Durban industrial engineer Faizal Meyer is vying to win this season’s The Great South African Bake Off. We discover where his love for baking emanated from, along with three of his favourite Spring bakes.
A self-dubbed sassy-jokester, Faizal’s true passions lie in baking and teaching as he holds an honours degree in the latter. Everything he loves about baking stems from deep-rooted need to create, share and indulge with others.
“I sure had a lot of nerve thinking I could enter one of the largest baking platforms on the globe with very little baking experience – but here I am. I dared to dream. I took a risk for something that I truly love and in doing so, received an opportunity to prove to myself, and others, that I have what it takes to succeed in this journey.”
Drawing on his youth, in which he says his preadolescent-self perceived baking (in large part to his grandmother) as a unifying force and means of bringing family and friends together, creating memories and mostly eating, Faizal loves cooking and baking for family and close friends.
“My mum and I are always competing in the kitchen and, according to my niece and nephew, I’m the ‘world’s best uncle’, although I’m still trying to decipher if that’s their way of getting me to give them the left-over frosting from the mixing bowl!”
Some of Faizal’s favourite dishes and bakes (regularly requested by those nearest and dearest) are his beef bourguignon, almond and cherry tarts, Rolo-filled biscuits (pure heaven in a bite!) and his Victoria sponge cake, with the most amazing homemade strawberry jam.
“Did I mention that I’m a foodie? LOL! I’ll own it; my love for baking definitely emanates from my love for eating. It’s the sweet tooth. I can’t help it.”
Almond & Cherry Tart
This is my mother’s all-time favourite when it comes to my bakes.
It has perfect balance of sweetness and is so incredibly easy to make. Everyone should try it!
You’ll need: 140g unsalted butter; 180g caster sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla paste; 3 large eggs; zest of 1 lemon; zest of 1 orange;
2 tablespoons orange juice; 85g cake flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 190g almond flour; 220g cherries (or any other berry of your choice); 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
What to do: Preheat the oven to 170°C. Cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time making sure they’re fully incorporated. Sift the flour, baking powder and almond flour into the mixture and mix until combined. Spoon the mixture into a prepared tart tin and top with cherries. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the tart comes out clean. Brush tart with honey or jam immediately after bake. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice-cream and enjoy!
Angel Food Cake
This one’s adapted from a recipe in my aunt’s recipe book. And it’s one of my favourites because the sponge is so light and fluffy.
You’ll need: 12 egg whites (360g); 1 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 100g cake flour; 200g confectioner’s sugar
What to do: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk or whip the egg whites until medium peaks are reached, slowly adding in 100g of the confectioner’s sugar.
Add the vanilla and almond extract and whisk until incorporated. Sieve the cake flour and icing sugar into a separate bowl and add it in thirds to the whipped egg whites folding each time until the flour and icing sugar are incorporated. Be careful not to mix as it will deflate the egg whites.
Place the mixture into a Bundt pan (do not grease) and bake for 35 minutes. Leave inverted on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the Bundt. I topped with freshly whipped cream and fresh berries.
Tear-and-share Cheese and Kebab-filled Bread
I created this bake as a perfect sharing meal for those family game nights or friendly braais. It’s my idea of quick comfort food.
You’ll need: 45g salted butter; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 300g cake flour; 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast; 125ml milk; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 pack of 12 kebabs (individually rolled); 150g mozzarella cheese (grated); 75g cheddar cheese (grated); 1 egg yolk
What to do: In a saucepan mix the butter and milk and heat until the mixture is lukewarm, and the butter has melted. Add the yeast to the lukewarm mixture and set aside for 5 minutes – it should become frothy. In a separate bowl combine the cake flour, sugar, and fennel seeds. Slowly mix in the milk mixture and egg and mix until combined (You could do this in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook). Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel in a warm area and set aside for 1hour or until doubled in size. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, lightly roll out and place the kebabs and cheese into the centre of the dough. Fold the dough from opposite ends and pinch to form a seal. Line a baking tray with baking paper and dust with flour. Place each cheese and kebab filled ball in the centre of the baking tray to form a circle- they should be tightly packed next to each other. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Cover the filled bread balls with a damp tea towel and set aside for 30minutes for the second rise. Lightly brush over the bread with the beaten egg yolk and bake for 20-25minutes until golden. Best served with a chutney or relish.
Don’t miss a beat
You can catch Faizal, winging his best and motivating the rest on BBC Lifesyle’s The Great South African Bake Off Season 4 on Dstv channel 174 on Wednesdays at 8pm starting August 9. For those who miss this time slot, the show will be repeated on Thursdays at 5pm.
