Mad Scratters

“What is a Scratter?” I hear you ask. A scratter is a machine that turns this: into this: And Mad Scratters? Yes, it’s those famous bakers and organisers of baking events, Jay & Joe moon-lighting (or maybe that should be moonshining) as cider makers. I popped over to take a few snaps and make sure […]

It’s Thanksgiving!

It is, of course, one of the most wonderful soakers imaginable – cranberries soaking in orange juice and bourbon for the famous Thanksgiving Bread. On the other hand the killer is pecans at £42.80 for 2.5 kilos. 5.30 start this morning; the things I do for our American customers. This is what the world looked […]

What is it?

Solution coming up soon!

Here is the News/Newyddion

Last week’s bread – the famous Butternut Squash, Sunflower Seed & Chile overall winner at Ludlow lots of years ago: I’ve set up a temporary blog here so that people can discuss next year’s baking weekend. At the moment we’re still waiting for someone to step up and offer to host it. It’s hard work […]

BVM2

First, to establish a bread connect since this is supposed to be a baking blog. Had a friend round for dinner last night. Sue’s starter was a parsnip & cider soup (only half the bottle came my way). This put me in mind of the Nordic Bakery Cookbook that I bought at least six months […]

Found Poem

Jeremy (hope Hurricane Sandy spared you) was talking about food as art. Well, how about this? Harriet Tarlo is a poet and teaches creative writing at Sheffield Hallam University. She’s also a friend of our friend Kathy, a baker and bought a copy of “Bethesdabasics” from me. Anyway she’s written a learned paper on H.D. […]

Cheesey

You don’t need to taste this one, Marcus – just sniff the photo: Gert wanted Cheese Bread to go with a Swiss menu so I did a version of Ben’s. Isle of Man cheddar is not exactly authentic but I did spread the grated cheese on the dough and roll it up like a […]

Still on the Shelf

I thought I might as well cut it:

On the Shelf

When the Bethesda quarrymen built this little house in the 1840s they very conveniently included a shelf in the slate porch around the front door for taking bread shots even though the camera was only just about being born at that time and bakers’ yeast hadn’t been developed. It is most convenient on baking days […]

Paris, France

Just back from a few days in Paris. North Wales would have been proud of the rainfall there last weekend. Interesting question. We all (well I certainly did) grew up in awe of the great French boulangers. I can remember my little heart thumping the first time I walked up the rue du Cherche Midi […]