Heaven in a mouthful? Co-yo Coconut Yoghurt

Important update (21/02/18):

Due to a problem with a supplier, Co-yo has just announced a small amount of dairy has been found in one of their products. Please check out their Face Book page for further details, to see if any Co-yo you have bought has been affected. They have now cancelled this supplier.

Well, the inscription on the lid proclaims it: 'Heaven in a Mouthful'. Wow! That's  a bold statement isn't it? I actually didn't need that statement to persuade me to dive in. I've been after this stuff for a good few months now - ever since I got wind of it somewhere online. 

Thick and creamy - yum!

Originating, in Australia, I was overjoyed to discover that Co-yo  coconut milk yoghurt had made it over here, but getting hold of it has been somewhat trickier than I imagined!

No supermarket over here seems to sell it yet (now widely available see update below). Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose etc. you're missing a treat! Ocado doesn't have it listed... yet - I'm going to suggest this one! Goodness Direct had it listed, but it wasn't in stock when I ordered it. I finally got my hands on it the other day, however, when I paid a visit to the Whole Foods Market in Clapham Junction (there's another in Kensington).

They had four flavours, in stock: natural, mixed berry, pineapple and some kind of chocolate version. Now, if you know me well, you'll know how much I love chocolate, but on this occasion, I passed that over and (mindful of The Hub's wallet) I chose just the first two. This was partly because I wasn't sure that this much anticipated concoction was going to taste just as wonderful as it made out, and I didn't want to waste money on it if it wasn't up to much.

Having now sampled, in fact, demolished both tubs, I can report the following:

I thought it was delicious! It's one of the tastes I've been missing since going dairy free and I'm delighted to have found it.

If you like the flavour of natural yoghurt (and I do) this is the nearest I have come to it - bear in mind that I can't tolerate soya milk, so I've no idea whether there are any soya yoghurts out there that can compare. However, unlike many natural yoghurts, it is not quite as sour (good in my opinion) but every bit as creamy!! There is a hint of coconut in the flavour (not as obvious in the mixed berry flavour) more so, than in coconut milk, but I like the taste of coconut, so that's fine by me!

I enjoyed both flavours, but the mixed berry was my favourite - a fine layer of blueberries  and blackberries nestle at the bottom of the tub, under a thick blanket of coconut yoghurt. The sweetness tempers the tartness of the yoghurt really well, without being sickly, or cloying, in any way.

Now I know that many of you will be wanting to know, what's in it. The ingredients list is refreshingly short. It contains:

Coconut milk (98%)

Tapioca Starch

Vegan probiotic cultures

So, it's dairy free (therefore lactose free), soya free, gluten free and contains no added sugar. There are also no added flavours or colours, yet, if not actually my idea of 'Heaven in a Mouthful,' it does come pretty close!

Yippee! 

I'm definitely going to get some more! However, at £1.99 for a tub (125 g) it is rather pricey, so I might not be eating it everyday!

Updates: 

Ocado does now sell Co-yo and it is now also sold in selected branches of Waitrose and Tesco!

Plain Co-yo also works great as a replacement for sour cream!


New Flavours: 
I've since tried the Chocolate flavour of Co-yo and I'm afraid I'm not a fan. I'm not sure how I expected it to taste, you may think differently, but it didn't work for me. 

I've also tried the Mango flavour. The layer of mango purée was fairly runny - it could perhaps have benefited from a few lumps of actual fruit, but... it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely buy that one again!

A new Morello Cherry flavour came to the market (see here), which I absolutely loved! Sadly I've only seen it in health food stores. I've not seen it recently and I miss it!

There's a new Vanilla flavour and a Salted Caramel flavour around, both yummy, but the vanilla is my fave!

If you found this post helpful, you may also be interested in the following posts:

There are alternatives - dairy substitutes

Have you tried Hemp?

Happy with Hazelnut?

Anyone for Almond Milk?

There are alternatives, but it's certainly not butter!

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!

Ice - a - cream - oh!

Bessant and Drury's Dairy Free Ice Cream

Ice, Ice Baby

Are you getting enough... Calcium? 

Getting enough? Vitamin D for you and me.

New to me - the Whole Foods Market

Last time I posted was pre-move. I was feeling the ties of our old environment and beginning to wonder why we were putting ourselves through all the stress. Now we've moved, I'm feeling some of the advantages -  a dishwasher, the garden, being closer to family and... to London.

London is one of those places that I love to visit and dip into, before retreating to the clearer air and space of home. Where we live now, we are close enough to do just that.

