Homemade bread and micro bakers

In the late 1970's Britain faced bread shortages as Bread Delivery men and women across the country went on strike. I don't really remember much about the strikes but what I do remember is the smell of fresh bread baking in the kitchen and watching my mother as she made loaf after loaf over several days. I also recall holding warm slices of bread in my hands and watching the butter melt into it as I took a bite. Fresh homemade bread with butter is surely one of the simpler pleasures in life.

Making bread at home, although very satisfying, can be too time intensive for many people to fit into their busy lives. So most of us will pick up a loaf or two during our weekly shop. But did you know that the majority of modern bread is made using the Chorleywood Bread Process? The Chorleywood Bread Process was developed by the British Baking Industries Research Association in 1961 at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire. The process allowed lower quality and lower protein wheat to be utilised by mixing greater quantities of yeast and food additives into the dough at high speed. As the mixture took less time to bake it was hailed as the most effective way to produce bread. 

In recent years some people have questioned the amount of additives and preservatives in their daily loaf and wondered if it was contributing to the rise in digestive issues. Organisations such as the Real Bread Campaign are leading the campaign to make real bread 'available, accessible and affordable for everyone' who would like it. They are also calling for a change in the law to make marketing and labelling clearer so that all consumers can make informed decisions about the bread they buy.

In response to those consumers looking for good quality, locally made, healthier bread, micro bakeries are springing up all over the country. This is more than a passing trend and organisations such as The School of Artisan Baking and Bread Angels offer courses that cover everything you need to know when setting up your own bakehouse.

Last year I took an eight week basic to baker course with Leiths Cookery School to brush up on my baking knowledge as well as learning new skills and recipes. My favourite was the sourdough and several months down the line I'm still finding the time to bake a couple of loaves a week, well most weeks anyway.