Bake: sun bread for Yule

Make bread rings that look like the sun to summon it back (and to dip into your soup, too)

The Pagan celebration of Yule (Winter Solstice) begins on 21st December and we still incorporate many of Yule’s traditions today, such as bringing in a Yule log and hanging mistletoe. This simple sun bread is an easy make and a simple way to cheer and warm the darkest day of the year. Make one for your supper to dip into soup and one for a friend or neighbour to spread the sharing message of Yule.

You will need

400g strong plain white flour

115g plain white flour

300ml slightly warm water

1 tsp salt

1 sachet (7g) easy-blend

dried yeast

How to make

1 Sift flours and salt into a large bowl, mix in the yeast and add the water. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins.

2 Oil a bowl and put the dough into it, covering the top with cling film. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

3 Flour three baking trays. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured

surface and split into three portions.

4 Take one portion and roll it out into a long, thin length and join the ends

to form a circle. Place the circle onto a baking sheet and stretch it a little

more, then take a handful of flour and sprinkle and rub it all over the circle.

5 Take a pair of scissors and snip diagonally into the ring, then pull out

the point of the snip to form the first of the bread sun’s rays. Repeat all the

way around, pulling out the points as you go, and taking care not to disturb

the flour coating: it is the difference between the flour-coated parts and

the uncoated snipped parts that will help form the ray-like patterning.

6 Cover loosely with cling film or a clean tea towel and then repeat the

whole process with the other pieces of dough. Leave the covered rings to

prove until they’ve doubled in size.

7 Heat your oven to 200C/Fan 180/400F and bake for 35-40 mins,

until the tops are golden brown and the bases make a hollow sound when

tapped. Serve warm or cold.

This recipe was first featured in our December 2017 issue alongside other recipes to celebrate Yule, by Lia Leendertz. Photography by Kirstie Young.

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More celebrations for midwinter…

More from our December issue…

December: a final thought

Please enjoy our special December cover, along with a seasonal haiku

We so enjoyed putting our December issue together and pausing to remember all the things we love about midwinter and the magic it brings.

We’ve packed up our pencil cases for the holidays now so will leave you with our December haiku…

An afternoon walk
Gets more unlikely
The more sprouts one has consumed.

Please do have a go at penning your own and leave it in the comments below. We’ll send a lovely book to our favourite.

This cover was a little different but usually we publish a back cover chalkboard and have turned some of them into postcards that you can buy here if you would like to.

That’s all from our December The Simple Things, but our January issue should be in the shops any day now, full cheery wintry things to inspire and surprise you.

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See more of our final thoughts…

More from our December issue…

Meet the donkeys of the New Forest

Long-eared lovelies that inspire festive feelings in us all

In our December issue, we have an essay in our magical creatures series about the donkey, an animal close to our hearts, and never more than at this time of year.

But while, as George Orwell once said (almost), all donkeys are equal, but some are more equal than others.

The wild donkeys of the New Forest are just a little bit special and the area is one of the best places in Britain to see donkeys in the wild. The forest is best known for its wild ponies (and is also home to wild pigs and cows) but its 200 wild donkeys are a real treat to spot.

They are hardy enough to survive all year round in the New Forest, but according to the New Forest’s management,  they aren’t always popular with the neighbours and are regularly found scoffing hedges, trees and bushes around neighbouring properties. The more enterprising among them are apparently often to be found at the Foresters’ Arms in Frogham and other local ale yards and hostelries. In the village of Beaulieu they apparently gather around the Montagu Arms. Presumably when they emerge after a few ales they are wonky donkeys?

Once, a New Forest donkey wandered uninvited into a branch of Tesco, much to the amusement of Brockenhurst residents. He was found, standing in the middle of the store, looking around him in a bemused fashion. Staff managed to shoo him out by banging shopping baskets together, which goes to show what a hard time donkeys have, we think. When they’re not carrying pregnant virgins to packed inns, they’re being brutally evicted from supermarkets in the middle of a quiet look at the biscuit aisle.

So here’s to the New Forest donkeys, reminding us once more why their kind are as Christmassy as crackers and sherry, and just as cheering, too.

