Jo's Loaves

Has it really been nearly 3 months since my last post?!  Utterly shameful.  How dare I let my life get in the way of much needed literary therapy.  So what’s occurring up at Chez Loaves then, I hear you scream! Not much now I’m afraid, hence why I’ve got a little bit of time to update this blog.  I think I told you on my last post that I was going to have a stall at a new market in Offley; I have to say, it was very successful and mum and I had sold out within the first hour and half so we had an early day.  I also got to meet the very beautiful and charming Jean Christoff Novelli and he was quoted the following day in the news saying that my bread was rarer than a new Ferrari. You can read the full article here:  Jean Christoff Novelli Opens Offley Farmers Market.  I am hoping that it’s not the first and last time our paths will cross…

So that was all very exciting and I was a little bit proud of myself for managing 3 markets in succession. I am very lucky to have a good baker-friend in Hemel Hempstead who very kindly lets me use his mixer, without this, I would be a total zombie, as I’d have to knead everything by hand.  But it did mean that I had to hump carefully weighed out boxes of flour, salt and sourdough mixes and pre-mixes and drive them all the way to Hemel, then drive them all back again, for proving and shaping at home.  So after a lot of stashing away hard earned cash, I managed to save enough to get me a second-hand mixer.  New ones are prohibitively expensive and besides, these things are designed to last forever, so long as you can get the labour and parts, which I very soon found out after I’d bought one from a rogue on ebay.  I say rogue, but I mean something else.  After my first go, the machine whirred and the cogs stopped working.  Being a novice at all this industrial lark, I was convinced I’d overloaded it, as I was informed by the seller ‘buy with confidence’ and ‘just been serviced’.  Well, thanks AGAIN to my baker friend, he put me in touch with a man who fixes them; £120 later and two vital replacement parts (which were absent in the first place!) I was up and running.  So now, I am completely self sufficient and for the last market, which was Hexton, way back in December, I did all my dough from home.  The little bread-orphan in the picture is one of the other great loves of my life, (my long suffering bread-widower husband, being the other).

 In October or November, I had an an article published in True Loaf – the magazine of choice for all members of the Real Bread Campaign.  That’s me in the picture, in the days before I got my precious mixer.

I have made a few updates on the pages on this site, so DO have a little nosey around if you haven’t before and please check out my How To Order page if you are unable to make it to any of the markets.

Very excited for the next market, which is Offley again next Friday – hoping it’s warmer and the snow’s all gone too.  I will be flying solo as my mum who usually helps me out on the stall will be in hospital having a new hip, so if anybody out there wants to give me hand, I would be truly grateful (payment in bread only I’m afraid though, but running the stall is, how shall I put this… “Such Fun!”

It’s half term in the bakery and I have been enjoying spending some time with my little dude.  Recently, for the last farmers market at Hexton, I had some T-shirts made up for my mum and I to wear as ‘uniforms’.  It seemed the right thing do to create a smaller version for my son and I feel no remorse for using him has a human sandwich board, as he truly is my bread’s bread fan.  Just a few weeks ago we had some friends to dinner for a curry and I’d made some naan bread.  I’m sure the teachers at my son’s school must’ve been puzzled to see a 4 year old devour a cream-cheese leftover spiced naan for his packed lunch, but he loved it – nothing goes to waste in our house.

I returned home yesterday to find 50 kilos of French flour on my doorstep, so that I can continue what is fast becoming a bit of an addiction in the bakery – my baguettes!!  I only started making them about 6 or 7 weeks ago and they are very popular.  I’m really pleased as I have been enjoying making little tweaks along the way to master the method and they are now a permanent fixture on my Loaves Menu.

