A trip to the past

I am not a photographer no matter how much I wish 

it was my main profession. 

I am a bread baker and a pastry chef. I am in one of those vanishing professions because I am an artisan baker - I do everything from scratch and by hand. If you know what you want I can make it for you. As long as there is quantity, shape, weight and desired flavour 

I can calculate what and how much ingredients to use, how long it would take (depending on working conditions, temperature mostly) and  I can make exactly what you want. Or if you have a special recipe I can come up 

with a matching bread to enhance the flavour. The possibilities are endless. That is the beauty of artisan work you can create to your hearts content. I am so proud of our wholesale bread list it had 100 different types of bread on it if you cared to choose any! 

But then there is survival and these days the big shops offer much cheaper products and in much bigger quantities very fast and easy than the little bakery around the corner and slowly slowly they are disappearing. As mine did. The unfortunate times gradually killed our business even thought we were working so hard up to the very end. 

And it still did not work out. 

We ordered our flour from France and it was the best bread and pastry flour you could get. The ingredients we used were as fresh as they could be and as local as possible. Every single loaf, baguette and pastry were shaped by hand. And of course there was nothing added in our recipes unless it was needed. Nothing to boost the taste artificially or to make the products bigger. Everything was home made. Literally. 

Have you ever read the labels on tray a of ready made cup cakes? Next time you are in the supermarket do that and remember that you only need 

flour, sugar, eggs and margarine. 

But I am not here to talk about the pros and cons of supermarkets.

We had so many loyal customers over the years. Some of them would come every single day of the week to pick up their coffee and croissants for breakfast and a loaf of bread for lunch later on. Some were coming here for the summer and would order from the US or the UK before they fly to make sure their order of cakes or selection of breads and desserts was ready on time. Those were good times. 

I love my work and I had great fun while I could. It took a lot out me as well because the end was difficult and hard. We worked 15-16 hours a day and still 

we could not make it. 

Anyway, this is a trip to the past. Here is a glimpse of it. 

Blue cheese and walnuts loaf

Mixed seeds

Vineyard bread with hazelnuts and raisins

Sesame rye

Sun dried tomato loaf

Onion and bacon

Olive oil bread

Rustic rye

Spelt bread

Leeks and cheddar

Granary