If you’re in the area this Christmas give them a pat and a carrot from us - but don’t give them your shopping list. They can’t be trusted.

Read more about donkeys in Magical Creatures, in our December issue, on sale now.

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More winterspiration…

More from our December issue…

How to play a great panto villain

Want to invoke boos and hisses aplenty? Here’s how

In our December issue, we’ve been looking back at the very colourful history of pantomime (oh yes, we have). And the best part in panto, as we all know, is the baddie. You can keep your garish frocks and colourful tights; if you want a part you can really get your teeth into, it has to be a pantomime villain.

The first panto villain is generally accepted to be the part of the demon king, who played against Dan Leno’s Victorian dame in Mother Goose. The demon king offers Mother Goose eternal youth and beauty in return for her golden-egg-laying goose. And thus, a star (baddie) was born. Panto has seen numerous other villains since, from Captain Hook to Dick Dastardly, Abnazar to the Evil Queen in Snow White.

If you fancy yourself as an evil villain, here are a few tips on how to get started:  

Have a catchphrase

David Leonard, who played the villain for 27 years in an unbroken run at York Theatre Royal, was famous for his catchphrase “Thwarted! I’m thwarted!”, sure to elicit cheers from every child in the front ten rows.

Get a good villainous laugh

Female villains often go with a witchy cackle, but we’re big fans of a deep and resonant “Bwa-hah-hah-hah-hah”. Best delivered over your shoulder as you exit, stage right.

Make sure your eyebrow game is good

An arch villain must have an arch eyebrow. As well as having well-groomed brows, you need to be able to use them to good effect. If you can already raise one at a time, a la Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, you’ve got a good natural skills base to work from.

Grow a twirly moustache

A dramatic ‘tache with which to twirl is a sure sign of true evil. See: Captain Hook, whose moustache was only slightly less threatening than the lethal metalwork on the end of his arm.

Learn to swoosh a cape properly

A circling (preferably black) cape gathered in a large swoosh and then brought up to below the eyes is practically the international sign for ‘I am a baddie’. Extra points if the swoosh is delivered with some explosions and dry ice as you exit the scene.

Let the audience win

To really get a theatre full of kids up on their feet and shouting you need to throw them a bone occasionally by declaring regularly how you ARE the fairest of them all, or will DEFINITELY destroy the entire known universe in order that they can shout themselves hoarse in response with an “OH NO YOU WON’T!”

Read more about pantomime’s fascinating history in our December issue, which is in shops now.

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More retrospectives to read

More from our December issue

Cracker jokes: a short history

The men who put the cheese into the (Christmas) crackers

You might or might not know that the Christmas cracker was invented by Tom Smith, in 1847. Smith was a confectioner who sold sugared almonds wrapped in twisted paper, and very popular at Christmas they were, too. He started adding mottos and love poems to his almonds, being as they were largely bought by gents for their lady friends.

Inspired by the cracking of a log in his fire, he added the surprise ‘bang’ (because what says “I love you, my darling” like gunpowder and a minor coronary, after all?)

But it was in the 1900s when his sons were in charge of the business, that they added the paper hat. And, in the 1930s the love poems and mottos were replaced by jokes. How the old romantic Smith Senior felt about this, we couldn’t tell you.

Tom Smith’s Crackers still trades to this day and even supplies the Royal Household. Question: What does the Queen sound like when she groans at a bad joke?... No, this isn’t a gag, we were just genuinely wondering… But if it’s jokes you’re after, we have gathered together a few of the cheesiest, most groan-worthy going. Stand by with your Ba-Doom Tishes!

Q. What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
A. Tinselitis

Q. What do you call Father Christmas on the beach?
A. Sandy Claus.

Q. What happens when Santa’s elves are naughty?
A. He gives them the sack.

Q. Who does Santa phone when he’s ill?
A. The National Elf Service.

Q. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A. Mince spies

Q. What do you call a group of chess players bragging about their prowess in a hotel lobby?
A. Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

Q. What did one snowman say to the other snowman?
A. Can you smell carrots?

You can find more Christmas miscellany (and some rather lovely crackers, too) in our December issue, on sale now.

