BREADMAKING VILLAGE

This, just in from Jane:

This was obviously before her son, Tom, caught sight of them! I wonder how many are left now...

Wednesday 3rd August 2016

Another good session with once again, just the 5 students attending. The students made pikelets:

The students made a mix of plain and fruit pikelets

And sizzlers (cheese and tomato or mushroom wraps):

Hazel's sizzlers put to prove...

And baked!

Jane's sizzlers

Nicola's

And Brian's

The initials serve a double purpose - first of all they identify each batch of bread so that students and bread are reunited after proving and baking, and secondly, I can see whose batch is which when I'm posting these pics! :)

The students also sampled a vegan pancake (s/raising flour and water) and some tempura (in this case fried, battered mushroom) - again the batter was just s/raising flour and water, but made quite a lot thicker.

The group are getting more ambitious - next week we're making a fruit soda bread, focaccia and ciabatta.

Wednesday 27th July 2016

Second session, making Chelsea buns and pizza.The session again went well, with 2 new students joining us, but 2 others couldn't make it.

I do have some pics from this session, but they're on another phone and I'm having trouble transferring them across to my laptop.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

Looking good - both the students and the bread! :)

My local village, like many villages in and around Taunton, has seen a population explosion in recent years.

I wanted to do something for my community - and a communal breadmaking session seemed to be the obvious thing for me.

So I put an article in the local Village News:

Village Bread-making Course – are you up for it?

I have been teaching bread-making in and around Taunton and beyond for over twenty-three years. I know that making your own bread is easy; it will save you money; and it is healthy - you control the ingredients you are feeding to your family. Not only that, it’s very satisfying - and very enjoyable to boot! 

I strongly believe that the process of making bread together is a positive unifying force; shared working and learning allows people to get to know and support one another. It is also an activity that has few age barriers.

With this in mind, I would like to run a weekly communal bread-making course for any one who is interested. It would be wonderful if groups could consist of both long-standing residents of the parish and those who are new to the area.

The course would cover basic breads such as loaves and rolls, but also - depending on students’ requirements - other breads, such as German apple cake, Swedish tea ring, croissants, calzones, focaccia, etc.

Before I go any further, I need to gauge how much interest there would be in such a bread-making course. By expressing interest you would not be committing yourself. The course would be held somewhere in the village and would be on days and and at a time to suit as many of those interested as possible.

If this is for you, please get in touch.

And 7 people did just that! (6 from the article - and one, Jane, saw my message on Streetlife.)


(The Parish Council clerk saw the article and rang me to tell me that there was money available for this sort of project from the parish council. And they've funded the centre costs for the first 5-week course.)

So, on Wednesday 20th July, 5 students (2 were on holiday and intend to join us next week) turned up at Heathfield Community Centre, Monkton Heathfield - and began their breadmaking journey.

As is my wont, I decide what the students will make on the first session - after that it's up to them what they make. So, soda bread and fancy dinner rolls were on the menu.

None of the five had made bread before - except in a machine - and all were pleasantly surprised with their first result.

Next week - pizza and Chelsea buns.
[More to come]