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THE OATSTANDING LOAF

  • Writer: John Nickolls
    John Nickolls
  • Jun 11
  • 5 min read
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🧀🌰🍏🌾 The Oatstanding Loaf




Apple, Cheddar, Hazelnut & Cider Bread – Straight Outta the Panasonic Mini






Introduction: A Loaf Worth Lifting the Lid For



There are loaves, and then there are legendary loaves. The kind you remember. The kind you brag about. The kind that—when you pull it warm from the breadmaker—makes the entire kitchen smell like you’ve kidnapped Mary Berry and locked her in your pantry.


This is that loaf.


Introducing: The Oatstanding Loaf. A glorious fusion of porridge oats, juicy apples, toasted hazelnuts, mature cheddar, and a healthy glug of dry cider. Made in a humble Panasonic SD-PN100KXC mini breadmaker, this golden, hearty marvel is the culinary equivalent of a campervan road trip through a cider orchard with the windows down.


It’s rustic yet soft, crunchy yet springy, sweet yet savoury. It’s the kind of loaf that works just as well at a Sunday brunch with friends as it does on a rainy night in Stafford with a mug of tea and a greedy grin.


And here’s the thing — this isn’t just about flour and yeast. This is a story about breadmaking joy, about flavour adventures, and about turning a small kitchen appliance into a powerhouse of artisan expression.


So, put the kettle on, butter your expectations, and join me on a deep dive into The Oatstanding Loaf.





Chapter 1: Where It All Began



The Oatstanding Loaf wasn’t born in a lab or passed down through generations of crusty-handed grandmas. It came from a simple moment of madness:


“What if I put oats, cheddar, hazelnuts, apple, and cider into the same loaf… and baked it in my mini breadmaker?”


Most people would question the logic. I embraced it like a warm slice of toast. I’d already perfected the original Cider Crunch—a rapid breadmaker loaf using dry cider, cheese, and apple—but I wanted to level it up. I wanted more texture, more complexity, and yes… more oats.


Thus began a series of bakes, tweaks, failures (RIP, sloppy cider sponge loaf), and test runs until finally, I pulled out a loaf so glorious it deserved a name. It deserved respect. It deserved a poster.


It became: The Oatstanding Loaf.





Chapter 2: What Makes It So… Oatstanding?



Let’s talk flavour profile.


This isn’t just a bread. It’s a symphony of ingredients, each with its own role:



🍏 Apple – Sweet & Juicy



Chopped small and blotted dry, apple pieces release little pockets of sweetness throughout the loaf.



🧀 Cheddar – Sharp & Savoury



Mature cheddar melts into the dough, creating flavour bombs that contrast the apple beautifully.



🌰 Hazelnuts – Nutty Crunch



Toasted before adding, these bring depth and bite. They add a “hang on, what is that?” level of sophistication.



🌾 Oats – Texture & Heartiness



Oats absorb liquid, add chew, and deliver a rustic mouthfeel that screams “artisanal bakery”.



🍺 Cider – The Tangy Backbone



Cider replaces much of the liquid. It doesn’t taste boozy but adds acidity, aroma, and a subtle fruitiness that ties it all together.


The final result? A soft, moist, golden loaf with just enough heft to feel proper, and just enough fluff to keep you coming back for slice after slice.





Chapter 3: The Full Recipe (450g – Panasonic SD-PN100KXC – Basic Rapid Program)




📝 Ingredients



Wet:


  • 170g dry cider (room temp)

  • 60g whole milk (lukewarm)

  • 10g soft butter

  • 5g neutral oil (rapeseed or sunflower)

  • ½ tsp lemon juice (optional but helps with rise)



Dry:


  • 220g strong white bread flour

  • 80g porridge oats

  • 10g sugar

  • 5g salt

  • 4g instant yeast (heaped 1¼ tsp)



Mix-ins (added at the beep):


  • 60g firm apple, small dice, blotted dry

  • 50g mature cheddar, grated

  • 40g toasted hazelnuts, chopped



🔥 Toast hazelnuts at 160°C for 8–10 minutes. Don’t skip this!