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Read more Christmas miscellany…

More from our December issue…

The frost report

The Simple Things’ Lia Leendertz talks us through frost in all its forms

We’re unlikely to have snow at this time of year (though never say never) but what we can enjoy is the delicately beautiful arrival of frost. Read on for an explanation of the different types and how and why they occur.

Hoar frost

From ‘hoary’, meaning aged and whitened, in reference to the shaggy and feathery coating that hoar frost leaves. It occurs under calm, cloudless skies, when there is no (or very little) wind, and under ‘inversion’ conditions: when cold air is trapped under warmer air.

Advection frost

Strong, cold winds prettily rim the edges of objects and plants with tiny spikes of frost, usually pointing in the direction of the wind.

Window frost

Also known poetically as fern frost or ice flowers, this is the frost that creeps across window frames forming swirls, feathers and other patterns, caused by the difference between the very cold air on the outside of the glass and the warmer, moderately moist air on the inside. The growth of the patterns responds to imperfections on the glass surface.

You can read more about Lia’s winter adventures in her veg patch in our December issue. Follow her on instagram @lia_leendertz. You can buy Lia’s book The Almanac: a seasonal guide to 2019 (Hachette Books) in shops now.

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Read more about winter…

Read more from our December issue…

Competition: win a properly festive feast

Enjoy a Christmas dinner to remember. Pipers Farm are giving away this wonderful prize… all you need to do is add veg and crackers

Tuck into a slow-grown properly free range Bronze Turkey, saddleback sausages wrapped up traditionally cured bacon, with glugs of gorgeous gravy and the most delicious natural stuffing. Pipers Farm is offering one The Simple Things reader a festive feast of its beautiful, sustainable meat products. The prize consists of:

• One whole free-range Bronze turkey (feeds 8)

• Saddleback sausages wrapped in award-winning saddleback bacon (2 packs)

• Handmade cranberry and hazelnut stuffing

• Pure free-range turkey stock

• Cranberry, orange and port sauce

The people at Pipers Farm have been making Christmases to remember for more than 30 years. Founded in 1989, Pipers Farm produces sustainable meat, enabling customers to buy from trusted ethical producers, known to them.

They passionately believe in producing wholesome, natural food that has been grown with respect for nature. The farm’s principles have remained unchanged for 30 years and you can rest assured their produce will continue to be food you can trust in. 

To enter, simply answer the following question below:

What year was Pipers Farm founded?

If you want to enjoy any treats from Pipers Farm you can order by 11am at pipersfarm.com for next day nationwide delivery. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By entering this competition, you are opting in to receiving our email marketing from Pipers Farm. This promotion is only open to residents of the United Kingdom aged over 18. No purchase necessary. The promotional will run from 19/11/18 to 10/12/18. The prize cannot be refunded or exchanged for cash value. Delivery to mainland UK addresses only. The Prize is non-exchangeable or transferable. The Prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if a winner is unable to use the Prize as stated. The winners will be liable for all costs and expenses not stated relating to claiming the Prize. The Promoter may substitute the Prize for a prize of an equal or greater value if, for any reason, the original Prize is unavailable for any reason. Prrize consists of 1 whole free range bronze turkey 8 portions, 2 packs of 8 sausages wrapped in bacon, 1 250g cranberry and hazelnut stuffing, 1 500ml pure turkey stock and 1 240g cranberry, orange and port sauce. Prize must be taken before 13/12/2018. The prizes are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash. By entering the Promotion, entrants confirm that they have read and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions and by the decisions of the Promoter, which are final in all matters relating to the Promotion. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of the Prize. No correspondence will be entered into. Aside from the use of entry data for the performance of this Promotion, the Promoter will not use personal data for any other purpose without the express consent of the entrant. All entries must be made by the entrant themselves. The Promoter does not accept any liability for the acts of any third-party Prize provider. The Promoter is Pipers Farm (Devon) Ltd, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 1SD.

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 10 December 2018. A winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries after this time and notified shortly after. Full terms and conditions are at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

More from our December issue…

More Christmas food inspiration…

Playlist | Songs about snow

In the meadow we can build a snowman…

Listen to our songs about snow

More playlists…