Something from the Charcoal

Not just bread. We do some fierce cooking in Arcachon. Today was the annual Sole Meuniere bash. Instant serving no pics I’m afraid but it was seriously good. Few days back Sue did a perfect Sea Bass on the grill. My seafood paella also cooked on the barbie was pretty exceptional. But the next day, […]

A Shadow of Ourselves

Sue’s photo of us yesterday morning on the Plage de Pilat underneath Le Grand Dune de Pilat.

Cider Without Old Rosie

Dedicated to afficianados like Adam Newey and Jay Butters. Looks innocuous, don’t it: But Look at the state of her: This is what it did to me, Dear Reader: And only 5.5%vol …

Raisin’ Challah

More Lapsed Catholic than Kosher. But genuine raisin challah with the full complement of eggs, olive oil and honey, T65 & T110 flours. Makes for a pretty neat breakfast: Not one crumb for the the sparrows …

Complet

Saturday night: anglers on the jettee fishing, people watching the anglers fishing and us watching the people watching the anglers from the safety of the belvedere at the end of the terrace. All is calm and languid. The sea is slopping around in an orderly and atmospheric fashion. Fortunately, down the road at Biganos, M. […]

Knot Again!

There’s an olive stall on the market. Not cheap – but then neither am I – and it does the most wicked Greek cured olives: The other half of the dough got knotted:

Next Up

So I went to the epicerie bio and bought some proper flour: Made a dough with 50% of each. Still interested in the idea of a plait being a good solution when there isn’t anything much to support the dough. So I did a turban (if you can call that a plait). Have to say […]

Le Fin du Pain?

Disappearing boulangeries: This was the boss bakery in Arcachon, the one where all your “respectable” residents bought their bread. Been there for years. The big brick chimney for the long-gone wood burning oven can still be seen from the rear. This one had been here as long as I can remember. This one only about […]

Pain de Me (& Him)

Here I am, baker-in -residence, La Chapelle, Arcachon. Not a bad little gaff, of which more later. You will remember that about ten years ago Adam, for journalistic purposes, christened me “the sourdough genius”. These days it causes some people to surreptitiously snigger up their sleeves. Well, let me tell you, I knew some of […]

Heroes

With the obvious exception of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott I gave up having heroes a long time ago. When it comes to bread baking anyone serious should be working consciously or instinctively towards developing their own style so inspiration is one thing, heroes quite another. Here’s my inspiration: One Sunday morning in 1999 or 2000 I […]