The hot weather really got our sourdough starters going - look at this fizzy rye - an overnight ferment.

Pizza party! Sourdough pizza is amazing cooked in a wood-fired oven. We did over 30 for hungry party-goers recently. It is a great way to cook.

Sourdough Demo!

Little Eye baker Malcolm will be on stage at Ness Gardens on September 7th, at the annual Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party. Other foodie demos are from Clare Lara, a masterchef winner, Yasmin Limbert, a Great British Bake-off finalist, and Anju Chandna, local Indian cookery whizz.

Sourdough is alive, so should be a good link to the gardening community....
We will be on stage interacting with the panel members! Could be fun? Here we are with Rachel from Ness Gardens

We ran two Start It Up - Sourdough Breadmaking courses at a new venue in West Kirby, Wirral this week - here is some early feedback

Our new date for this venue, St Bridget's Centre, is May 28th, a Tuesday.

"Hi Malcolm and Deborah

Thanks for such an enjoyable and informative course today. Just been enjoying our efforts at home.

I took a few photos which can be found through this link https://picasaweb.google.com/110243342967114497182/SourdoughLittleEyeBakery?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKnw6t7M6JjF0AE&feat=directlink

Feel free to download them if you want.

You may want to share the link with the others.

Thanks again

Ashley "

More courses at the new venue in May and June, and also at Claremont Farm, our long-standing venue on the Wirral.

West Kirby Farmers' Market on Saturday Feb 23rd (www.westkirbyfarmersmarket.co.uk) - we will bring fruit loaves, rye, wholewheat, multi-seed and pain de campagne - with a new Boule. Also making cheese and nut breads.

Extra Dates for Sourdough Baking Classes

We have added an extra mid-week date on March 25th just before Easter, and the next date will be May 12th. All other dates are full.

 

Groups of 6 are welcome to get in touch to arrange their own class

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!"