Aswell as catching up with my son and my son’s (my!) friends this week, I’m baking for a NEW farmers market on Friday, at the Village Hall in Great Offley.  It’s from 10am until 3pm and it is being officially opened by Jean Christope Novelli, a local French chef famed for his cookery school and various appearances on the tele.  I think the local press might be there too.  I must say, I am quite excited, particularly as he only lives about 10-15 minutes’ walk from my home and that he might get to taste my bread!No pressure then…  
Next Bakes:-
Friday, 2nd November 10am, Offley Farmer’s Market, Village Hall. 10-3pm, no need to pre-order, just come early before I sell out.  On sale will be:-Wholemeal Rye, Wholemeal Spelt, 40/60, Light Rye, Malted Grain, Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia and Baguettes.
Friday, 9th November 11am, Kings Walden Farmer’s Market, Village Hall. happy to accept advance orders, please by 7pm 5th November.
Tuesday, 13th November  – pre-orders only by 7pm, Saturday, 10th November.
Friday, 16th November 1pm, Hexton Farmer’s Market, St Mary’s Church, happy to accept advance orders, please by 7pm 12th November.

I didn’t think it would be quite this long since my last blog, but as usual, I’ve been very very busy.  My little man is settling into full time school this week.  I was kind of expecting to find large pockets of time that would be fun to fill, but thus far, I have filled every waking moment with jobs that are long overdue.  But enough about my DIY and housework, let me tell you what’s happened since I last wrote.
A week or two ago saw my second outing at the Hexton Farmers Market. This time, I really pushed the boundaries and was offering two new varieties and baguettes; all in all, about 25 more loaves than last time.  Conversely, this is nearly about the same amount of loaves that remained unloved by the end of the day.  At least next time I’ll know not to do as many and it should be easier.  I had more help from my lovely family, with my brother helping me get ready for the big bake, my mum helping me on the market day and my mother in law helping with childcare.  Despite all the masses of preparation and organising, it is a lot of fun and I am looking forward to the next one in about two weeks’ time.  Then in November, there will be THREE!!  Offley, Kings Walden and Hexton (check out my Event Page for more info).

 The inaugural Cake and Bake Show was on at Earls court last weekend and I was lucky to have bought a ticket a few months in advance.  (Apparently they were like gold dust and were selling on eBay for about 80 quid!).  It was to be my day of fun, with nobody to please but myself.  

I caught the 9.10 train into London and arrived at the show in good time to get a good seat at ‘The Bakery’ before the first demonstration.   

Here, I made sure that I got a front row seat each time to watch and listen to my bread heros – Tom Herbert, (The Fabulous Baker Brothers) Aiden Chapman (as featured on River Cottage a lot) and Richard Bertinet (an icon in bakeryworld).  I had some great conversations with other members of the Real Bread Campaign and the Soil Association and as well as getting photos of me with all of my baker-heros, I also had one with the gorgeous contestants of the Great British Bake-Off.  The show was so packed (mainly with women cupcake makers) there were huge queues for the refreshment and toilet facilities; I am glad I didn’t bother queuing up for a drink otherwise I would have had to queue again equally as long for a wee! 

Just this past week, I have started a new keep fit regime at the brand new ‘Inspire’ sports centre in Luton, which has a gym, dance studio and swimming, amongst other facilities.  I’ve never been very disciplined to go to a gym before, but now that the lad is in full time education, I’ve been able to slip in a few visits.  Swimming last week.  Legs, Bums, Thighs and Tums yesterday and today, I went spinning.   Tomorrow, I shall be lucky if I make it down the stairs, my legs are in so much pain.
FOLKS!!  Baking this Saturday as usual!!Please let me have your orders as soon as possible and no later than Thursday at 8pm.

I have returned to Luton this week, after spending a fabulous week away in Cornwall with dear friends, followed by 2 days on a pig farm in Devon with just hubby and little man.  To think that the weather was forecast to be cold wet and rainy, we only really got wet once throughout the entire time; we made it on to the beach twice and were treated to some truly spectacular walks along the coastal path of my favourite place in the world.  Our friends with whom we shared our holiday home also share our view that if you really want to chow down on good food, you need to splash out on good ingredients and dine in. Plus it is a heck of a lot more economical! Unfortunately my waistline has suffered quite a bit and needless to say, when my membership to the new Inspire gym in Luton kicks in next week, I shall be hoping to see if I can shed a pound or two (and not just from my purse).
Whilst I was away, I took far too many clothes to wear; it is really difficult to pack for weather which may or may not be warm/hot/raining/cold.  I also packed a couple of kilos of flour and my starter, so that I could still bake a little during the first week and provide all the bread that we would need.  Obviously, my little sourdough starter had to fed at least daily and follow me from the self-catering ‘cottage’ in Cornwall, to the delightful Devonshire farm – where we were B&B-ing.  I had pre-weighed flour, packed my digital scales and my starter in our farm-stay luggage, so I could continue to feed it.     I chuckled to my eccentric self, wondering what the owners would think when they found a nappy bag in the bin with gooey sloppy mess in… (when you feed a starter, you need to chuck half each time).  Luckily though, the farmer’s wife was no stranger to sourdough and she said that she would take some off my hands for her son-in-law who has had a previous dabble in making sourdough bread.  I have since emailed him detailed instructions and I am hoping he will keep me informed of his progress.