Today, The Hub suggested visiting Clapham Junction and the Whole Foods Market. I was up for that. I knew that there was one in Kensington, that I've been keen to visit, but Clapham is nearer and, with Baby, more 'doable'.

It wasn't 'til I got there, that I realised I'd been there some years before with my sister, when she lived just up the road. I'd written it off then as being a bit of a trendy hippy haunt (not my thing), but today, I got to see it with new eyes.

I had a hazy memory of a cafe, combined with a kind of health food store, and yes, it was pretty much as I remembered it, but what did it have in store for me now?

What a treat! A small tub for the journey home!

The first thing I caught sight of was the ice cream cabinet, which stocked all four flavours of my favourite dairy free ice cream. This was soon  to be followed by The Hub locating the only Genius loaf that I can get along with - the old style (unsliced) white. Great start!!

There was a goodly array of fresh fruit and veg. but I passed these by and went straight for the chiller. I was after Co-yo - a coconut based dairy free yoghurt. Yup! It was there! Being unable to tolerate soya, I was delighted to get my hands on this.

Next to the chiller was the freezer. I was slightly disappointed that the only Amy's  Kitchen's macaroni cheese in the cabinet wasn't dairy free - I'm still waiting to get my hands on this one, having passed up the chance at The Allergy Show. I picked up a Burrito though - I'm interested to see if my stomach will take to these.

It was by the freezer, that The Hub noticed that they sold insulated bags, for the transportation of frozen goods. Yippee!! However, it was just as well we bought our cold stuff just before our train was due to leave. The insulated bag claims that food can last up to three hours (depending on how much frozen food you buy) but our ice cream was definitely quite soft by the time we reached home (an hour later). 

As for the rest of the store, the place was a veritable Aladdin's cave. There was so much packed into the space, that I found it difficult to scan the shelves for things that I could have. Funnily enough, having yearned to be able to pick my goodies from the same shelves as everyone else, I found myself wishing for a 'Free From' section, so I could highlight the stuff that was relevant for me! 

Couldn't see this at Whole Foods Market - what a shame!

Unless I was missing something, the chocolate section was sadly lacking. Whereas Booja Booja was well represented, Moo Free seemed to be merely represented by a few of their chocolate bars - there were none of the yummy Organica vegan (but may contain traces of milk) chocolate bars that I used to be able to get in the health food shop near my old home. However, Lucy's egg, gluten, nut and dairy free chocolate chip cookies were a great find! They're sooo moreish!

My selection of goodies made (apart from the cold stuff) the only thing left to try was the cafe.

This proved to be tougher than I thought. There was a disclaimer concerning allergies, so if you're really sensitive or coeliac, you'd probably want to give it a miss. More of a concern for me personally, was whether I would be able to tempt the ever-fussy Baby into eating anything at all.

She wasn't interested in the roast potatoes, or the salmon that I had selected - they had 'bits' on them. I knew the green beans were also going to be a no-no for her, but I selected those, purely for my benefit. Baby did eat some of The Hub's turkey slices, but apart from her share of a slice of a rather yummy vegan raw chocolate dessert, by inspiral, called 'Blackout Tart', that was it, as far as she was concerned. 

Impressive! Blackout - a yummy vegan dessert that is gluten, dairy, egg and soya free. Not nut free though!

Mind you, I couldn't blame her. The potatoes (meant to be hot) were lukewarm and the meat, fish and veg were all from the cold food section - definitely not a winner for her. She did love looking out of the window though - I must say, it was good fun people watching!

I was rather tempted by some of the other hot dishes and was interested to spot that you could buy food to take away, but Baby was never going to let me hang around for too long and so soon we duly departed.

Altogether, it was an interesting visit. I probably wouldn't eat in again - not with Baby anyway. We ended up buying her fries from Kentucky Fried Chicken across the road (you add your own salt - marginally healthier than the very salty fries you get from Mc Donald's) As for the shop, I would definitely go again, for the variety of food stuff you can buy. There's still some things that I've yet to try!!

By the way, the shop is sooo close to the station at Clapham Junction, that if you find yourself making a train connection there at any time (and aren't carting around ridiculous amounts of luggage with you) it would be a shame not to pop in. I've already got The Hub working out how he could pop in there on the way home from work sometime and I didn't even have to ask :)

Why Wagamama's Works for us

I'm surrounded by boxes. I think I've mentioned that we're moving soon. Part of me is hugely excited - we're moving from an out-grown flat, to a house and garden. Part of me feels daunted. 

