Under-Everything-ed

Starter not ready, underfermented, underproved – sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do … Sometimes it seems things become more tricky when you revert from being a small bread producer back to being strictly amateur. Could always be my age of course. When you’re a producer you have your own […]

Kolach for Maryna

Maryna’s a baker in Kyiv and she bakes bread every day. I started corresponding with her after the Russian invasion but I find it hard to know what I can say, what I shouldn’t say and what is helpful to say. So I constantly feel I’m not a lot of use. But bread is a […]

Paella & Things

Today, completely unplanned, I made a seafood paella with stuff from the freezer – raw crevettes, a squid and a bit of cod fillet + prawn stock – always make some when you shell prawns. Plus a couple of new acquisitions: caramelised piquilo and ñoras, both as a paste. Teaspoon of each in your soffrito […]

2 for 1

50+years ago I was labouring in a small works gang for John Laing. One day the agent, who was an obnoxious little man, said to one of the brickies, “What the hell’s wrong with you Jock? This week you’ve dropped more bollocks than a second hand truss.” What made me think of this? In the […]

Baking Hot!

How’s an old gel supposed to stay cool in this weather? You spend hundreds on a deck and parasol: But today she prefers her Old Rosie box (her downstairs one – she’s also got one up on the landing) Legs recommends Old Rosie boxes …

85% Extraction – I Think …

Learn Yourself Milling is progressing slowly. This loaf is a first attempt at sifted and blended flour – I think 85% extraction. Added a couple of hi-tech devices to my kit; two sieves, 80 & 60 microns. The mill is beautifully simple. The top section, which acts as a hopper for the grain, unscrews to […]

T for Texas

Like a lot of other things I haven’t done lately, I haven’t made wheat tortillas. There always used to be a pile of them in the freezer. But the last few times I’ve made them I’ve been dissatisfied – they seem too dry to me and tend to crack when folded. Previous version and story […]

Something For the Weekend?

Brioche Buns – I used to sell these in packs of four occasionally but there’s more profit and less work in selling the full loaf. These are light and delicious and robust – they don’t fall apart as burger buns and are just what the tired baker needs for a weekend brunch. Hadn’t baked them […]

Bolted

Yeah, it’s another boule BUT this one’s historic! Aah, retirement … I’m not sure if it’s possible for real bakers to retire. Even if they stop selling to customers they get the itch to be trying something new. Earlier in the year I started researching coca doughs and the furthest I got was to assemble […]

Minibags

Been baking mini-baguettes of late – all part of adapting to being a mere domestic baker again (even if it has been 18 months already). Great for breakfast; crisp and chewy. And you all know how to revive an aging baguette? Heat the oven to max, run the baguette under the cold tap, bake for […]