My other little starter that I have to manage is my little boy, who will be starting school for the first time next week.  My husband and I have been talking to him about it and we never know if we are talking about it too much or too little, if he’s worried or happy about it.  But today, we bought him some new school shoes and he’s been happily trying them on every 5 minutes.  I even got him to pose (a rarity!) in his uniform so we could take a photograph.  I am so proud of him and I will miss having him around once he’s tucked up in school.  I’m sure I will come to terms with this milestone in his life and be able to fill the void with a little hobby I’ve been practising tho…

Next Bakes:-
THIS Saturday, 8^th September, collection from Tameton Close
Tuesday, 11^th September, Malted or Focaccia OnlySaturday, 15^th September, collection from Tameton Close, Pre-order by Thursday PMTuesday, 18^th September, collection from Tameton Close, Pre-order by Sunday PM
Friday, 21^st September, I will be at Hexton Farmer’s Market 1pm until 4pm – No Pre-orders.
No Baking on Saturday 22^nd September, I am going to the Cake & Bake Show in London
Saturday, 29^th September, collection from Tameton Close, Pre-order by Thursday PMEtc. etc.

Wow!  I didn’t know selling Real Bread could be so much fun.  When I first started baking, I was so addicted to it, that the the only way I could continue to get my ‘fix’ was to start giving it away so that I could make more and more; the trouble is, that giving away bread doesn’t help with all the equipment and flour I have to buy.  So I became an uncomfortable seller; it’s a bit like standing in the middle of a group of people and saying, “hey, look at me, aren’t I just the best??!!” It sends shivers.

Particularly as in the immediate area where I live, very few people understand about how unnatural additives,  flavourings and too much salt in food can be bad for our health, let alone care. (Although to be fair, just because I know and care, it doesn’t mean that everyone else should care either, I respect that).  So my first Farmer’s Market experience at Hexton on Friday, was an absolute joy.  Wonderfully friendly, like-minded sellers and a gentle flow of interested, like-minded individuals, all there to buy good nutritious food to take home and appreciate what it takes to sustain a healthy body.  With some much appreciated help from my lovely mum taking care of business, I was also able to chat to some lovely people and we are both very much looking forward to the next one on 21st September – check out my Event page for info.

I have a little break from Saturday baking for a couple of weeks, returning with gusto on 8th September.  Please order from me via email/text/phone by Wednesday evening, before 9pm.

jo@josloaves.co.uk
07989 134598

Well I had a good weekend!  I was on the Radio.  To be specific, it was Nick Coffers Weekend Kitchen on BBC Three counties. I was delighted to be asked to be on a couple of months ago and was really nervous Saturday morning when the day arrived.  I was one of 3 guests – Ruth Hurren, owner of Darcy’s, a very successful restaurant in St Albans (just celebrated 10 years!) and Joe Amos, who like myself is a total food fanatic and a very nice bloke to boot. We all had an hour to prep our dishes to present and taste over the airwaves and then led by the absolutely charming Nick Coffer, we sat, chatted and ate throughout the 2 hour show.  It was incredible fun, I loved meeting Nick and my fellow guests and was only disappointed by the fact that the show didn’t have ANY of my song choices to play during the programme.  I guess I must have very eclectic tastes!  If anyone missed it and wants to stick it on whilst ironing or something to see what I had to say, you can listen again through this link:
www.josloaves.co.uk/radio