Where, I am at the moment, I feel safe in my own environment - I know where the best shops are for sourcing my various dietary necessities and luxuries. A move means having to source those all over again. That includes places to eat, when we're out. Some of the chains with which we've become familiar and with whom we feel reasonably safe, aren't represented as well in our new area. One such is Wagamamas. 

In case you never been to Wagamama's, it's basically, a South East Asian restaurant chain. The interior is minimalist and noisy. The staff are efficient and busy as bees but friendly and helpful, for all that. I'd never been inside one, until a few years ago when I came up to London with The Hub. I think he wondered where I'd been all my life!

Dairy Free
We first discovered Wagamama's potential to cater for us some time ago, not too long after I first became dairy free. The immediate attraction was that many South East Asian dishes are, by nature, dairy free.


Online Menu 
Even better, The Hub discovered that we could find out which dishes were safe, by looking at their menu online - and that includes dietary requirements although, oddly enough dairy free dishes are listed as 'lactose intolerant.' Strictly speaking, of course, 'dairy free' and 'lactose free' are not the same thing, but if you follow their instructions to ask your server about dishes, then there should not be any problem.

By perusing their online menu, The Hub soon found that I could have their Chu Chee Chicken Curry. It was so yummy, that I did not feel that I was missing out on anything, by being dairy free. 

Chicken and Prawn Cha Han

Gluten Free
Despite the fact that a lot of dishes are cooked with gluten containing ingredients, they do seem to have some dishes that are suitable for me, now that I'm avoiding wheat/gluten. However, I'm merely intolerant, not coeliac, and I know that I have wondered how really gluten free the food is - especially since soy sauce is present in a lot of South East Asian cooking and everything is cooked in woks. 

If, like me, you're avoiding wheat/gluten as well dairy, then it's the same old story, there's only one suitable main - in this case, Chicken and Prawn Cha Han. It's basically an egg-fried rice dish, with a small side of pickles and soup. If you don't like this, then you're stuffed!

Important Update: The allergy listings have been changed and this dish is no longer listed as cereal (and therefore gluten) free.

To be quite honest, It's not my favourite dish in the whole wide world - it's nowhere near as moreish as the Chu Chee Chicken Curry, that I used to enjoy. The problem was that the Chu Chee Chicken Curry wasn't listed as wheat/gluten free anyway, and when we 'need' to eat out, it's become quite nice to know that I have any option at all!

Little Ones
Wagamama's provide great high chairs. We loved their Phil and Ted high chairs (that suspend from the tables) so much that we went out and bought one! They also provide the pretty much obligatory  restaurant colouring sheets and crayons, to keep little fingers busy, but we have found it far more useful to have short videos on The Hub's smartphone - to keep Baby amused whilst the food is prepared.

Mini Ramen

The children's menu has expanded a little since we first started visiting Wagamama's. There's a few options Baby can have. We used to order the cod cubes (sauce comes as aside, so no worries if your little one doesn't like the sauce) but currently her 'usual' is a 'Mini Ramen' - basically a noodle soup, with huge chnks of chicken. 

It's really a bit too big for a child her size, and we tend to cut up the chicken and noodles, to make them more manageable for her, but we're not too fussed if she doesn't finish it, as long as she's had enough.

The noodle spoon is ridiculously large for a little one and their children's chopsticks look cool, but Baby has not yet developed enough dexterity to use these, so we usually just ask for an extra spoon.

My 'usual'.

Healthy Fast Food

One of the attractions, for us, is that the food should be better for you than Mac Donald's (although I'm not sure how much salt is used) and it's still usually served fairly rapidly, which is important, when you have Baby around! 

I say usually, if you arrive at a peak time, then despite the best efforts of the staff, food can be a little bit slower to arrive. 

The other thing to bear in mind is that dishes come as soon as they are ready, rather than all together at the same time, so if you have a little one, it's a good idea to pack a few bread sticks!

Order Takeaway

Another thing that we like about Wagamama's is that that you can order online (on the computer or via smartphone app) and pick up it up as a takeaway, at your own convenience. This has worked well for us, when we've been travelling with Baby.

Of course, you can't cover dietary requirements online, but if you get to know which dishes are okay and are not too worried about cross-contamination, then you should be okay. We've never had any problems, ordering this way.

Drinks

If you're after a 'cheap date', Green Tea is free. I'm not all that fond of Green Tea, so my 'usual' is elderflower. It's light, with a sweet hint and refreshes the palate, quite nicely. Sometimes we get Baby the Apple Juice, but really she's much more happy with her own water.

