Whilst a national lockdown undoubtedly has many negatives, less social pressure and increased spare time has really allowed creativity to blossom. Couple this with the ever growing presence of social media and self-isolation trends are spreading like wildfire, as the desperately bored fight to get a slice of the action.
The sphere of all things breakfast is no exception, with Londoners trying their hand at fun new recipes, from quick fixes to more ambitious projects. So if you haven’t already hopped on the bandwagon, here are my top breakfast lockdown trends to try at home:
Sourdough
If, like me, the past few weeks have enlightened you on the meaning of a ‘sourdough starter’, your eyes will have been opened to a whole new world of baking sorcery. Looking to kill an hour or 120? A home-made sourdough loaf is by the far the most lengthy trend to dip your toe into, so commitment is a must. The plus side of spending such a large portion of your life creating a loaf of bread is maximum satisfaction levels when you get to slather a thick, toasted slice in melting butter and chomp down with a satisfying crunch.
Try this recipe: Bread Ahead’s sourdough starter
Dalogna Coffee
Quite possibly the original lockdown food trend, dalogna coffee is a nifty little recipe that transforms three simple ingredients into an insta-worthy caffeine bomb, filling the gaping hole left by the closure of London’s finest coffee shops. It’s quick, it’s simple and it’s the perfect way to upgrade an at-home breakfast, going some way to recreate the experience of brunch-ing out in your favourite trendy cafe.
Try this recipe: BBC Good Food’s Dalogna Coffee
Banana Bread
If you haven’t heard of this one then have you been living under a rock? A fairly common past-time amongst wellness Instagrammers even before lockdown, banana bread’s popularity has shot through the roof during this national state of emergency. There must be something about this wholesome hobby that radiates calm, soothing worried minds looking for a sense of solidarity during a crisis. Other benefits include being able to pretend that this is in fact, a healthy bake, and a perfectly acceptable way to eat cake for breakfast.
Try this recipe: Dominique Ansel’s Banana Bread
Mini Pancake Cereal
Born from TikTok, this quirky food trend is the product of what happens when you give humans too much free time. Consisting of miniature pancakes piled high in a cereal bowl and swimming in milk, mini pancake cereal is sufficiently time-consuming and unnecessary enough to be the perfect lock-down breakfast activity.
Try this recipe: The Cooking Foodie’s Mini Pancake Cereal