I also found out last night, that my absolute food hero, Raymond Blanc, paid a visit to the Redbournbury Watermill in St Albans, just 2 days before I had been there! He is opening a Petit Blanc Restaurant in St. Albans and was checking out all the local suppliers.  Just the thought that I have walked in his footsteps, the fact that he may well have seen my recipe cards displayed at the mill, gives me massive waves of excitement; I have so much admiration for this man who has passion in abundance for good food and good ingredients in a way that totally inspires me. Incredible.  I wonder if he’s looked me up on the Real Bread finder on the Real Bread Campaign’s Website? Imagine if he wanted to check out MY bread!  I think I would pass out.
I had visited the Mill to pick up my 4 bags of flour for the coming week; I have to be careful though, shifting 100kg of flour is no mean feat – thank you to my husband for getting it out of my boot and to the Mill for getting it in.  I will be selling my bread at the Hexton Farmer’s Market this Friday, so I am spending a lot of time this week planning and making sure it will all go to plan.  Thankfully, my mum is going to help out on the Friday.  We’d love to see you there from 1pm.  If I sell out, I’m not hanging around! I am aiming to take about 66 loaves made up of my 3 classic loaves, Spelt and also two types of Focaccia bread.
Next Bakes:Friday 17th August (collect from Hexton Market, unless prior arrangement in place)Saturday, 25th August (local delivery 9-9.15am/collect from home 9.15 until 10.30)Saturday, 8th September (local delivery 9-9.15am/collect from home 9.15 until 10.30)

I’m not saying my tasting event last Saturday was a complete disaster, but it was a complete disappointment. around 4 to 500 invitations were posted through doors in the run up and I had less than a dozen people show and most of them were already faithful customers.  I partly blame the olympics;  even though I had to be up at 5am the following day, I still managed to stay up for most of the ceremony – I finally became angsty at 12.20 during Seb Coe’s long speech and turned in before the end – was THAT ever a decision to regret.  (Thanks to YouTube, I have now seen the final glorious conclusion).  So I would imagine that like me, many people were too tired to be bothered to leap out of bed on a Saturday morning to pay tribute to a mad local baker whom they’ve probably never met.  I did feel pretty low afterwards though and started to question whether my efforts are all worthwhile.  As the week has gone on, I realise that it’s not just about the fame and fortune, it’s about me enjoying what I am doing, and I am, so I shall carry on and people can think what they dam well like.  Hurrumph.
Have I mentioned that next Saturday I am going to be on BBC THREE COUNTIES Radio?? Well I am. 12-2pm on Saturday the 11th.  It’s Live.  I will be like Jelly.
And the following week, I will be at Hexton Farmer’s Market on Friday 17th August, 1pm until I sell out.
Today is my lovely husband’s birthday.  After today’s loaves are baked, I shall be chilling with my family and enjoying a lovely weekend.

I can’t believe I have been baking bread at least weekly, (‘cept hols!) for nearly a year now!  What an amazing journey it has been.  I started out pummelling yeasted doughs, I had disaster and success, followed by more disaster, then a few more successes – I now have an amazing method that is unique to ME and doesn’t involve hardly any kneading and no commercial yeast at all.  I have also installed a proper bread oven, albeit a relatively small one.  My garage has grand designs bestowed on it, as I scope out the design of my new bakery in my head.  I have a lovely bread round with lovely customers.  I supply a Cafe in Stopsley Baptist Church, who uses my bread in several of his daily specials.  It’s fair to say, I am a little bit proud of myself but truth be told and also still very anxious as to how the next year is going to pan out.  So HOPEFULLY, my event this week will be an indication as to how things might work out for me.  I am hosting a tasting of all the range of loaves and focaccias that I bake.
With the help of one of lovely friends, I have now managed to deliver well over 300 invitations in the neighbourhood, for this event which will take place at my house this coming Saturday, 28th from 9am.  I hoping to have lots of newcomers as well as friendly faces to support me.  I also must thank my printer, from Diverse Print and Design in Hemel Hempstead, not only for the fantastic design of the invitations, but for also providing them in time and at a cracking rate.
I would be really pleased if I had 30 new people coming to try my bread, but maybe even this is ambitious? I will wrap everything up promptly at 11.30 as I’ve family plans for the day and if it’s raining, there will be shelter under a gazebo.


