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| Posted by: Cecilia |
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 9:03 PM |
Cumbria is at the heart of the Real Bread Campaign, which was initiated by Melmerby resident Andrew Whitley, author of the acclaimed book Bread Matters. This truly inspiring book, which includes both a comprehensive look at bread and the baking industry as well as excellent recipes and tips for home bakers, is now out in paper back, and can be bought online.
Andrew, who founded The Village Bakery (today owned by Bells of Lazonby) believes that consumers are being cheated of much nutritional value in today's mass produced breads. The campaign is promoting bread which is made in a sustainable way and with all the inherent nutritional value of good flour and natural ingredients kept in and additives kept out. The Village Bakery has a great shop and restaurant, well worth a visit.
Just down the road from Andrew's home is another Cumbrian champion of real bread. At the Watermill in Little Salkeld, Nick and Ana Jones mill organic flour in an old water powered stone mill.
They source their wheat from biodynamically registered growers, and this is key for the quality of the end product. "With mass produced flour, the profit for the bakers is in how much air and water they can get into the loaf. The higher the gluten, the more the dough rises; the more air and water it holds. And the lighter the loaf", says Ana.
The actual stone grinding process in itself also adds to the quality of the Watermill flour. In modern mills, high speed rollers are used to grind the grain, and one of the constituents of the wheat which generally ends up being taken out in this process is the wheat germ. The wheat germ is what makes the grain sprout, and it has high protein levels and a lot of oil, and gives the flour a nice, nutty flavour. Many local bakeries use flour from The Watermill and you can also buy it in many local shops, including Booths Supermarkets. If you are interested in seeing how the flour is made, contact the Watermill for a guided tour. Or just visit their excellent tearoom and shop.
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