French baking workshop at Saidels Bakery

The stunning view from across the road. Sure beats Motzkin!

Les came dressed as a French baker, and kept his mustache on for the full 3 hours!

 

Saidels shop

The bakery, modeled on the famous Poilane bakery of Paris.

The wheat grinder. Les has been grinding his own wheat since he was 13!

Taking a look inside the brick oven which Les built himself. He told us that if anything would ever need fixing inside, they would have to wait a month for the oven to fully cool down!

Yeast cultures from around the world. Every night Les feeds them and puts them to sleep. 

Getting kitted out for the workshop.

The dough for the baguettes and Fougasse.

Measuring out all the ingredients, according to Les's formula. Joshua measures the flour.

Benjamin poured the water..

Millie added salt.

Yeasts from Austria, Italy and San Fransisco. Les told us fascinating stories about the lengths that some people go to to obtain just a small sample of bread to grow yeast from.

For example he describes how Ed Wood, author of 'Classic Sourdoughs' obtained a piece of sourdough in Paris, France. 

"French bakers are fanatically protective of their baking secrets and any "overt" attempt to obtain a piece of dough would be doomed to failure. French bakers are perfectly willing to sell you a baked bread, but a raw piece of dough, that is next to impossible. Only by undertaking a "covert" operation of bribing a taxi driver cousin of a baker in the back streets of Paris, did he finally obtain his stash. Even more interesting is what happened when he tried to "smuggle" the dough back into Saudi Arabia. Customs officials there are fanatical about contraband - drugs, alcohol, pornography etc. The piece of dough, which he unwittingly wrapped in aluminum foil to keep fresh, tripped the metal detectors at the airport. He was frantically trying to explain away a piece of smelly, fermeting dough, wrapped in foil to an airport official who did not speak English, was on high alert against chemical warfare substances and who officated in a country where cutting hands off thieves is common practice. Luckily for him, the person behind him was discovered with a bottle of Chivas Regal in his luggage and all attention was diverted away from him and he was quickly ushered through."

Hafrashat Challah. The mixer can hold up to 85 kilo of dough! Les explained in which order to add all the ingredients so that they all mix properly.

Our little chefs were eager to get their hands on the dough.

Rolling out a classic baguette.

Ready to go in the oven.

Joshua decorating his face.

Millie joined in.

Les set us a challenge like in the Compagnon du Devoir, the Bakers' Guild, to create a new shape of bread.

More baguettes! We scored these lines with a razor blade.

Ready to pack up our goodies and head home.

I was so tempted to buy a couple of these for Aunty Anne but they are so heavy!!

Millie with our goodies!

Bye bye Saidels! See you next time!