Norwegian pretzels

As you might have guessed, we made these for Eurovision, which was beamed live via satellite from Oslo. Sadly, Morten Harket didn't make an appearance and the UK was marooned at the bottom of the table. But the pretzels were good. Hurrah!

You'll need:

1 envelope of dried yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon black treacle
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg, beaten (or a little milk)
extra salt flakes

Stick your oven on at about 220 degrees C. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and add the black treacle and salt. Stir to create an unholy mess.

Tip in the flour, and mix to a dough. We had to add a little extra water, to get everything to stick together. Knead the dough really well, until it becomes elastic, then divide up into small pieces. Roll each of these out into thin snakes, and then twist into shapes (this was the bit you loved - you were surprisingly brilliant at making hearts).

Place on a baking sheet, and brush with the egg (or milk). Scatter some flakes of sea salt over the top of each.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes if you like them chewy - a little bit longer (maybe switch off the oven and leave them inside as it cools down?) if you want them crispy.

Soda bread

This is really nice just out of the oven - and goes especially well with soup on a snowy day after lots of sledging.

You'll need:

450g plain flour (not strong)
1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
350ml buttermilk (I used full cream milk, with a squeeze of lemon)

Stick the oven on at about 220 degrees C.

Sling the flour/salt/sugar/soda in a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the buttermilk. Bring the dough together (it should be soft, but not too sticky), and tip out onto a floured worktop. Don't overmix it or knead it - just shape it gently into a round, about 4cm deep. Cut a cross in the top to let out the fairies (you loved this bit), and place on a baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 200 degrees C, and bake for another 20-30 minutes. It's ready when it's turned golden brown - to check, tap the base, and if it sounds hollow, you're good to go.

Cool slightly, then slice and slather in butter.

Focaccia

We made this for a party, where it disappeared rather rapidly. It made a nice change from making bread in the bread machine.

It's an American recipe, so everything's in cups.

You'll need:

1 packet (7g ish) of dried yeast
4 1/2 cups strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix together the yeast, 2 cups of flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and milk, together with the olive oil. Beat the lot together until it's well combined - I started off with a whisk, but ended up using a wooden spoon.

Gradually add the rest of the flour, half a cup at a time, until you've got a gloriously smooth, slightly sticky dough. Cover the bowl with cling film, and then leave it in a warm place for an hour or so, until the dough's doubled in size.

You rather enjoyed the next bit - punch the dough to get rid of any air, and then knead for a couple of minutes. Sling onto a large greased baking sheet (or one lined with a silicon sheet), and then stretch your dough out into a large rectangle, around 1 inch deep.

Leave in a warm place for another hour or so. I stuck the oven on to warm up at this point - you'll need it at about 200 degrees C.

Once it's risen again (you should have a pretty fat looking focaccia by now), poke some dimples in the top with your fingers, and give it a drizzle of olive oil. (You could get fancy at this point, and brush it with some pesto, or some finely chopped rosemary).

Sling the dough in the oven for 15-2- minutes or so, until the bread is golden brown. My oven's a bit fierce, so it didn't take very long.

It's best eaten straightaway, but you can warm it up again the next day (if it lasts that long).