Slow Rise

Tortoise Uncovers - Yeast in Sourdough

Interesting to hear from one of our shops that they have been approached by another baker who makes sourdough.

Yeast was listed as an ingredient on the label of their sourdough.

When asked by the shop why it contained yeast they claimed "we don't have the conditions for cultivating the sourdough, or a prover so we add yeast instead".

The conditions for cultivating sourdough are patience & a tub with a lid.

The conditions for proving it are patience & a plastic bag to cover the bread.

It's not sourdough if it contains yeast.

You can't rush real sourdough.

Tortoise Uncovers - Anti Staling Enzymes in bread

More inside info about industrial bread production they don't want you to know.

There are no shortcuts to achieving anything worthwhile.

You can't rush real bread.

Tortoise on Tour - Royal Welsh Small Holders Show 19th & 20th May

Our first visit to Builth Wells for the Small Holders show this weekend.

http://www.rwas.co.uk/en/garden-festival/

It's a bit of an experiment for us - it's 50% bigger than the biggest festival we've ever attended, and the first outside South/ West Wales.

Fingers crossed it's a good one. Well, if we don't try, we'll never know...

Tortoise on Tour - Usk Farmer's Market 19th May

Back again this Saturday.

(The two enthusiastic helpers on the stand are my Mam & Dad). 

Tortoise on Telly - 12th May Saturday Cookbook

Saturday Cookbook ITV1 8:30am featuring our 44 hour Walnut Sourdough. 

Tortoise on Tour - Usk Farmer's Market 5th May

Back again this Saturday with Natalie manning the stall and loads of rustic rolls...

Our first celebrity fan

Big thanks to Pam Ferris for her kind email recently. She buys our bread from a fantastic shop called Cantebury Wholefoods in Kent. Her favourites are our White Sourdough and our Walnut Sourdough, which she described as "miraculous". We all need a gold star or pat on the back now and again. Perfick.

Tortoise on Tour - Gorseinon Food Festival 28th April

It's the start of the festival season and we're kicking off with a festival in my home town, Gorseinon near Swansea. Great indoor event with easy parking and easy to find (Junction 47 of M4). Planning on having at least 3 new products ready for the show so it's going to be a busy week...Hope to see you there.

Uncle Philip's tins

When you come from a baking family you have some strange conversations at family gatherings. Got talking to my Uncle Philip at a family birthday bash recently and we were talking about Summer holidays.

"You've got to go to Florida" he said, "fantastic climate out there, warm and humid....perfect for making bread".

"So did you manage to meet some bakers out there?" I asked -(my family has a habit of introducing themselves to anyone involved in baking whilst on holiday).

"No, not this time" he said "but I took a couple of my tins with me and baked when I was out there..."

"What, you packed your tins in your suitcase?"

"Yeah, I didn't take my own flour, what with customs and white powders..."

"But you did pack metal boxes that might look very much like some kind of device?"

"...er...yes...but anyway, the humidity was like having a prover on everywhere you went...."

A baker's family holiday checklist - wallet, keys, tickets, passport, bread tins.

Usk Farmer's Market Saturday 3rd March

Back again this Saturday at the best farmer's market in Wales. We're usually set up by 9:45am, sold out by 1pm and back in bed by 2:30pm...

To order as little as one loaf on-line to make sure you get your favourite loaf, just Click and Collect from Usk Farmer's Market, order as normal on the website and select "Collect@Usk 1st Sat of the month" at the Checkout. Order until 5pm Friday.