Chapter 4: The Method – Mini Breadmaker, Mega Magic



  1. Add to breadmaker pan in this order:


    • Cider

    • Milk

    • Lemon juice

    • Soft butter + oil

    • Sugar and salt

    • Flour and oats

    • Yeast on top (keep it dry)


  3. Set Panasonic SD-PN100KXC:


    • Program: Basic Rapid

    • Size: 450g

    • Crust: Light (for softness) or Medium (for chew)


  5. Wait for mix-in beep (usually 8–10 minutes in), then open lid and gently add:


    • Apple

    • Cheddar

    • Hazelnuts


  7. Let it bake (~1hr 55min), remove immediately, cool on wire rack.



Resist the urge to slice while hot. Letting it cool fully ensures the cheese sets and the crumb stabilises. Plus, anticipation adds flavour. Science.





Chapter 5: What It Tastes Like




🔸 The Crust



Golden, oaty, lightly crisp. Holds its shape. Toasts like a dream.



🔸 The Crumb



Soft, open, and fluffy with a gentle chew from the oats. It doesn’t crumble—it rips.



🔸 The Flavour



It’s balanced and complex:


  • Sweet apple moments

  • Creamy melted cheddar

  • Crunchy nut surprises

  • The zing of cider weaving it all together



Honestly? It’s deeply moreish. One slice becomes two. And by the time the kettle’s boiled… the loaf’s half gone.





Chapter 6: Serving Suggestions



You can serve The Oatstanding Loaf however you like, but here are some of my tried-and-tested winners:



🧀 Cheese Board Saviour



Serve with blue cheese, fig chutney, and a crisp cider. You’ll never touch crackers again.



🥓 Fry-Up Foundation



Toasted slice. Fried egg. Crispy bacon. Splash of brown sauce. Welcome to flavour country.



🥪 Next-Level Sandwiches



Cold roast pork, grain mustard, rocket. Boom.



🧈 Toast + Butter



Don’t overthink it. Just toast, butter, and munch.



🥗 Croutons (if there are leftovers… unlikely)



Cube, toast, and toss into a salad with rocket, apple, and walnuts. Fancy? You bet.





Chapter 7: Campervan-Ready Baking



Now here’s where it really shines. Because this loaf is:


  • Made in a compact machine

  • One-bowl, one-loaf, no mess

  • Fast (under 2 hours)

  • Easily stored for road trips



I’ve baked this in my van, Vanilla, more than once. The smell wafting out of the pop-top makes neighbouring campers lean out and ask what’s cooking. It’s the ultimate road trip loaf.


Slice it up, pack it with ham and chutney, wrap in foil, and boom: lunch sorted. It even doubles as a hot snack if you toast it over the Cadac BBQ or warm it up on the hob next to a pot of soup.


It’s the kind of bread that makes you feel like a master baker, even when you’re parked on a gravel pitch halfway up a mountain.





Chapter 8: Storage, Slicing, and Freezing




🧊 Storage



  • Wrap in a tea towel or breathable bread bag

  • Keeps soft for 2–3 days




🔥 Reheating



  • Best way to refresh? Dry pan toast for 1 min per side

  • For extra indulgence: butter both sides, fry like French toast, add a fried egg




🧊 Freezing



  • Slice before freezing

  • Defrost slices in toaster or oven

  • Stays fresh for 2–3 months






Chapter 9: Custom Loaf Variations



Feeling adventurous? Here are a few twists on the Oatstanding Loaf formula:



🍐 Swap Apple for Pear



Works beautifully with blue cheese.



🥜 Use Walnuts Instead of Hazelnuts



Adds a more savoury, bitter crunch.



🌶️ Add a Pinch of Chilli Flakes



For a subtle heat that kicks in just after the cheddar.