If you have received my invitation (or maybe not) and are curious, please come down and see me, I am real bread mad, slightly bonkers and I don’t bite.  I expect you to do all the biting… into my bread.

My lack of baking recently was not only my wonderful holiday with my family in Majorca, but also the birthdays of my son and myself. I had some wonderful presents, including some bakery related goodies. I now have a set of scales (mains adapted!) that are better suited to my needs than my Argos special from Salter. I also have lots of lovely vouchers for Bakery Bits – suppliers of bakeware and well, bakery bits! I currently have granite worktops which is lovely to knead on, but it is rather cold and tends to take the warmth out of the dough. So I was given this beautiful solid work board, of huge proportion and look! It’s got my name on it. 

The second big news of the the week, is that I have finally taken the plunge and found an oven that I hope will be a welcome addition to my bakery (which is still my kitchen for the moment). I am collecting it from a lovely lady who has expanded to a new cafe and no longer has a use for it. I pick it up Friday from over 100 miles away and I am hoping to squeeze it into my car and give it a new home. All being well (and clean!) I intend to experiment with it for this Saturday’s bake! Risky, but I reckon it’ll be Ok.


The biggest news of the week is that my closest friend has asked me to be godmother to her three adorable children.  What a week. Does anyone love their life more than I?

It occurs to me that life is way too short to cram in all the things that I would like to do.  So I generally bungle along (albeit in a serial organised way) doing what I can remember that I must be doing at the time.  I have just returned from a fabulous week away in Mallorca with my husband, son and mother-in-law.  We had wall-to-wall sunshine and I didn’t have to wear socks or long-sleeves even once.   Whilst I was away, I couldn’t do any of the things that I do on a daily basis when I’m home.   I obviously couldn’t cook or bake (not possible in a studio apartment).  I couldn’t watch the tele (not that I watch much of that anyway) and I couldn’t web-surf or nosey on facebook – too scared to ramp up data roaming charges.  So all that was left was to finish my book that I’d started 3 month’s earlier, dig in the sand, swim, sunbathe, sleep and eat.  It’s no wonder that I put on 4 pounds.
I was expecting to come back on Thursday, returning straight back to work today, with the prospect of another mad two weeks in ‘the shed’.  But I have had a bit of a reprieve and things have been delayed until further notice. Despite this, it is with some reticence that I may now have a free-er week than I originally thought.  This has thrown my brain into a complete muddle, as all the things that I have been wanting/meaning to do for a long time that have been supressed by the absolute HAVE to do work tasks, are now floating around near the surface all vying for attention.  In isolation, all tasks are not nearly so daunting, but when you add them all together, they are going to take up more time than you physically can give.  For example, my son recently had a birthday (as did I). I have a bounty of thank you notes to write. He and I both have cards to re-read and tidy away/re-cycle.  There is lego to build.  Books to read.  Old toys to recycle and new toys to tidy away.  We have a reasonably sized 4 bed house. I would have to say, two of the rooms (ours and that of the boy) are tidy(ish).  The other two are fast becoming dumping grounds for anything and everything for which we have no permanent home or no time to deal with straightaway. My small hobby bakery business needs my attention, else I risk making it even smaller, although my excuse for hanging back a bit is the fact that my son is only a couple of months from full time education – he comes first.
 A few weeks ago, my mum gave me her 5-string banjo to sell for her on ebay.  It was a gift to her from my Stepfather when they married nearly 25 years ago. She had always wanted to learn how to play.  How ironic that I am now keeping it in my spare room, in the hope that it will strum out it’s first proper tune with my fingers.  I wonder when I will get around to that.
My friends, we are so time poor in this life.  At least I can be happy with that fact that I am NEVER bored.  Maybe it’s a baker thing??
My first baking post- holiday  is for this Tuesday, 19^th June, followed by next Saturday, 26^th June and then every Tuesday and Every Saturday after that.  Please check out my new EVENTS page for details of upcoming events from Jo’s Loaves.