Paul Merry has been involved with craft baking and masonry ovens for over thirty years, and has been teaching courses for fifteen years. When he is not teaching he is a consultant in traditional baking or is dealing with his French wood-fired ovens.
An Australian, he had his own bakery with wood-fired oven outside Melbourne, where he enjoyed for over a decade the life of the village baker in an appreciative community.
He considers that the step from being a master of your trade to becoming a teacher and a consultant is a natural and easy progression. “During the years I was in my bakery I enjoyed having apprentices, and to watch them flourish into competent bakers was deeply rewarding. I have always enjoyed teaching my craft, and now I see it as a worthy duty given that the craft itself faces extinction unless others are persuaded to put the clock back to allow time for fermentation and the proper handling of dough.” Customer Comments Just a short note to say thank you for Friday's course. Despite having lots of loaves from Friday's baking, I decided to make some more loaves on the weekend while everything was still fresh in my mind. The result (see pic below) is ten times better than anything I have made before, much lighter and with a much better crumb and texture. I feel that I have really moved forward and, for the first time, that I am making proper bread. Thanks again, and best wishes for the future. p.s. The whole family agrees that Michael's flour (we tried the granary for this batch) is absolutely delicious! I had the joy of attending Paul's "basic" one-day bread making course at his rustic premises near Shaftesbury, in the water powered flour mill. Paul greeted us warmly and we were quickly introduced to flour's water absorption, kneading, shaping, and secrets such as bubbling, tightness, dough temperature etc. His wealth of knowledge, passion, humour and genuine people skills meant we all left the day with armfuls of bread and deeper respect and appreciation for a commodity which is so undervalued relative to the amount of nurturing, artistry and alchemy that goes into its production - truly British, slowly grown, beautiful, golden bread. I heartily recommend Paul and a PANARY bread making course to anyone. If you want to know how to make real bread, then Paul Merry, a master baker with boundless enthusiasm, is your man. In the beautiful setting of a working watermill in Dorset, his PANARY courses are empassioned weekend workshops where bread is made and discussed in equal measure. Around the long, central table that fills much of the classroom, beginners and aspiring artisan bakers alike weigh, measure, mix and shape under Paul’s watchful eye. He carefully explains baker’s percentages, the importance of slow fermentation and the need for good flour. At least 20 per cent of the people in these courses are professionals in food in some way; but most students are household bakers who want to get better. He says: “ I find it a real pleasure to teach. First of all, I enjoy sharing my knowledge. That’s the principal thing. The second is that I like the contact with the different people who pass through my hands”. If you have any inclination at all towards baking, I recommend making sourdough yourself. Paul Merry’s PANARY courses in Dorset are an excellent way to start: he has a knack for demystifying a process that is sometimes overcomplicated in bread-making books. Next come bridge rolls made with the whitest of white steel-ground flour and enriched with butter. Under Paul’s encouraging eye and through his clear remarks we learn about different types of flour, how to shape cobs and bloomers, and to roll up pan loaves tightly. We make rye/wheat mixtures and use the giant mixer to create a dough for cottage and farmhouse loaves. We form the bridge rolls with delight and the plaited loaves with even more. Our confidence increases and so does our bantering…..Paul is an excellent teacher… “Paul Merry is a calm and patient teacher, good at confidence building, and offers an endless stream of vivid insights into the mysteries of yeast, gluten and kneading, on the principle that the more you understand, the better the chances of you doing things right.” “You taught us a lot in a very short space of time: how to prepare, work, and handle dough. The course itself was excellent. We all had a good time and I certainly came away with a much better understanding of the breadmaking process.” “I cannot recall ever having returned home from a course bubbling over with so much enthusiasm. I can hardly wait to put into practice what you taught me. My wife’s reaction to the bread I brought back was that it reminded her of how bread used to smell…..” |
