Low Carb Pizza

It’s true. Since the “Repeat Offender” post I reduced the weight of the base to 400g. For this diameter and style of pizza ( Deep Pan Pesda) this seems to be the optimum weight. Same dough, same method as before (about 15 mins high in the oven about 5+ on quarry tile hearth on bottom […]

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 […]

Wholemeal & Honey

That Marcus, he’s not a bad lad, but he can’t break his yeast habit After he baked his Wheat Beer & Red Onion for customers when he did a course with me I appropriated it straight into the repertoire. And as he had seemed pretty pleased with his wholemeal & honey recipe I thought that […]

A Present from Legs

You remember Legs Lazarus, Bethesdabakers own Homeland Security: Well, Legs has been doing her job protecting the borders and this morning presented us with this: A baby rat. Not sure why this made me think of Marcus but here is yesterday’s Wheat Beer (although it was actually proper Czech Budweiser) and Red Onion bread: Two […]

Coca

Finally got round to buying Claudia Roden’s Food of Spain. Don’t need a new cook book but she’s too good to ignore. Especially when I heard she’d got coca recipes in it. Coca is one of those mysterious breads that I never quite believe I have got right because I’ve never seen an authentic one. […]

The Birthday Present

New departure. Last week Oliver came up from Birmingham to do what is basically my new (post “retirement”) microbakery course. Except he doesn’t want to set up a microbakery, and he came to do it … for PLEASURE!!! Hope no one’s feeling too shocked about this. I happened to be browsing the Australian Sourdough site […]

Choc

Some pictures of Chocolate Brioche to make you drool while you wait for me to say something intelligent and informative (some chance). If you’ve bought my book, just modify the savoury brioche recipe by adding a little honey. Cut chocolate into small, chunky pieces and cover the dough with the before you roll it up […]

Asian Fusion?

So I said to Gert, Chef/Proprietor of Oren in Caernarfon, “What you doing next week?” (He changes his menu every week) “Sort of Asian Fusion.” he says. “What bread would you like?” “Laputabrot.” Swedish Spiced Laputabrot to give it its full title, packed with golden syrup, sunflower oil, anise and fennel seed. Can’t see the […]

Evolution

“Evolution, Mama, Evolution, Mama, Don’t you make a monkey out of me” as the song goes. Some people learn by working their way from one end of a book like Jeffrey Hamelman’s “Bread”to the other. I’m not knocking this approach and it’s an excellent book but I tend to develop by stealing ideas from less […]