The joy of early bird baking (even if you're not up in the wee hours)

Whether you get up early – or bake to get ahead – Mary Berg has recipes to make sure you find baking for breakfast deliciously rewarding.

Cinnamon coffee cake is just the beginning... Source: Mary Makes It Easy

--- See Mary Berg baking delicious breakfast recipes in the 4 September and 11 September episodes of Mary Makes It Easy, which screens at 6pm Sundays on SBS Food, with episodes available at SBS On Demand for a limited time after they air. ---

 

For some, the idea of early bird baking - getting into the kitchen before breakfast, to fire up the oven and create some magic while most folks are asleep - is a joy. Mary Berg is one of them. "I personally love baking in the morning. It's quiet. It smells amazing," she tells us when SBS chats to her about a 'baking for breakfast' episode of her latest series, Mary Makes it Easy. 

But if you'd like the warm rewards of a baked breakfast without the very early start, Berg has some ideas for you, too. 

"Making breakfast with your oven doesn't necessarily mean you have to get up bright and early and get to baking first thing in the morning. You can get a lot of stuff prepped ahead of time and then you just use that oven to make things that'll last on the counter or to pop in the fridge to reheat later. Like delicious breakfast sandwiches or an amazing coffee cake."

Here are six fab baked breakfast ideas from Berg.

Cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwiches

Cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwiches Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Let's start with those breakfast sandwiches. Slices of cheesy egg bake, studded with pork sausage and cherry tomatoes, are served in buttery biscuits. As Berg explains from her Canadian kitchen, that's the scone-like Canadian/American biscuit.

You can make these on the day, or prep both the biscuits and the eggy tray bake and pop them into the fridge. They'll both keep for up for four days and are easily re-heated (get all the details in the recipe). 

Cinnamon coffee cake with roasted fruit

"Whoever decided that coffee cake means breakfast is a genius and I want them to be my best friend," says Berg in the show, introducing this streusel-topped number. "But to bring this into breakfast-y category a little more than just calling it coffee cake, I want to do some delicious cinnamon-y stewed fruit". The fruit and the cake go into the oven at the same time, so it's all ready at the same time (or make both a day ahead and keep the cake at room temperature and the fruit in the fridge. Serve as is in summer, or reheat the fruit in winter to add some warmth to your baked breakfast).

Cinnamon coffee cake with roasted fruit Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Cinnamon roll bread and sweet cinnamon cream cheese

If you do like getting up early, this yeasted pull-apart bread will reward you with sticky, sweet, cinnamony deliciousness - and if you'd rather snooze a little more, it will work too. Berg's recipe can be made to the point where the bread has been shaped, and then, rather than leaving it at room temperature to rise for 30-40 minutes before baking, be popped in the fridge to rise slowly overnight. Get all the details for both variations in her recipe.

Cinnamon roll bread and sweet cinnamon cream cheese Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Easy soda bread

"You do not have to use yeast, you do not have to knead dough to get delicious homemade bread," Berg says. "Soda bread is the easiest bread ever." It's delicious too, warm from the oven and slathered with butter and jam, or served with eggs (Berg also suggests serving it alongside a cheeseboard).

Mary's soda bread Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Chocolate walnut banana bread

Put a spin on a favourite with chopped dark chocolate, nuts and a touch of molasses. Berg shared this one in an earlier episode of Mary Makes it Easy - you can watch her making it here at SBS On Demand.

Chocolate walnut banana bread Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Chocolate almond granola

"A chocolatey breakfast granola so good you’re gonna be snacking on it from dawn until dusk," is how Berg describes this, another recipe from her 'baking for breakfast' episode. This one really will let you sleep in - the mix will keep for up to four weeks.

Chocolate almond granola Source: Mary Makes It Easy