Happy Holiday to You
It’s been a great year for Stoneham Bakehouse, and we’d like to thank you all for your enthusiasm. Special thanks go to Pizzaface and The Hive for their ongoing support. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last twelve months; building the bakehouse up from selling a few loaves, to the work we do now, has been hard work; but well worth it. I’m really proud of the way we’ve brought members of the community together, whether participants at workshops, or volunteers. With Christmas ahead of us, it’s time to take a break, to relax and spend time with our families.
So we’ll be closed for a couple of weeks of holiday from the 20th December until 6th January. It means that I, and the volunteers, can have a holiday and recharge our batteries. Have a great festive period, and we look forward to baking for (and with) you in the new year.
If you can’t manage without our bread during our holiday, then why not order extra for Friday, or grab an extra loaf or two at Hove Farmers’ Market on Saturday – it freezes really well. And do remember to get enough bread to make some bread sauce to accompany your Christmas Dinner, or some fabulous stuffing.
Kneading Some Mindfulness
I saw this video on Instagram the other day. It kind of sums up the way baking can be such a mindful act. The process of mixing, of kneading, is a repetitive physical act; but it’s also a good opportunity to be mindful, to take notice and just be.
via IFTTT
A Year On
Last Sunday was the anniversary of our first Stoneham Bakehouse bake; the first time that we got together and baked bread for, and with, the community. A year is a long while, but it seems to have flown by. We’ve baked hundreds of loaves, bagels and buns; and have provided bread for countless members of the community. Another key part has been the work which I’ve done with Hove Junior School, Impact Initiatives Hop 50+, and Happitots Preschool.
In many ways its the most important and satisfying part of Stoneham Bakehouse’s work. I take great pleasure in sharing breadmaking with the wider community; enabling others to benefit from the positive wellbeing effects of working with dough. The other day, whilst working with some children, I had a child eat some bread they’d made. Nothing special perhaps, but for this child it was a real achievement, something of real significance. He has, over the Playdough sessions, become more confident, more willing to try things, and better at working with others. For him, and his teachers and parents, the baking sessions have supported his wellbeing brilliantly; and his (and others’) involvement has helped my wellbeing too. As we get to the end of 2015, and look to 2016, its good for us to be reminded of this core aim of Stoneham Bakehouse.
We Want To Hear From You!
We’re coming up to a year since Stoneham Bakehouse’s first bake at Pizzaface; the first time that members of the Poets’ Corner community got together and baked bread for the local residents. It’s been quite a year, and we’ve established ourselves as a community organisation; not only baking bread for sale and running breadmaking workshops, but also working with children and older people to support their wellbeing through work with dough. Our four initial volunteer bakers have swelled to over twenty, friendships have formed, and we’ve created a great team. I’m really proud to have got the bakehouse going, and excited about the future. 
Stoneham Bakehouse is a Community Supported Bakery, and so we want to know what you want from us. Would you like to be able to buy bread at different times and on different days? Would delivery appeal? We want to hear from you, so complete the survey below and help shape the future of Stoneham Bakehouse, your Community Supported Bakery.
#Wastenot
I watched Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’sΒ War on Waste #Wastenot programme the other night, disgusted at the way our supermarkets throw out all that food. A whole third of food produced doesn’t even get eaten! It reminded me of why we bake to order; we don’t want to be part of that statistic. At the moment our relatively small production number allows us to do this, but as and when we expand we’ll continue to commit to limiting our waste.
Bread is one of the the products which gets regularly wasted; by supermarkets, but also by homes. 32% of bread bought by UK households gets thrown. This is criminal, when bread has so many uses beyond the humble sandwich. It can be used as breadcrumbs, in a bread and butter pudding, as part of a stuffing for your Sunday roast. ‘Real Bread’, that is bread made without the additional chemicals which the mass produced Chorleywood process uses, will last longer. It also goes stale, not mouldy, so can be used for salads like panzanella, or croutons to accompany a seasonal soup.
I’m sure all the bread you buy is eaten, but if not, why not try this recipe for pangratto. Perfect to sprinkle on a pasta or risotto dish to add some texture and flavour.
Ingredients
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 a chilli (deseeded)
3 cloves of garlic (peeled)
3 anchovy fillets
1/2 loaf of stale bread (cubed)
glug of olive oil
Simply whizz all the ingredients together until they are more like breadcrumbs. Add the breadcrumbs to a pan and fry until golden and crisp. Leave to cool and then keep in an airtight container. They’ll last for a good while, and provide you with something to sprinkle on your food at any time.
