Broa, Eric Kayser & Louis Armstrong

First off, Happy Birthday Louis Armstrong, the greatest jazz trumpeter ever, born this day 1900. So we are working our way through the Hot Fives & Sevens – the bakery is jumping while I knock out a variety of bread and a bunch of baguettes for a wedding Gert is doing tomorrow. The amazing thing […]

Zwiebelkuchen

Thank you Maggie. Back at Bethesdabakin’ at Mair’s Bakehouse she gave me a recipe for Zwiebelkuchen, onion cake so I could make it for my neighbour Steffi’s mum when she came over from Germany to visit. Steffi’s mum duly arrived and I think I can say the Ziebelkuchen turned out pretty well.

Debunking Seigle d’Auvergne

A lot of people tried out Seigle d’Auvergne from Dan Leader’s Local Breads after it came out in 2007. It was almost like a benchmark of authenticity. Americans seem to have too much reverence for European authenticity – I know that’s a shocking generalisation but that’s the way it can feel. Anyway, he presented this […]

Seriously, though

As you might have noticed, I find it difficult not to be flippant about things. But, if you could have come to Bethesdabakin’ at Mairs this year and didn’t you should consider the matter before next year comes around. Ignoring the venue and set up this year, where else could you spend two days baking […]

Pain Quotidien #929

It’s not my fault – I don’t do sport. Gert wanted Portugal so it had to be Broa. Pleasant enough and the right shape for a rasher of bacon. Also did Pear & Rosemary Focaccia – a real looker:

Swampy

No, it’s not a flatbread. Well, it is but it’s not supposed to be. My attempts to be bold and innovative at Mair’s could politely be described as “a work in progress”. The latest edition of “Breadlines”, the Bread Bakers’ Guild of America’s quarterly journal has a recipe for Linseed bread from Steve Scott […]

Marcus T Shirt

You know me, black T shirt whatever the occasion to the extent that some people think I’ve only got one. Some of your younger bakers however can be quite brash. We’ve already seen that young tearaway Adam but here’s even younger Marcus making a fashion statement (I think): What’s more he’s got at least two […]

Ben’s Sandwiches – for Jeremy

Here’s a wonderful picture of Ben looking like he’s trying to work out who nicked his starter. Someone obviously returned it safely. Poor old Ben was a bit upstaged in the two-wheels department this year by Adam’s heroic journey by scooter. But here’s a picture of his sandwiches in the course of construction for the […]

Pain Quotidien #937

Life isn’t all baking weekends with chums, you know. There’s the day job to consider and Thursday was the day. Ben reminded me at the weekend I hadn’t done Seigle d’Auvergne for a very long time. Never mind your roast beetroots, pink peppercorns, nettles, etc, Seigle d’Auvergne reminds you what real bread (no, not Real […]

That Joe

I knew something was afoot when Joe came through to the kitchen from the bakery and asked Maggie if she had an apple corer. I thought to myself, what’s he up to? I bet it’s nothing to do with apples. Next thing, back in the bakery, what’s he doing with jam in an icing bag […]