Does bread have ears? Handmade bread often has an ear, but may have several! The ear is the flap where the bread has lifted up, and it has an important function. That’s why enthusiasts like me, are often fascinated by the ear. The art of scoring Just before baking, a razor blade is used to slash the dough. A sourdough...
I’ve started baking with spelt recently, and am thinking of adding it to the meny at the micro bakery. I love emmer for it’s unique nuttiness and robust flavour, but it’s difficult to work with and makes a thick crust. Spelt results in an incredibly soft, spongy crumb with and a thinner crust. The mellow-sourness imparted by the long cold...
Halloumi cheese, made properly, has a slightly nutty flavour and a marvellous depth of flavour. Unfortunately, since cheese is usually sold by weight, most of the cheese you can buy in the shops is mass produced in a way that gives a tasty enough cheese, but it lacks the complex flavour profile that traditionally hand-made cheese has. I’m very lucky...
Located in the cosmopolitan district of Grünerløkka, Calmeyer hjemmebakeri is a micro-bakery. You can buy sourdough bread, baguettes, chapatti, bread rolls, pita bread and more. The bakery is bespoke – all bread is baked to order. No machines are involved, everything is hand made. Bread sold from my bakery is baked exclusively with organic flour. The wholemeal flour that I...
Sourdough bread has a unique flavour. Sometimes, that flavour can cancel out the delicate flavours of your topping. My favourite tin loaf is 20% wholemeal, and uses the ancient grain spelt along with a coarsely milled wheat flour. I recommend at least halving the amount of instant yeast in most recipes. Let the dough rise slowly instead. This tin loaf...
There are so many advantages to mixing the dough by hand. When baking, you can feel the temperature of the dough right from the start. When mixing by hand, you will also feel the stickiness subside as time goes by. Working the dough adds water, or hydrates the flour, allowing the gliadin and glutenin mini-proteins, or peptides, to swish around...
Sourdough is delicious, but honestly, most people eat “normal” bread that has been leavened with instant yeast bought from a shop. Many people make bread like this at home. I like mine to be light and fluffy on the inside, and dark, caramelised and crunchy on the outside. This is everyday sandwich bread for a good reason. The flavours don’t...
The name alone, will either have sent your salivary glands into overdrive, or had you scratching your head! Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish originally from Yorkshire. Yorkshire pudding batter (made with flour, eggs and milk) is poured around real pork sausages and baked in the oven. Served with onion gravy and vegetables, this hearty meal offers...
These flatbreads have many names, and various spellings of the same. Most people call them chapatti or roti. Soft, pliable and fairly dry, they are a filling accompaniment for many Indian dishes or stews. They make an excellent substitute for rice, and can be used to lift vegetables, small pieces of meat and sauce instead of a fork. Original chapatti...
You know when you’ve eaten scrumptious homemade pizza, and there’s room for just a little bit more…? At that moment, something sweet yet filling hits the spot. I have two favourites. One is an apple and rhubarb pizza: spread apple purée or jam on the pizza base as if it was tomato sauce. Top with peeled and finely chopped rhubarb...
What a magical transformation!! Flour, water, salt and yeast. This time, I used commercial yeast. Honestly, sourdough pizza is a lot of work, and while it’s my favourite, I don’t always have time. No other ingredients are necessary and I rarely use any others, but it’s up to you. If you want to ensure you get a dark crust with...
Sourdough baguettes are great fun to make. They should always be made with 350g dough, whether rolled long and thin or short and fat like mine are. The baguettes in the picture above have lovely ears (read about them elsewhere). These baguettes were made with enkorn, an ancient grain, rye and stoneground plain flour, starter culture, salt and water only....
A hand-made country-style loaf, 20% wholegrain, is something that cannot be made by machines. The process from start to finish took just over 36 hours for this loaf. The mixed and developed dough was shaped then allowed to ferment slowly and gently in the fridge for many hours. You don’t need me to tell you that: the tiny blisters on...
