It’s Real Bread Week and we are showcasing some of our superb artisan bread makers. It’s also a perfect excuse to make your own bread, which can be very simple to do – starting with this no-knead bread from Ballymaloe which is delicious, to creating your own sourdough starter, and adding all the fancy things.
However, Real Bread is essentially a combination of flour, yeast, water and sea salt. I find it a bit depressing that we need to have a Real Bread week when you are dealing with such a simple, fundamental product, but the amount of rubbish in some loaves of bread is shocking, with mold inhibitors, emulsifiers and preservatives. So, it’s time to enjoy a really good loaf of bread, made with a few simple, quality ingredients, using skill and time for the finest results.
- Bread Addiction. Founded by Ladi and Nicola, Bread Addiction is based in Southsea and has established a fantastic following. Their bread is made with organic Shipton Mill flour and is a classic sourdough, fermented day and night to give a substantial crust and a bouncy, welcoming crumb. This would be my luxury item on Desert Island Disks. You cannot get bored of this bread, it is so fundamentally good. We get their white, brown, seeded and pumpkin loaves and Ladi delivers it himself on Friday mornings. (I’m trying to persuade him to come twice a week, maybe we’ll start a petition?
- Sodt Bakery – Started by Troels Bendix, a Dane who started an artisan bakery in London in 2001 before moving South, this bakery has wonderful Danish, rye-based breads. We currently get a small delivery of their breads and pastries on Thursday mornings, so you need to pre-order, but we are hoping to increase our range and frequency. =
- The Hungry Guest – with their shop in Petworth, the Hungry Guest is an impressive operation and delivers daily. With a selection of slow doughs and sourdough, their Pain D’Alsace is pre-sliced and delicious toasted.