GUEST BLOG: Day job

By guest blogger JULIET LAWSON

Today was the launch of our new, improved and extended bread ‘all-dayer’, Our Daily Bread. What a change of pace for our volunteers from the frenetic half-day course! 

They say the fifth vital ingredient (after flour, water, yeast and salt) in bread is time, and the extra time today gave the participants the chance to perfect their kneading technique, to get one-to-one advice from Rob about their own particular breadmaking foibles, to learn all about sourdough (and savour some of the sourdough loaf which Rob brought in to try, spread with rich butter), to find out more about the science of breadmaking, and the politics, and how to vary recipes to suit your own tastes. 

We learnt all about bio-availability of nutrients (look it up!) and the autolysis stage, which still makes me think of little yeast cells waking up, rubbing their eyes, having a gentle stretch and a snack – it makes perfect sense!

Everyone went home with enough bread for a week - a perfect loaf, a lovely rye bread boule and some fragrant, savoury focaccia stuffed with sundried tomato and olives and topped with rosemary, red onion and crystal salt - together with a full-colour 26-page booklet containing everything they need to know to help them develop their breadmaking skills further at home. The smells were intoxicating. And a delicious homemade pizza was served at lunchtime, with a tasty and nutritious faro grain, golden beetroot and coriander salad. What a great way to spend a rainy Saturday!

Check out the Cracking Good Food website for details of our upcoming bread making courses in Chorlton and Prestwich, and have a look at our Facebook page for more photos from this session.