Baker My Story

This story belongs to Zak and his Great Uncle Robert.

'It's a tiny tale about Great Uncle Robert

'and all the things he used to do.'

SOUND DIPPED

Now, it's time for Great Uncle Robert to share his memories

and take Zak on a journey of discovery.

Great Uncle Robert is a baker.

He bakes bread and cakes for us all to enjoy.

There are bakeries all over the country and bakers also make

bread that is in our supermarkets, bakeries and shops.

Bakers also make pies and, my favourite, cakes!

Zak, we're going to make some sandwiches.

-What type of bread do you like?

-White.

-White bread?

-Do you know when this bread was made?

-No.

It was made in the bakery this morning at three o'clock

when you were sleeping.

For many years, bakers have been getting up really early

to bake lovely bread for us all. Look at this old film.

That looks like a hard job.

I wonder if their mouths are watering with

the lovely smells of warm bread.

Let's see if they've finished that sandwich yet. I am getting hungry.

Now, put the lid on.

There we have a nice sandwich, haven't we?

We're going to have that for lunch.

Zak, we're going to the bakery to make some bread.

-Would you like to do that?

-Yes, please.

-That's good.

Mmm! What a tasty looking sandwich!

But what exactly is a baker?

People have been making cakes and breads for hundreds of years

Look at these old pictures.

Well, Zak, I wasn't much older than you

when I first came in to work in the bakery.

My father started the business when I was 11 years old and I spent

a lot of my childhood in the bakery just as you have been doing.

Doing things like making bread and making up tins for the bakers and

assisting the bakers and, I suppose, in many ways, getting in their way.

My father taught me to bake, he was an exceptionally good baker

and all of the traditional Northern Irish breads that we make today,

he taught me how to make them.

This is going to be fun! I love bread and cakes.

So, now, Great Uncle Robert and Zak are off to a museum

to make some very special bread.

We're going to see Mabel to see if she's making soda bread.

-What do you think?

-OK.

-Good idea.

-Zak, this is Mabel.

-Hello.

-Hello, Zak.

-Mabel makes soda bread at the museum

and she's kindly allowed us to make soda bread today.

So, let's have a go at it. You get the flour mixed up a little bit.

HE GRUNTS

Right, that's lovely.

Now, Mabel has told us that we put in this amount of salt.

Then, we're going to use the spoon for the baking soda,

cos we can't have too much of that.

We're going to put this amount in. So, you mix...

You mix the flour and the salt and the baking soda now. You mix it up.

This is very simple bread, Zak, and this is

how your great grandmother would have made it many years ago.

That's good, Zak.

'To make soda bread, you need flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.'

Right, don't put it all in, in one go.

Just put it in...a bit more.

All these things are mixed in a bowl

until it becomes sticky dough.

What does that feel like, Zak?

-Sticky and gooey.

-Sticky and gooey.

Then the dough is removed and rolled around in flour.

Just a little bit. That's it.

Get some flour on it. That's it. We've got nice round form.

Then I'm going to cut it into four for Mabel.

There we go.

We've got four nice farls, haven't we?

So, Mabel's going to bake these on the griddle for us.

This is how soda bread was baked in the olden days.

It was placed on this piece of equipment called a griddle

and baked over a very hot fire.

'Wow! That looks tasty.'

Those look nearly ready. Delicious!

-Oh, look at this.

-There you are, boys. You've done really well.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Mabel. Right, Zak, get tucked in.

BOTH: Mmm!

Oh!

Well...was that good?

-That's lovely soda bread, Zak, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

Well done, Zak. That looks fantastic.

This horse and cart is what your great grandfather used

to deliver buttermilk from these churns

and bread to the people in the country.

-Do you know why he used a horse and cart?

-No.

He would have used a horse and cart

cos there was no cars in those days, years ago.

He would have used this to drive with the buttermilk

and bread to all the people in the country.

