It’s a truism that bakers never have bread for themselves (even retired bakers). Apart from miscalculations, you weaken and give the bread you put aside for yourself to a pleading customer who forgot to order. Nowadays, of course, there’s the memory factor – the so called Senior Moment (daft old bat!) And, if you only […]

Can’t remember the last time I bought bread in the UK. Last Wednesday I not only bought a loaf, I went to England to buy it. You’ve probably heard of Elite Bistros run by Gary Usher – half a dozen bistros set up in the past twelve or so years + a pub, all in […]

It’s my old friend 80%, the most useful dough in the book – 80% Hydration Dough. Still mix it in a plastic bowl with an ancient, bent spatula and knead by lifting the dough repeatedly on the spatula and letting it fall back into the bowl under its own weight. No hands in this dough. […]

Walnuts are so common in France that they are just called Nuts (Noix). Nuts (along with seeds) have been virtually been banned in this household since Sue became unable to digest them without suffering excruciating pain. This cuts out quite a chunk of the baking repertoire – His and Hers loaves would be a bit […]

This is typical of my decline. Baguettes started in the morning become a single loaf in the afternoon after a good lunch when I can’t be arsed to divide and roll out the dough. This time it was challah. Mixed the dough for wholemeal challah intending to make three small loaves at 300g each. Come […]

I’m a sucker for unusual celebratory breads. Being perverse, I run a mile from what everyone else is baking – pannetone, bara brith, stollen, cinnamon rolls, Autumn pumpkin bread all strung up with cinnamon stick stalks. Everyone bakes Pan de Muerto for Halloween but what about Pan co’ Santi for All Saints Day? Never heard […]

Well, we survived the 48th anniversary weekend. Come Monday we were down to scraps – if you consider half a duck in a pasta gratin to be scraps. Ready in the bread department there was: Pain Niçoise: figs, sundried tomatoes, olives, garlic, herbs. A fine bread to accompany cheese. Available for breakfasts was Brioche Provençale: […]

This weekend Sue and I are celebrating 48 years of living together – Sunday 13th October is the day but, no need to be that specific, it’s Friday and we’re starting now with a little prepping … The bread was made yesterday already. Pain Niçoise packed with olives, sundried tomatoes, garlic, figs, herbs, and, a […]

Last week we were down in Bath, which is Sue’s home town, for the first time since before Covid. Everything has changed on the restaurant front but she’d done some research and had a little list of possibilities one of which was The Oven, a wood-fired pizza place. Normally I avoid pizza joints like the […]

Had a couple of days in Bath, Sue’s home town, for the first time since Covid. Wandered round taking in the changes – complete new set of restaurants. Took the opportunity to do the bookshops and, of course, I head for the cookery section. No bread shelf in Waterstones but two pizza books. Pull out […]