100% wholemeal rye is strange, primeval, wonderful stuff. It doesn’t seem to have any connection with wheat bread and, in my book, it’s a mistake to try to treat it as though it does. I developed my own baking method years ago: very hot oven for 15 minutes followed by 45 minutes moderate heat, then […]

Every five years, just after New Year, I think, “When’s Epiphany?” and then, “Rosca de Reyes!” and then, “Is it Mexican or Spanish?” and then “Which book does it come from?”. Just look at this post from January 2017. The situation is exactly the same this year. I write out the formula OK and think […]

A couple of years back my Christmas bake looked like this. This year I baked two Brioche de Noel and two Torth Nadolig. One of each went to friends and this is what remains. They both lead a double life. On the right, Brioche de Noel which in other circumstances features as Brioche Provencale. A […]

Lunch Monday before Christmas? Dough already in the fridge 36hrs? Three spare sausages looking for a role (or a roll)? Gotta be Peter Reinhart’s Garlic Lovers Italian Sausage – deep pan pizza. 300C top and bottom, 17 minutes 35 seconds.

The antidote to Storm Barra which is battering us for a second day. Lovely gentle and simple recipe from Barney Desmazery on BBC Good Food. I used scrag-end and pearled spelt in the absense of barley. 90 minutes @ 150C top and bottom in the Pico. In the fridge over-night and reheated as the rain […]

First deep-pan pizza/focaccia in the Pico. Sort of Peter Reinhart’s Potato & Bacon Focaccia. 8 inch square tin, 400g of 72 hour dough studded with small cubes of cheese. Before baking, layer of crisp bacon topped with layer of very thin potato slices that have been steeped in herb oil. 300C top and bottom. Reduced bottom […]

It do say “Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey” but in fact it’s the first edition of Bethesdabakers Red Wine Vinegar. Boy was it hard work to make. I had to put some good quality raw cider vinegar in the bottom of a large preserving jar and add odd bits of red wine till there was a […]

Nothing went the way it was supposed to go with this pizza. Starting with the dough. I usually mix an 80% hydration dough which has its origins in the Cheese Board Collective book and it lives in the fridge for at least a couple of days before I start using it. Half way through mixing […]

You can’t really be comfortable with a new oven if you’re still in awe of it, it has to become more matter of fact. Anyway, it bit me: so now I’m starting to treat the Pico as just another, though impressive, piece of kitchen equipment. It can’t just be exclusively a bread oven. But if […]

Seem to have settled down to 250C top, 220C bottom for loaves in the Pico. Cleaned the oven window to appease the Pico gods after they bit my arm a few days back. Didn’t have any more aggravation from them with yesterday’s Butternut Squash. No sunflower seeds or chile flakes this time just a good […]