🧅 Add Caramelised Onion



Make it a proper ploughman’s loaf.



🐐 Goat’s Cheese Instead of Cheddar



Creamier, funkier, brilliant with apple.


Let me know if you want me to test these variations and create “Oatstanding: Volume Two.”





Final Thoughts: This Loaf Deserves Applause



So there you have it: The Oatstanding Loaf. It started as a cheeky idea, built up layer by layer, and now it’s a full-blown breadmaking sensation in my kitchen and campervan alike.


It’s proof that:


  • Your mini breadmaker is capable of greatness

  • Good ingredients don’t need to be complicated

  • Oats, cheddar, apple, nuts, and cider really can live together in harmony



Whether you’re baking this to impress, snack, road-trip, or just experiment with a new combo — this loaf is your trusty, fluffy, flavour-packed friend.





📥 Want the Poster or Recipe Card?



I’ve made a full poster for The Oatstanding Loaf and a printable recipe card — just message me or drop by the recipe hub on johnsdrones.net.


If you bake it, tag me:

📸 @johnnickolls on Instagram

or use the tag #OatstandingLoaf so I can drool over your creations.


Cheers, carb comrades. May your loaves always be fluffy, and your cider always cold. 🍺🍞





 
 
 

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🚐 VANILLA — THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM

​People often ask where my drone footage comes from — how I find those remote beaches, quiet lochs, or golden ridgelines at sunrise.
The answer isn’t just in the air. It’s on four wheels.

Meet Vanilla — my VW Transporter T6.1 campervan, my rolling HQ, my drone command centre, and quite honestly, my partner-in-flight.

She’s not just transport. She’s the bridge between earth and sky — a machine that lets me live the story I capture through my lens.

Where It All Began

Vanilla came to life at Leighton Vans, where form meets finesse. She was sculpted with their LV-R bodykit, an upgrade that gives her those beautifully aggressive lines and that unmistakable road stance.
Her 20-inch black LV alloys anchor her to the tarmac with quiet confidence — purposeful, poised, and just a little bit smug.

The interior conversion came from Rock N Roll Campers, who turned an empty shell into something that felt alive — soft finishes, clever storage, a rock-solid bed, and that rare thing in a van: soul.

Later, the wizards at Supreme Conversions joined the journey, fitting the awning rail, upgrading her with Transporter HQ headlights and rear lights, and, most recently, installing the stunning Fiamma F43 Van awning.
It’s the kind of awning that unfurls with elegance, like a curtain revealing a stage — the stage where I plan flights, sip coffee, and wait for the light to get just right.

Inside the Machine

Vanilla’s interior is less “campervan” and more “creative sanctuary.”
Every inch is refined: Crib 5 insulation, full sound-deadening, soft carpet lining, and commercial LVT flooring over solid birch ply.
Her Egger HPL furniture gleams softly under warm LED lighting, and her Rusty Lee ¾ bed folds out like a promise of rest after a long day’s flying.

The Skyline pop-top opens to the sky — the same sky my drones inhabit — a seamless link between my ground base and my flying machines.

Outside, the Fiamma F43 Van awning rolls out to create an outdoor workspace: laptop on the table, controller in hand, the hum of the inverter behind me, and the quiet ticking of a cooling drone on the table beside a steaming mug of ginger tea.

It’s not camping. It’s creative engineering in motion.

Powering Creativity

Drone photography isn’t a 9-to-5 hobby. It’s early starts, late edits, and always chasing the right light.
That means Vanilla has to be completely self-sufficient — and she is.

Her power system is rock solid: an Exide EZ850 100 Ah AGM battery managed by a Victron Orion Smart DC-DC charger and Eco-Worthy solar controller, topped up by her XINGCO 120 W solar panel bonded to the pop-top.
It means while I’m flying over coastal cliffs, Vanilla’s quietly charging batteries, cameras, laptops, and the occasional air fryer.

