, one of the best breakfast recipes from the book is the Spiced Bread & Butter Pudding w/ Saffron & Dates! While the recipe is not really meant as a breakfast recipe, I found myself making this one Saturday morning. Milk and cream are steeped with saffron, ginger, and cardamom, which is then used to make a lovely saffron custard. Croissants are sliced in half horizontally, then layered in a baking dish with the custard and roughly chopped dates. Turbinado sugar is sprinkled over the top, which then caramelizes as it bakes and creates a crispness to the tops of the croissants, while the insides are soft and custardy. The fragrance the pudding creates as it bakes is unreal! Such a great use of slightly stale croissants, I've got this recipe earmarked as something to make for Easter brunch next month.

For those wondering about the other sweet bakes in the book -- don't fear! Ebuehi has created a whole new set of recipes to fall in love with. Sweet and savoury recipes are offered in perfect balance. While I'm not a big fan of white chocolate, it's perfection when paired with miso as Ebuehi demonstrates in the recipe for Miso & White Chocolate Cookies. Miso and white chocolate seem to be such opposites as ingredients -- one with its salty-umaminess, the other with its creamy sweetness -- but I think it's their diametric opposition that make them the perfect pair as Ebuehi has shown us in this recipe. I appreciate that she offers the choice to bakers -- bake 10 big cookies or 16 smaller-sized ones. While the larger cookies are deeply satisfying, my daughter pointed out that if we made 16 smaller cookies, they would last longer (Katie is ever the optimist!) -- so we made both! 5 large cookies along with 8 smaller cookies. Great as an afternoon treat with a glass of milk or cup of coffee.

A Good Day to Bake would make a wonderful (and essential) addition to any cookbook library. The recipes are beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards (if you're unfamiliar with her work, I urge you to check out Aran, From the Oven to the Table, or Dinner in French!) Edwards is one of my favourite food photographers and she does such a wonderful job of capturing Ebuehi's work. This is a book you'll want to bake through -- even though my review is done, I have a long list of bakes I still want to try. With Pi(e) Day around the corner (March 14th), I've got my eye on the recipe for Potato & Cauliflower Curry Pie and since my daughter will be off on her spring break, we have plans to try Ebuehi's Sour Cream Sage Doughnuts (which were inspired by the old-fashioned sour cream glazed doughnuts Ebuehi enjoyed as an exchange student here in Canada! So how could we resist a nod to our beloved Timmie's??). With such approachable, delicious recipes I agree with Ebuehi -- "every day is a good day to bake."(9)

Please note that a version of this review is posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Quadrille for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read - but I’m not a baker and will attempt just a few of the recipes (I’m looking at you “sweet toast brownies” and “buckwheat, sesame and chocolate cookies”).

The tag line is “Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood,” and I have a lot of the ingredients on hand. And even though I think baking is so precise, complex, and labor-intensive, I’m pretty tempted by Benjamina Ebuehi’s combinations of savoury and sweet.

My highlights (the ones I am most drawn to) are:
Chive, tarragon and dill sesame twists
Matcha and lemon posset tarts
Bay leaf custard tarts
Tarragon blondies
Cherry cardamom cream buns
Blueberry and lemongrass pavlova
Spring onion and comté buns
Malted milk crème brûlée
Five spice and turmeric milk bread

[elin]

gorgeous imagery and composition, creative recipes, and lovely written descriptions.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Benjamini’s talent and warmth shine through as she demonstrates that every day is a good day to bake (my motto!). The sections are all brilliantly organized: herbs & tea; stone fruit & berries; vegetables; best of beige; spice cupboard; and chocolate. Her voice is so calming and reassuring in the notes above each recipe, reminding us to admire the little things and savor each step of the process.

Lots of creativity here, as well as fun ideas like just the crumble (for people like me who enjoy the oaty part of the crisp more than the fruit!?) and savory za’atar granola. The honey-glazed cumin and coriander cornbread has my name all over it, as does the cherry & coconut tahini cake and a made-for-two warm dulce de leche marble cake. Yum!

A library checkout but once I try a couple recipes, it may need to belong on my shelf. There are of course certain things I’d probably never try, as they aren’t my cup of tea, and there seems to be a reliance on hazelnuts (not my fave and they’re so dang expensive!) but I’ll forgive her because on the whole the book is absolutely delightful.

Of course, as it’s a U.K. book, the publishers have silly little notes in parentheses for us American bakers. There is a note at the beginning to go up a size for eggs (British large eggs are not the same as American large eggs, apparently). And being the grammar nerd that I am, I did spot a few typos and inconsistencies in a couple pages (e.g., scones says makes 4 but tells you to cut into 8 wedges).

