Jane Wyatt’s Beer Bread and a trip to Panary

Wowee!  I had an amazing day on Saturday with Master Baker Paul Merry and a baker’s dozen of Bread Angels!  In the idyllic setting of a beautiful watermill in Dorset, we kneaded, we folded, we baked, and more than anything, we laughed like drains…

I’ve been on a major bread making journey since August 2014 when I made a loaf of Jane Wyatt’s Beer Bread with a bottle of my nephew’s beer.  I was very proud of it at the time, but actually, looking back on it now, it was more like a cake…

Two and a half years later,  I have sourdough starter coming out of my ears, I run a little micro-bakery from Silver Screen Suppers Towers once a month, and I sell my bread at the Hammerton Brewery on their open days:

Let’s face it, I am now a total bread head.  So a day spent with fellow Bread Angels mucking around with dough was total bliss.  Here are a few pics…

Workshop organizer supremo Gaye with the “Bluey” – never, ever put salt in this.  Salt goes in the “Greeny”!

Master Baker tools – how do I search for these on eBay?  I WANT ONE….

 

My own darling personal Bread Angel Juli was there, seen here with Adri – Columbo fan alert!

 

Errant currant!  Errant currant!

 

Beer barm – my new obsession…

 Note to self from post-Tudor-era baker, just back from a trip to the local brewery on his horse…

 

This is how we do it!  Note diagram in flour, and BIG PIN in foreground

Lunch!

 

Warming their beautiful bread making bums by the oven – Ma Baker and Juli Farkas 

 

Chelsea Buns rock!

Happiest person in the world?  Joyful Jessica.

 

FLOUR PORN!

 

I live in London, I never see stuff like this….

 

Watermill action

 

Where flour comes from

 

Stoneground flour is best

 

If I really concentrated, I’m probably at the point where I could ALMOST understand bread maths….

I loved it when it all went completely silent when Paul showed us his shaping techniques

and finally… 

Never doubt the dough.  The beer barm dough that we all thought was buggered, was in my handbag in a plastic bag for 24 hours, but when I got back to London I coaxed it back to life and BEHOLD

a little bit of Panary in North London!

I cannot recommend Paul Merry’s courses highly enough, nor those run by the Bread Angels.  If you spend any time at all with any of these people, your life will be immeasurably enriched.  

Thank you Jane Wyatt for starting me on this amazing MANIA for bread making.  Thank you Gaye Whitwam for organising this totally inspiring and joy making trip to Panary.  Thanks to Paul Merry for sharing your amazing knowledge, skill and humour.  It was a totally brilliant day.  Can we do it all again next year please?