Recently I stayed in two houses (both in France) and went to lunch at another (in London) where the bread was home made.
It is a treat to have fresh bread, especially at breakfast, and it tastes better than bought bread. Mary Killen in The Spectator differs; “like anything which complicates something simple, bread-making machines are judged common in traditional circles”. It is, as you know, not necessary to have a machine to make soda bread but VP makes a daily loaf in her machine with whatever nutritious ingredients come to hand and the result is so delicious that only butter is needed – maybe a smear of Marmite on the second slice. I think Mary Killen should hoist herself off her settee (I suppose she thinks that word is common) and make bread for Giles, who probably lives on Corn Flakes. I almost always have two vases ( gosh, is that word common?) of flowers but I don’t make bread so it’s a treat when somebody does it for me. Just because “Dear Mary” is too lazy to bake a loaf doesn’t mean that my generous, industrious friends should be branded as “common” which, as it happens, they aren’t; they could could sit beside my aunt on the tumbril (see Tumbril Talk) while Mary attends to her knitting.
If you are serious about bread you should get Modernist Bread by Nathan and Francisco Migoyaand published by The Cooking Lab. It comes in five volumes which goes a little way to justifying its £425 price tag. It looks into such important topics as “is burned toast bad for you” and “the biochemistry of a fart” as well as containing more than 1,200 recipes and a comprehensive history of bread-making. It surprised me that ciabatta was only invented in the 1980s when the flour to take the necessary amount of water became available.
(I didn’t spend £425 but I did read Polly Russell’s comprehensive review in the FT Weekend Magazine, 21/22 October.)
Two things of note today: 1. My favourite bread chef where I am currently taking baking classes has just received a copy of the same five volume set on bread – proudly displayed on his facebook page, and 2) my recipe for soda bread is handwritten on Barmeath letterhead.
Could you photograph or scan the recipe and send it to me? I remember that when I made soda bread in London I had to bring flour from Ireland (Odlums ?) Incidentally another reader is taking a cordon blue course and I will ask him if he has any bread baking tips.
I have taken a photo of the recipe, but cannot send it to you as I do not have your email address. I do not believe I can attach a photo to this comment, so perhaps you can email me which you should be able to see as it has to be attached to my comment, and then I can send it by reply.
christopherbellew@hotmail.com and thank you from Wexford.
I hope, dear Blogger, you will share Katherine’s receipt with us all.
I think that it is bread making machines that Mary finds common not breading making itself.