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for people who like to bake, as well as those who don't. I put myself in the second category, but I still appreciated this book. I generally don't like baking because of the precision and the mess, but Benjamina's unfussy style, which focuses on delicious flavor and simple yet pretty decorations, made me want to fire up the oven. There are definitely more complicated bakes for people who enjoy that, but for those who just want to get in and out of the kitchen, there is plenty there. I also appreciated that with almost every recipe, Benjamina shared the little bits of joy or happiness that she finds in the process of making the bake. For me, a non-baker, it helped me see the potential meditative quality and joy that can be found in baking. I can't say I'm a total convert, but if any cookbook could do the job, it would be this one.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've tried a handful of these recipes and they've all turned out really well. The chocolate and date fruit loaf is very good, it has some unusual flavours that work so well together. The cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom go so well with the orange, brandy, cranberries and medjool dates, the almonds give the cake a nice texture. I love that this one keeps well, so it's ideal to make to give to people or use for packed lunches. I look for cook books like this, unusual recipes you won't find in other recipe books and ones that include some 'proper' ingredients, fruit, nuts, vegetables and spices rather than all chocolate and icing. Beautiful photography makes this book a pleasure to look through.

I also love to see a bake off contestant who has gone on to do something wonderful in the world of cooking!

[dessertcomes1st · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the author to go to when you want to be a maverick and ignite creativity in the kitchen. Although the subtitle of this book is “Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood”, I’m not convinced that all are so simple. There’s a recipe that calls for choux pastry, and many more that call for yeast, and ingredients that are not pantry basics - i.e., saffron, pistachios, goose fat, etc.

Still, this is a book worth exploring. Abuehi is supremely creative and eye-widening recipes include the goose fat potato focaccia, lemon and chamomile buns, sticky toffee treacle tart, and more. There are savory bakes too and an intriguing chapter entitled, Beige Bakes.

[Otone · Rating 5 out of 5]

My baking inspiration - I was so thrilled to see a second book from Benjamina and this one mixes bread, biscuits, and cakes (my cake Bible is still her first book - “A new way to cake” should be on everyone’s shelf!). The pistachio, pear, and cardamom cake is one of my all-time favourites, as is the ginger and pink peppercorn shortbread! One of my most anticipated books this year: I can’t recommend this book or her previous book enough. Get them both!

[Telly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know that I would say the recipes are “simple,” but the ones I’ve tried are delicious. Some of them I’ll never try, only because they aren’t appealing to me. My favorite remains the Earl Gray tea and orange slice cake. It’s easy, but not simple, only because it requires so many steps. It is, though, one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever made.

[Aasinathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamina's bridging spices, herbs with sweet and all things baked is wonderfully portraited in this book! However, according to my thinking, this book is for an adventurous cook, not for the amateur cook. Bu if you want to level up and dive into the world of spices and herbs, its time to do it with this book!

[Chelsea Predvil · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite cook books I have I can’t wait to try the recipes . I also just love how this book was made with so much ease to the recipes nothing extremely hard but just so much love went into these recipes

[Bethany Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic cookbook with twists on the classics. Everything feels personalized and fresh, created with care, and easy to replicate for the moderately skilled baker - with some manageable even for the true beginner. A lovely addition to any kitchen library.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book! I had the hardest time finding it and when I did find it while on vacation I immediately knew this book was for me. Loved the recipes I was reading and can’t wait to dig in and start baking.

[Suzanne Kramb · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of these recipes are so unique! I'm dying to try all of them...my mouth is literally watering just thinking about it.

[elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a glance I wouldn't call many of these recipes simple, but the entire book is stunning.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full-effort recipes yield stellar results. Inventive, interesting flavor combinations take things to the next level of amazing.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely use of herbs.

[Löni · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many creative flavour combinations yet everything feels very doable and cozy

[Cook Memorial Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 2022 staff favorite recommended by Erica. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...

[Jill Korber · Rating 5 out of 5]

On of the best baking cookbooks I’ve ever used. The miso and white chocolate cookies are delicious! Highly recommend.

[Amanda Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple but incentive recipes. Delicious flavours. Suitable for beginners.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection of baking types with innovative and unique flavor combinations. Yumm.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely, lovely pictures, but oddly none of the recipes spoke to me.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best cookbook I've ever purchased. Relatively simple but absolutely delicious. Making these recipes has been one of the highlights of my year. 😋

[Katie]

Love having a veggie chapter and a beige foods chapter

[Mard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning. Exciting recipes that are approachable!

[TKD · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photography is beautiful, and I like how there are both American and British English measurements. The chocolate cake on the cover was a bit weak.

[Caroline Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some wonderfully unique cake flavors. I'm looking forward to trying more of the recipes.