Dessert

Anyone for a 'natural fruit ice lolly'? To be quite honest you can get these at almost any restaurant now and, no thanks, I really don't want one!

Prices

Their prices are pretty good, I think. Ours breaks down, as follows:

Sparkling elderflower £2.20

Chicken and Prawn Cha Han £7.55

Mini Juice £1.65

Mini Ramen £4.35

Update November 2013:
Whilst others I know are happy to eat at Wagamamas, we no longer do so. This is because I started to get reactions after eating there, even though I used to be fine. Although they apparently wash their woks, it appears that this has been insufficient for me. The last reaction was so severe that I couldn't eat properly for a few days. I no longer want to take the risk.   :(

Other posts about eating out dairy free:

Eating Out - Mission Possible

Dinner with Leon

Eating Giraffe Food

Supping at Strada

Hanging out in the Roof Gardens of Babylon

Sweets for my sweet...

You probably know the song, 'Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey...' Singing along yet? I think I'd probably complete that line with, 'Your dairy free chocolate thrills me so...'

Ooo! Yes please!

Those of you who have been following for a while, will not be at all surprised by that - you know I love chocolate. I have to be honest, if dairy free chocolate didn't exist, I just don't think I could manage life without milk.

When I first made the decision to got dairy free, I thought that chocolate eating was a door in my life that was going to be closed. Then my mother, of all people (the one who was most opposed to the idea that dairy might be the problem) introduced me to Kinnerton chocolate and I'm happy to report, that it all went uphill from there!

Since then, I have discovered that there is a positive wealth of dairy free chocolate out there. Ok, the choice may not quite be the same and most of it is dark, which has taken my milky taste buds a little while to adapt to, but it is still chocolate and therefore, in my opinion, not to be sneezed at.

So what are the options?

For Baby

Baby mainly has buttons! And, it turns out, unlike her dairy eating contemporaries, who are probably all eating Cadbury's, she has choice! Sadly this is not so true, if you have problems with nuts as well, or with soya lecithin.* However, if you don't have problems with these, there are the following options:

Actually made by Choices

There are buttons by Choices, who operate under their own brand (Celtic Chocolates - no website) but also manufacture buttons for Sainsbury's and Asda. Asda sell the chocolate orange variety, which I've not personally tried, but have been informed are rather good!!

The Sainsbury's buttons are reasonably priced - 49p, last time I looked. They're not dark chocolate as such, and okay, if you need a chocolate fix, but not all that milky, if that's the kind of chocolate you like. 

These came in very handy, for a while, when our usual ones were out of of stock, but really we prefer the buttons by Humdinger. For a while, it looked as though they had disappeared off the shelves of the shops in the UK for good, but by popular demand (result) they are now back in Tesco (much to my relief). 

Humdinger's also come in 'white'!

As dairy free chocolate buttons go (and let's face it, dairy free chocolate is not cheap) they are reasonably priced at 45p a packet. They are the nearest thing to milk chocolate that I've come across and they also come in 'white chocolate'. In this form, they are no match for Milky Bar, but Baby has no idea, as she's never had a Milky Bar, and she adores them.

The only allergens mentioned on the packet are soya (lecithin).

No respectable cake, in our household goes without Humdinger chocolate buttons as decorations. A gallery of our work exists on  a recent post about chocolate cake. A sample however, is shown here:

Our Humdinger adorned Koala!

Spot the buttons?!

Moo Free also make chocolate buttons, but prior to Humdinger's (temporary) disappearance, I hadn't sampled them, mainly because they were about twice the price of the others - 99p, last time I looked! These are sold in Sainsbury's and Waitrose, as well as in places like health food shops and also online.

They say that they are free of the following: dairy, lactose, gluten, wheat, egg, but may contain traces of nuts and soya.

They are also, I have since discovered, about half the size of some of the other chocolate buttons on the market! This is a bit of a disadvantage when you are trying to dole a few out to an impatient eager child, but I have since discovered another use for them - they are an excellent size for decorating ice cream! And will no doubt come in handy for decorating cakes, as well (sometimes you need buttons of different sizes)!!

Baby loves Peppa Pig!

Buttons, are not the only option for Baby, there are also Kinnerton's chocolate lollies. We get ours from Sainsbury's. Baby loves these too! They are made of dark chocolate and are gluten, nut, egg as well as dairy free, but do contain soya (lecithin). They're a bit pricey though, at £1.80, for a bunch of four. 