Add in a Victron SmartShunt (so I can track every watt in real time), a Jackery Explorer 1000, a Jackery 240, an Anker 165 W power bank, and a YABER jump starter pack, and you’ve got enough power for a week’s expedition.

Every drone, every camera, every edit — charged, logged, and uploaded before the next take-off.

Fuel for the Pilot

You can’t create on an empty stomach, and Vanilla’s kitchen is a masterpiece of compact design.
A CAN twin hob and marine sink, powered by Campingaz 907, forms the core of her galley.
A 50 L compressor fridge keeps everything crisp, while a toaster, kettle, and Cadac BBQ handle the rest.

But here’s where the magic happens — the Cosori air fryer and Vango Sizzle Double induction hob.
The air fryer is perfect for hot chips at midnight or golden toasties on misty mornings. The induction hob? It’s quiet, precise, and efficient, perfect for cooking while editing the day’s footage in cinematic silence.

When the Fiamma awning is out and the Vango Faro Air III awning is set up alongside, Vanilla transforms into mission control.
Power. Food. Shelter. Wi-Fi. Everything I need to capture the world from above — all in one parked masterpiece.

Warm Nights, Cool Days

Vanilla handles Britain like a pro.
A Webasto diesel heater keeps her toasty on winter shoots, and the factory air-con cools her down when summer edits stretch into the evening.

Her Transporter HQ 69 mm dimmable LEDs light up the interior like a studio set, while BioLite and Vango lanterns add soft ambience — perfect for working late or simply reflecting on the day’s adventures.

Outside, those Transporter HQ Audi-style headlights — installed by Supreme Conversions — slice cleanly through darkness. Her rear lights gleam like runway markers. Her LV-R bodykit and alloys catch the glow of twilight like a film reel catching fire.

She’s not a van. She’s a silhouette of intent.

Connected Everywhere

Vanilla runs her own internet.
Her ZTE Link mobile Wi-Fi router keeps me online for live drone tracking, software updates, uploads, and the occasional cheeky YouTube binge.
She’s a digital basecamp — blending travel, work, and creativity into one smooth system.

After the flights, I unwind with the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser projector (Beamy) and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (“Blazey”), projecting straight onto the pop-top.
A Bose Bluetooth speaker fills the cabin with music — sometimes Depeche Mode, sometimes silence, depending on the edit.

Vanilla doesn’t just take me to my subjects — she lets me stay there long enough to fall in love with them.

Safety and Smarts

She’s fitted with a Scorpion Tracker, adaptive cruise control, crosswind assist, and parking sensors — because adventures are better when you can relax behind the wheel.
Her systems talk to my phone via Victron Smart apps, and her power integrates perfectly with Apple HomeKit, giving me complete control even from the driver’s seat.

Out There, in the Light

Vanilla has been everywhere my drones have flown — the NC500, Cornwall’s cliffs, the Welsh mountains, the Lake District, and countless nameless lanes that all lead somewhere unforgettable.

She averages a reliable 35 mpg, purrs happily on long drives, and provides the calm between flights.
When I’m parked under her awning, the kettle bubbling, batteries on charge, and the drone footage downloading, there’s this moment — stillness, satisfaction, and gratitude.

Vanilla isn’t just part of the Nix Drones setup.
She is the setup.
Without her, half my story wouldn’t exist.

Her Signature

Her logo says it all — a clean white silhouette with her pop-top raised, VAN in orange, ILLA in white, and below it, her creed:
“THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM.”

That’s what it’s all about — the freedom to chase light, to capture beauty, and to live unhurried in a world that’s always rushing.

VANILLA — The Essence of Freedom.
The road half of Nix Drones.
A creative base on wheels.
A companion built for the horizon.

Would you like me to finish this with a short homepage hero caption (like “My mobile flight deck — the campervan that powers every Nix Drones journey”) and a perfect SEO snippet to link Vanilla’s story directly to your site’s drone photography focus?

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