What they say about the Little Eye Sourdough Baking Classes in November and December

December course's white sourdough bloomer

"very useful to pick up tips from experienced bakers"

"We both really enjoyed the course and meeting the others and yourself and your wife. We would recommend your course to any budding bakers."

"Great fun, I learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence. The expression “it’ll be fine” will stick in my mind as I had got rather too uptight about following everything in Andrew Whitley’s book to the letter. It was good that the group  were at pretty much the same level of (in)experience, and the group dynamics were also very positive which is always a bonus."

"We had been dabbling, and seemed to always meet the same issues. We now have answers as to why our loaves were inelastic, and a whole better understanding of managing our starters. Our first post course loaves are just cooling now, and are way better in texture and crumb than our previous efforts."

 "The lunch was great with the best bread ever I had since I’m over here. I was very much surprised about the bread we did. It was unexpected. I know sour dough bread as greyish heavy bread with a sour taste ( as you’ll find it in the French speaking part of Switzerland). I didn’t know that sourdough bread also can be light and not at all with a taste of sour. This experience was great."

 "We had a wonderful time, in a really friendly and open environment, with a small group of like-minded 'bread-heads'. The atmosphere was supportive and encouraging, with lots of helpful discussion and educational digressions. Lunch was exactly right, wholesome and nourishing, and just helped continue the 'pleasure in good food' ethos of the whole day. We were pleased that we were able to produce a range of loaves that we would actually pay good money for, and have already had the joy of sharing some with our neighbours. A fully satisfying and worthwhile day, and a great way to spend a birthday!"

The first West Kirby Farmers Market on Saturday 24th

we will be there - with 11 different sourdough loaves, a new banner, and a great bunch of producers. More info on www.westkirbyfarmersmarket.co.uk .
What will the good citizens of West Kirby make of it? How will it compare with Morrisons and Aldi. Will it hit local shops or attract more shoppers?
Time will tell - we will report next week

Baker in Residence, Homebaked Anfield

Little Eye baker Malcolm Williams has been appointed Baker in Residence by the Liverpool Biennial, at the Home-Baked project.

  http://www.2up2down.org.uk/ 

 The project aims to set up a new bakery on the site of an old family bakery that closed a few years ago. We will be making bread with volunteers and local residents, working with the Liverpool Community College to develop skills and some new lines of production - and as Real Bread bakers, Little Eye will be pushing hard to keep the quality up when the realities of selling for a living bite home. More info to follow, and on Twitter in weeks to come

From Wheat to Bread - working with young children locally

We are working with Black Horse Hill Junior School to grow wheat, harvest, mill and make bread. We have harvested our spring wheat, and will soon be planting a winter crop. Next, to mill the grain.

New bakery class dates for 2013:  January 20th, February 17th and March 17th.

 Three of our October class with a choice of bread - we also made fruit loaves and olive rolls.

Sourdough bread with a TEFF starter

Heard of TEFF? It's a plant originating in Ethiopia, with absolutely tiny seeds, that makes a nutty flour a little like buckwheat. It doesn't have gluten, but is very lively and will ferment very quickly, and can be used to make your usual wheat or rye loaves - or added in for extra flavour. TEFF is a very nutritious grain.

I got my TEFF flour from my friend Zee, fermented it with 50% flour, 50% warm (30c) water, and within 24 hours it was bubbling and after 48 ready to use to ferment a wheat loaf. I used it in the usual proportions for a sourdough wheat loaf. The recipe follow.

Sourdough is based on the natural process of fermentation - it is not just one kind of grain, or one kind of loaf - enjoy experimenting! I have eaten TEFF with Zee in Ethiopian cuisine - where it is used to make INJERA, a spongy sourdough pancake. You can buy it from some wholefood or world food outlets, and it is sold in the UK wholesale by Suma.

 1. The Tef starter after 72 hours

 2. The Tef starter and white flour dough

3. The loaf - a bit flat but nice and spongy!

Recipe

1. For a loaf, make TEFF starter up over 72 hours, starting with four tablespoons of flour and water each, adding a tablespoon of water and flour every 24 hours, and keeping warm. Keep in a loose top plastic container.
2. Take 25 grams of the starter, and mix with 110 grams of water, 110 grams of good quality white flour. Leave overnight for 8-12 hours, covered.
3. Add a further 290 grams of flour - white or a mix of white and wholewheat, plus 170 grams of tepid water. Mix into a dough. Leave to rest for 20 minutes and then stretch. Leave to ferment for 4 hours.
4. Place into a proving basket, or a tin, and leave to rise for 2-4 hours.
5. If in a basket, turn onto a hot tray or stone, and pop into a hot 220c oven, turning down after 10 minutes to 200c (fan ovens take off 20 degrees from those figures). Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Turn out , cool, and enjoy.

The starter will keep in the fridge if you look after it - but it is really easy to make a new batch. You could also use the starter to make a pancake batter. Spongier than blinis but with good flavour.

Little Eye at the Wirral Food and Drink Festival

 

We are on stage giving an introduction to sourdough baking on Monday August 27th

www.wirralfoodfestival.co.uk

We will be introducing the low tech, hands on approach to baking embodied in our loaves to a mainstream festival audience. Roll up Roll up get your sour dough here!