I think, that Asda also sell them, for a little bit cheaper - £1.58, but I don't live all that close to an Asda, so maybe someone who is more reliably informed could help out here.

The nice thing about these, though, is that they come in plain foil wrappers, or in wrappers decorated with characters like Peppa Pig, or Ben Ten. And Baby loves Peppa! 

Baby is not fussy about the covering on her chocolate though, oh no! She has also enjoyed chocolate lollies (otherwise known as 'Licks') which are made by Hotel Chocolat and are just wrapped in plastic. They are a bit pricey for a chocolate lolly though - £1.95 each!!! 

I have to say that I would probably never have bought one for her, if it hadn't been for The Hub dragging me into their shop one Saturday (kicking and screaming, of course). It was then that she came face to face with these lollies, with smiley faces and just had to have one. Let me just stress, she's only had these once or twice and they are rather large, but also rather expensive, so she hasn't been given the opportunity to eat a whole one, all in one go!

Like other dark chocolate products by Hotel Chocolat, they are described as suitable for Vegans (as there are no milk ingredients in the recipe) but to cover themselves, they do state that they may contain traces of milk. They most definitely do contain soya (lecithin) and may also contain traces of nuts.

Another option that Baby enjoys is chocolate coins, that are sold under Sainsbury's own label, but I suspect they are actually made by Choices.

They are gluten, wheat and dairy free, but contain soya (lecithin) and are made with coconut oil, although no other mention of nuts is made on the packet.

I keep these on hand for parties!

I keep these on hand for when we go to parties and I suspect a Treasure Hunt might be the order of the day - it's amazing how many parties include Treasure Hunts! 

I tend to keep a supply in the cupboard for 'just in case'. Of course every so often they a little 'stock control' is required, to stop them going off - that's when I finish them off... so that they don't go to waste, obviously!

So moreish!

Another offering for Baby, might actually be more suited to me, but I've included them here, because kids (except for Baby) like raisins don't they? These chocolate covered raisins, by the Fabulous Fudge Factory, I found in a large Waitrose, priced £1.69. 

Allergy advice states that they contain soya (flour) and may contain traces of nuts.

They're a bit pricey but as I find them incredibly moreish, I have to confess I've been back for more. Unfortunately, Baby isn't so keen on these as I am. What a shame! :)

My penultimate offering for the younger generation is again from Moo Free. A discovery which I happened upon today. 

Small but yummy!

Yes, I knew (thanks to Emma Hutchinson of Love Lactose Free Life - who sells them) that they existed, but I wasn't tempted to try any (because I generally regard Moo Free as quite pricey) until I came across some whilst drifting around my local health food shop. It was then that I saw some that came with honeycomb (other flavours are 'Original' and 'Juicy Sultana'). It being Friday, I felt a sudden overwhelming urge (as per the chocolate TV advert) to, 'Thank Crunchie it's Friday,' by consuming chocolate covered honeycomb. It was an urge that couldn't wait (sorry Emma)!

These bars are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, being dairy, lactose, wheat, gluten, casein and egg free, but (for anyone who is allergic to nuts) they do contain nuts.

I have to be honest, I still think they're pricey - £1.99 for three small bars, nothing like a crunchy (in that the honeycomb is just dotted over the top of the bar) but they were quite yummy. Baby didn't appreciate the honeycomb (she's a bit funny with texture and foods that stick to her teeth) but did like the chocolate, which is of the milky, almost creamy variety. 

Update:
Moo Free chocolate bars come in two sizes. The smaller ones have been found in Waitrose for a while now. These have also recently become available in larger Sainsbury's stores!

And finally! A new discovery from Zero Zebra, thanks to Twitter contact Homemade by Fleur. These organic and fairly-traded (yes, you heard me) chocolates are available from Ocado at an incredibly pricey £3.99!! That means that each of the eight dairy free chocolate animals (cute as they are) work out at 50p each (GULP!). 

The chocolate is, however, so nice and so much like real milk chocolate, that I could almost forgive them for the price - which may be due to the fact that they are German. Still, these won't be Baby's 'everyday' chocolate, but most definitely a treat that is saved for special occasions, such as Christmas and birthdays.

That said, they do produce some cheaper bars as well for £1.49 (phew!).

Impressively, they are free from the top fourteen allergens. Follow the link, for the full run down... and enjoy!

So there you have it! It turns out that Baby has quite a bit of choice. 

After all that, I think I'll have to save the rest for another day.