And look at this old film of horses and carts doing exactly that -

delivering butter and milk just like Zak's great grandfather used to do.

My grandfather's Dandy was a much bigger horse than this.

He was a big, tall cart and when I was a little boy,

I used to stand and do what you're doing now, feed Dandy...

The next morning, my grandfather put him

onto the cart and they went and did their work that day

and, at night, guess what they had to do?

-I don't know.

-They had to feed Dandy.

They had to give him more hay in the evening.

Good boy, Dan.

Good boy, Dan. Hey!

I wonder what Zak and Great Uncle Robert are up to next.

Zak, you look like a real baker.

Are we going to bake some bread?

-Yes.

-Let me see your hands. Have you washed your hands?

-Yes, all clean.

-Oh, good boy.

Today, we're going to make some nice fancy bread.

We're going to make some plaited bread.

This is a nice piece of dough

with fruit and cherries on it. Now, we're going to...

We're going to do this and I'm going to give you a rolling pin.

That's yours and this is mine.

And we're going to pin it out like this...

until it's about the size of a plate.

Good boy. That's lovely.

Now...I'm going to cut it for you...

..into three. One...

two, three pieces. All right?

Then you're going to roll those out for plaiting.

And then we're going to go like this. If you watch...

one over like that.

Right, nice and tight, and one over like this.

And one over like this.

And again. I want you to do this one over like that.

That's it.

We've got a nice little loaf, haven't we?

A nice plaited loaf. Well done, Zak.

We're going to have to bake that and later on,

-we'll eat it, eh?

-Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Wow! That looks tasty!

This is my Dad and we're going to ice some wee buns.

HE GIGGLES

Zak's dad works here in the bakery too with Great Uncle Robert.

-So, Zak, shall we ice some buns?

-Yes.

-Yes?

OK, what do we have to do first?

-We have to put the jelly in, don't we?

-OK.

-Like this.

-Can you help me?

-Yes.

-Do you want to do some?

-OK.

Good boy. That's it.

Perfect. Great job.

-Dad, I'll tell you when to stop.

-Will you?

Stop. Stop. And Stop.

-Perfect. Good job.

-We have to put the cream in.

-We have to go with some cream, don't we?

-Yeah.

-We have to put the cream on like this.

-And stop. Stop.

I'll help you and I can even tell you when to stop.

And stop!

-A little bit more.

-Stop!

That's it.

Zak, what do we need to finish these?

Em, icing.

-And what colour?

-Yellow.

-Yes.

So if I put some icing on here like this...

-can you finish these off for me?

-OK.

Some flowers.

Do-do-do!

OK.

Now that he's made all his lovely buns, Great-Uncle Robert

takes Zak to deliver them to his classmates at school.

-Hello, Zak.

-Hello.

-I have brought you some treats.

-Oh, lovely.

Boys and girls, what do we say to Zak?

KIDS: Thank you!

Right, Ben, you can have a blue one.

What a feast! Save one for me, please.

Don't forget your teacher, Zak.

Mmm!

I wonder how they taste.

Mmm!

Everyone really enjoyed their special treats from Zak.

What a lucky class.

THEY LAUGH

Zak, I've had such a great time showing you my job as a baker.

We went to the folk museum.

And we baked some soda bread on an open fire,

just like your granny used to.

They tasted great.

We patted down the horse.

He reminded you of your grandad's horse - Dandy.

We took a special delivery to my school.

All my friends got to taste the cakes that we made.

I think they liked them.

THEY LAUGH

What did you enjoy the most, Zak?

Taking the buns that we made to school.

What was your favourite part?

My favourite part, Zak, was working with you -

working in the bakery, cos I think you're a great baker.

Aw! That's a boy.

What a fabulous heap of fun.

That was Zak and Great-Uncle Robert's tiny tale

about being a baker.

Now Great-Uncle Robert has shared his story with Zak,

it's time for Zak to start his very own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?