10 reasons to bake bread (you knead to know)

Todays' bread class was so much fun, what a lovely group of bakers. Some were returners, after the bread for beginners class, whilst other had chosen to plunge in and do what we describe as the part 2 class first. A little more challenging but as we talk you through each stage, it works just as well. 

We started at 9.45 for a meet and greet, a cuppa and a hand wash to get straight into the breads for 10am.

Our venue today was JD Kitchens in Padgate, Warrington. It is a kitchen showroom with fantastic facilities, and when we found out they had the Great British Bake Off NEFF Slide&hide ovens we badgered the owner, Dave Charlton until he let us use them, we were delighted when he finally said yes. 

We couldn't be happier. The ovens, coupled with the instant boiling water from the Quooker tap makes baking and cooking quicker and easier, not to mention speeding up brew time!

We started with a cheese and walnut bread using strong white flour from Nelstrop, a local Miller based in Stockport. It's a lovely flour, quite absorbent so we needed to adjust our recipe very slightly to get the right consistency.

While that was proving we got to grips with a very different dough, which is much wetter in texture, for our Rosemary and sea salt focaccia. This part was the messiest, and the most entertaining!

It is a very different technique to stretch the glutens, and there was a little workout going on to get it to combine and become smooth - but everyone managed and the dough was set in the proving oven to rise.

Finally we had a break, a quick scone demo and a cup of tea, before knocking back the doughs, adding cheese and walnuts to the first, and rosemary and sea salt to the second perfectly risen dough.

Yes, we had brilliant facilities and a proving oven, but these doughs can be made by hand, by anyone - even 12 year old children, with no fancy equipment.

I guess the question is, why bother? Why invest in the time it takes to make a decent loaf?

The answers are plenty, and the below are the ones off the top of my head.

1) Cost; it is much cheaper - a value bread costs £1, while home made bread costs as little as 48p a loaf.
2) Home made bread is more filling, meaning you don't need as much to make you feel full.
3) Home made bread has no sugar, unless you want to add it - shop bought has as much as 3g per slice!
4) Home made bread has less yeast than shop bought which could irritate the bowel.
5) Baking your own gives you the choice to make your loaf with spelt or Rye, which have naturally lower gluten levels - which if you suffer from bloating after eating bread is a big plus!
6) You can change your recipe to add fruit, cinnamon, nuts, cheese - whatever you love and the possibilities are endless
​7) There are no preservatives or hidden enzymes 
8 ) The smell is divine
9) It makes perfect gifts
​10) I am sure there are more pluses, but for me it is the relaxing pummelling that works, imagining the stress working its way out.

Join us on our next workshops 3 October, 24 October and our Christmas bake on 14 November. 
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