Please note: I ate quite a lot of chocolate in the process of compiling 'research' for this post and all of which was paid for me by me or The Hub. I'm not sponsored by anyone - this post reflects my personal opinion and opinions may vary! All prices listed were correct at the time of posting (August 2012) but may change.

Please also note: 
I'm aware that sensitivity in those who are allergic or intolerant to milk may vary. Some of you may be too sensitive to take the risk of food containing traces of milk, others will be quite comfortable with that, which is why I have tried to provide such information in this post. 

However, please be aware that information regarding ingredients may change over time. Please read labels on products carefully, just to make sure that the information hasn't changed since this post was written.

Also, I know it's still a battle for people with nut allergy or soya allergy, sorry there's not much listed here that's suitable for you. However, if you are allergic to soya, please enquire with your healthcare provider about whether you're okay with soya lecithin (used in most dairy free chocolate) - from what I understand it's meant to be alright for people who are otherwise allergic to soya. Please let me know if you find out anything to the contrary.

My Adventures in Bread Making

When I was little, if I complained of being hungry, between meals, my mother would say, 'How about a piece of bread?' 

The Hub's most recent masterpiece

Such a simple mundane thing, it seemed back then. Surprise, surprise, my response was usually negative - I was really after a biscuit. These days I tend to view bread rather differently - I'd really like to be able to just pick up a piece of bread! 

It's not just about being dairy free - there are lots of breads out there that qualify as that. It's the whole gluten free thing... and something else - something that I have yet to identify that most shop bought gluten free loafs contain and I can't tolerate.  

I was alright, up until fairly recently, when Genius changed the formula for their gluten free loaf. Their new loaf just doesn't seem to agree with my gut. Now I can't find the old one anywhere - although it apparently still exists.

So, somewhat reluctantly, I have taken up bread making.

Don't worry! I've not morphed overnight into a super baker. I cheat. I use a bread maker. I can't be bothered with all the kneading you have to do, when you make it by hand.

I've no idea how good our bread making machine actually is. We bought ours because we got a good deal, it had good reviews online and was recommended by Which? magazine.

We've actually had it for a year or two, but up until now it's been The Hub's toy - mainly because my attempts so far have been pretty dire (read 'inedible' here, folks) and because, well... I couldn't be faffed. I'd much rather go out and buy one than do all the fiddly measuring out and then there's the extra washing-up (we don't have a dishwasher - it all gets done by hand).

However, the other week, I ran out of bread, and, facing the prospect of having nothing for lunch, decided to have another go - with Baby's 'help,' of course! 

Surprisingly good, for me, this was the result:

Like the gaping hole? That's where I ripped the paddle out.

Okay, some of you more accomplished bakers will be unimpressed. That's okay, by me, as it's got a great gaping hole in it - that's because the paddle got stuck inside the loaf and I had to rip the loaf out of the tin in chunks. But for me, the result was a bit of a miracle, especially as I didn't read the recipe properly (I used the one on the back of the flour packet) so added some ingredients in the wrong order and I didn't familiarise myself with the instructions for the machine either - the consequence to that being that it went off on completely the wrong program and wouldn't allow me to reset it (even when I unplugged it for ten minutes - as per The Hub's instructions). 

The actual loaf had a nice crust and seemed to be light enough, with even air bubbles and a pleasing texture. It gave me fresh hope. So yesterday, I gave bread making another go. Here's the loaf in the tin:

The loaf in the tin

It looks a bit pale, doesn't it? I closed the lid and left it for a bit longer and in the heat of the tin, it browned off a little more. So finally, it looked like this:

Looking better?

As you can see, there's still a little hole, from the paddle, but it's looking a whole lot better!

It cuts really well.

And it tasted good too! Even Baby (no real fan of bread) loved it and came back for more! Woo hoo! Huzzah! Success!

Think I'm converted. Maybe the effort was worth it after all.

Actually, I'm quite glad that Genius changed the recipe of their loaf now - necessity has challenged me and taught me something new, once again.

It brought to mind the famous phrase: 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!'

I'm not resting on my laurels though - even when you follow the instructions, carefully, results can vary, as The Hub (who is quite a good cook, really) has found out!

Anyone else planning to give bread making a go? Or perhaps you are an expert, what tips would you pass on?

Addendum:

By the way, I used Dove's Farm gluten free white bread flour (available in many UK supermarkets and online) the recipe was on the back of the packet. Instead of cow's milk I have used coconut and almond milk. I think both work well, but prefer the almond. Sunflower oil was my oil of choice, however, I think The Hub has used olive oil, in the past. It's all down to personal taste!