Choose good-quality, fresh ingredients. The fresher your fruit and vegetables, the more vitamins they will contain. Signs of freshness include smooth skin, green leaves and no bruising. Always use fresh meat and fish. Pay attention to the type of flour indicated in the recipe. The choice of flour is very important, not least because the amount of water you need depends on the kind you use, bread flour can absorb water at different rates. For flour water ratios, refer to the recipe measurements on the flour packet. Plain flour, a very fine, white, all-purpose flour that is best for making cakes, pastries, sauces and pancake batters. Self-raising flour has low gluten content and contains a raising agent, usually baking powder. It’s used in baking and cake-making. Strong white flour has a higher gluten content and is therefore ideal for making bread and brioche. It is better to use caster sugar, rather than granulated sugar, which has coarser crystals. Icing sugar is very fine and is commonly used for cake decoration. Always use butter, never margarine or a low-fat spread. Yeast comes in two forms – fresh or dried. In our recipes, we have chosen to use fresh yeast, which you can get from your local baker, as well as from specialist shops (or the bakery section of your nearest supermarket). If you use dried yeast, remember to use half the amount indicated for fresh yeast.