Voodoo Chile

“2 teaspoons active dried yeast ¼ cup warm water 4 cups plus 1 tablespoon bread flour ¾ cup plus ½ cup polenta 1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt 1 can (15 ounces) yellow corn kernels with liquid 1 egg ½ cup buttermilk ¼ cup dark unsulfured molasses 1 yellow onion, coarsely […]

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Pizza #34

During my birthday romp around Cardiff and Bath a couple of weekends ago I studied the proliferation of celebrity bread books with a sinking heart and noticed that the wonderful Kitchens shop was awash with bannetons, evens lames. At the equally wonderful Toppings book shop in Bath I bought Guiseppe Mascoli & Bridget Hugo’s Artisan […]

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That Dough Again

Nothing to complain about this week I’m afraid. Four books sold to Iceland, West Sussex, Texas and Ipswich, another awaiting confirmation from someone on an airbase somewhere in Turkey. Picked up a bakery consultancy gig. This meant my pizza dough stayed in the fridge for a third day. Knocked it back: Gave it a couple […]

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Come and get me, Copper!!

You know me, never one to moan (inevitably followed by) but – I’m not happy. I might not have done much but what I have done I’ve done without anyone’s help (apart from Sue of course). Unlike The Real Bread Campagne I don’t feel I’m entitled to public money – which is just as well […]

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Birthday

After Valentines: the Birthday! We wandered off to Cardiff for a largely family gathering, onto Bath, stayed a night longer than intended, as you do. Came home and what had our neighbour Steffi left in the fridge? – Only half left this morning.

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Valentines

Gert is doing curry for his customers as a Valentines Day meal so he wanted naan. Knocking out 30 naan  in the course of a baking day is a bit of a feat – it’s so labour intensive and takes up all your kitchen space. Not a good way to make a profit. But, this […]

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Le Pain Quotidien #498

Here at Bethesdabakers every now and then we have to take time off from deep philosophical thinking on the nature of bread and politics to do things like write books, run courses, help people set up bakeries, encourage other people to make their own bread, etc., etc. – you’d really think someone would set up […]

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Real Bread etc.

I’ve been thinking – must be the long winter nights or something. I have been known to have a pop at the Real Bread Campaign – they are a fairly easy target after all – so let’s have a go at being constructive. They got big bucks funding for a time-limited period and you could […]

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Beyond Bollocks

I was idling through the Saturday Guardian yesterday with a nice big log fire roaring against the continuous icy deluge. I was flicking through The Guide when my eye was caught by what I took to be an advert for a tour by a stand-up comedian. Being of an earlier generation I never read these […]

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