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Gift Vouchers, student’s work, understanding sourness……..Newsletter 53

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December 16th, 2019

Dear Panarians,

Christmas approaches, the year soon ends, and this is the last newsletter for 2019. Its Bakers’ Topic is for sourdough practitioners, giving some basic background information about sourness.

Gift Vouchers

It amuses me how often it is said that a gift voucher that enables the recipient to learn a skill or a craft “is the gift that keeps on giving…” It makes a good point, and surely baking for friends and family is a splendid form of giving.

To purchase a PANARY Gift Voucher, visit – https://www.panary.co.uk/gift-vouchers/

Student’s work

Rob Stander came to learn at PANARY earlier this year as he was gearing up to open his cafe in Plymouth. He brought his chef who was joining him for the new venture, and we did two intensive days together. Now they are up and running in their Early Bird Cafe, Plymouth.

Rob explains:  my sourdoughs are made using a dark rye starter leaven into a production leaven, and then I alternate one day a ‘white’ sourdough and the next a wholemeal dough. 

Early Bird Cafe sourdough

More from Rob: “However, in the wholemeal I do add a measurement of rye and spelt to give it a great flavour”. After venting the steam he lets it “crisp up so that I have a medium dark caramel look to top of loaf! As you can see it has a nice lace type texture, but not too lacy! My customers absolutely love our sourdough and have stopped using a major sourdough Baker in town in favour of mine!!!… so really happy about what I learnt in the beginning with you!”

BAKERS’ TOPIC, understanding acidity and sourness

Sourdough bakers will know that there are millions of natural micro-organisms within their leaven, and among them are the wild yeasts and many different strains of bacteria, the most common being the type that are called Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB for short). [read more]

Sourdough bread
Typical PANARY soughdough wheaten from commercial baking day

That’s it Panarians. Have a happy Christmas, and I wish you all good baking for 2020,

Paul

Kneading dough: All you need to know about

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Kneading dough: All you need to know about

Kneading dough

Kneading dough does not mean mixing. Mixing would be an appropriate term for simply gathering together the components of a dough or, appropriately for this treatise on kneading, for making a dough with rye flour, or barley flour, where there is virtually no gluten present. The point about “kneading” is that it is a purpose verb, which refers to the process of development of dough, in particular, dough made with wheat flour. Proper development means initially the formation of gluten, to be followed by the process of teasing and manipulating that gluten until it is a well-formed and stretchy entity. That process is done by the task of kneading.

5 day residential baking courses, all about kneading…… Newsletter 51

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July 9, 2019

Dear Panarians,

Recently, I have been working on setting up some new residential baking courses in Devon. I must thank the owners of the property, Nigel Jones and Tara Fraser, for their friendliness and interest in PANARY bread. We are ready to go and bookings can be taken at Ashley Court, near Tiverton, in Devon.

5 day residential courses at Ashley Court, Devon
The front of Ashley Court, Devon

PANARY now offers two different residential courses. Every spring there has been the course in the vineyard in the Rhone Valley, north of Avignon. We are taking bookings for the next course there in 2020, but unfortunately a cloud of uncertainty hangs over us since the vineyard is for sale. The owners tell me to “carry on” regardless, on the strength of local folklore that says vineyards with wineries attached can take many years to sell.

For all about PANARY in PROVENCE go to https://www.panary.co.uk/craft-baking-courses/panary-provence/

Right now I have the pleasure of telling you about the new one in Devon.

New for 2019

5-day residential baking courses in Devon

First course – November 9 – 15, 2019

Venue

The course is held in a Regency mansion called Ashley Court, which is a family home and a yoga centre. The original Georgian home was completed in 1805, and of great fascination is that this huge house has many original features, having only undergone minor renovations in Edwardian times.

We work in two different kitchens, enjoy our sitting-room at the front of the house, and relax for meals in the beautiful dining room. Upstairs are the bedrooms and bathrooms we use.

Course Details

  • 5-day residential course
  • 6 night’s accommodation
  • meals included, except for two evening dinners we take elsewhere
  • £1,075 per course participant
  • £550 per non-participant
  • Baking tuition occurs on four of the 5 days

Course features

The course structure will feature a different theme each day, enabling many different types and styles of bread to be undertaken, along with their widely different techniques. We shall make savoury and sweet, light and dark, and sourdoughs too. Requests will be taken on the first day, giving the opportunity for students to shape their own programme.

Some typical themes:

  • quicker breads made with darker flour
  • working with sponges and making slow breads
  • sourdough and managing leavens
  • breads of Britain, France, Italy, and Nordic countries
  • festive breads and Christmas baking (November course)
  • flatbreads and pizza
  • yeasted pastries – croissants, Danish, brioche

To read more and place bookings, go to https://www.panary.co.uk/craft-baking-courses/5-day-devon-residential-course/

CALENDAR, forthcoming courses

August

September

BAKER’S TOPIC

Kneading dough – all you need to know

Learn more

Well, Panarians, roll up the sleeves and get kneading.

Good baking, Paul

New courses, autolyse……Newsletter 49

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February 20, 2019

Dear Panarians,

There has been some excitement here as we get into stride for this year. We have planned the new group of courses, the 4-hour PANARY Experience, and in this newsletter I shall list the many Experiences to come as the first three go up on the website. I am hoping my apprentice, Martin, will be active with these Experiences, even teaching some when I am unavailable.

In case you were wondering, “autolyse” as the Baker’s Topic is the name of a type of preliminary mix that precedes dough making.

Such stretch after 40 minutes of autolyse

Calendar

March

April

New courses – the PANARY 4-hour Experience

In a matter of hours, you will learn how to make bread with an unforgettable crust, flavour, and aroma – just the thing you would want to share with your family and friends.

  • 4-hour experience, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Fee per person – £95
  • Maximum number of students on an Experience – 6
  • These new courses are suitable for families
  • Course notes and recipes will arrive electronically when you book on

You will learn:

  • How to make good dough, recognising properly developed gluten
  • The importance of temperature coupled with the right amount of yeast
  • Hand skills for handling and shaping dough
  • udgement of proof, and correct baking

The first three Experiences are ready to go, and soon will be on the website, with bookings going through our newly created shop.

White Bread Experience

In this experience on Saturday 25th May teaches about quality white dough-making, and how to make and bake different classic shapes: tin, cob, stick, plait, and more!

A classic British high tin “farmhouse”

Focaccia Experience

In this experience on Saturday, June 8 you will learn about the ripe sponge that is incorporated in this soft and lively dough; gain skills for handling these remarkable flatbreads; select an array of flavoursome toppings to be placed on your focaccia as it heads for the oven.

British Bread Experience 

For this experience on Saturday 22nd June, Students make two doughs. The Malt Star dough is known as “granary”, which is popular throughout the British Isles. With the white dough you will make the English classic known as the “cottage loaf”, where a ball is placed atop a round base.

technique for top notch being placed atop the base

Join me in a traditional Dorset watermill, and place yourself in the hands of a master craftsman to enjoy this PANARY Experience.  Bookings open soon!

Other planned Experiences are:

  • The Croissant Experience
  • The Bagel & Pretzel Experience
  • The Pizza Experience
  • The Baguette Experience
  • The Ciabatta Experience

PANARY in PROVENCE, April 29 – May 4

There is still one place left!

Buy Our Bread 

BoB (as we know it!) is off to a good start, and customers are popping up for delivery all over the country. For the Thursday commercial baking day we are thrilled with our new customer, Madjeston Milk Station, near Gillingham, which will soon be our biggest customer, taking nearly 40 loaves. Visit this section of the website at –

Baker’s Topic: Autolyse

Learn more about Autolyse

Good baking, Paul

Contact PANARY

To contact Paul Merry, or speak with him, please ring +44 (0)1747 851102, email using ,  or visit our contact page.

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