0:00:06 > 0:00:08Tom Herbert's a baker.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20His family have been baking bread in Gloucestershire for five generations.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Morning.
0:00:27 > 0:00:35Last year, Tom baked the loaf that won first prize at the National Organic Food awards.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This year, he's determined to win it again.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41A whole host of people want to win this competition.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43But not as much as me.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47And Tom wants to do more than just win the award.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50He's passionate about hand-made bread.
0:00:52 > 0:00:5998 per cent of bread consumed in this country comes from several large factories that
0:00:59 > 0:01:04make stuff that doesn't deserve to call itself bread. There's a whole
0:01:04 > 0:01:06new generation of customers and consumers
0:01:06 > 0:01:12and people that have only been used to this plastic-wrapped pap.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15When you open the bag it smells of vinegar. What's that about?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18It's about making sure that more people have a choice.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23More people need to understand that this stuff is life-enhancing.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25This should be people's birthright.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28It smells so good.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35On his quest, Tom will find out how one group of people
0:01:35 > 0:01:39has kept bread at the heart of their lives for generations.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46He'll hunt out the right ingredients.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- To touch it it's like silk. - Isn't that beautiful?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And find out whether the judges think he's succeeded.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Actually, it is quite sour, isn't it?
0:01:55 > 0:02:00If he does it, Tom will have created his perfect loaf.
0:02:17 > 0:02:25Tom Herbert's family bakery has been producing hand-crafted bread in the Cotswolds for almost a century.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30As a child, he learned how to bake with his father and grandfather,
0:02:30 > 0:02:36and at 16 he started an apprenticeship to become a master baker.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45This is without doubt the best toast in the world.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It's made from overnight dough.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It's made to the same recipe as my great-grandfather used.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56This is his bakery just outside Cirencester.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01It's called overnight dough because the dough is left in great big bins, just like these ones.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05He'd sleep on top of it, and long before the cock crowed
0:03:05 > 0:03:08the dough would rise, tip him off, he'd get up, start baking.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Tom has two months come up with a brand-new recipe for the competition.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19But he also wants his loaf to get the public's vote.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25# I ain't no baker
0:03:27 > 0:03:30# But I know how to bake... #
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Excuse me. What's your idea of a perfect loaf?
0:03:36 > 0:03:37A perfect loaf of bread?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- Yeah.- Something where you know what's in it.- OK.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Excuse me. What's your idea of a perfect loaf?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- A perfect loaf?- Yeah.- Fresh, soft,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55with just a nice kind of bit of a salty taste to it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- Brown, white?- I like white but I can eat some browns, like granary.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Do you ever make your own?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- No.- So, granary, salt...
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- With a bit of a nutty, salty taste to it.- All right, thank you.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10Excuse me.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Excuse me.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- What bread do you love? - Bread? Brown, wholemeal bread.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21You cannot beat that.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27# Oh, bread, bread... #
0:04:27 > 0:04:32I like wholemeal because, because it doesn't give you constipation.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I'm prepared to say that on camera.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- That's really weird. - What's your perfect loaf?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39I like white bread, personally.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42White bread is really nice, it is, but it just clogs up your guts.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Just have some fruit once in a while.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Something, something real, nice and fluffy, a lot of flour on the top.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Bread? One with plenty of taste, well risen, no artificial taste, and definitely unsliced.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Why, why all those things? - Because I make my own bread.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Do you? Great, thank you.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01It's got to have a good crust.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03And be soft inside.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- Soft inside?- Brown, but no bits.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- Brown and crispy.- Yeah?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- It's white.- White?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16And does it come in a packet or do you make it yourself?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- In a packet.- What do you put on it?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- Butter.- That's it? Taste it?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Yes.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- And cheese toastie.- Cheese toastie, mm-mm. You're making me hungry.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Today, there's a lot of different loaves to choose from.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37But it wasn't always like that.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The British have been baking bread for more than 8,000 years.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Tom wants to know if there's anything he can learn from our ancestors.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00He's come to Cornwall to meet archaeologist Jacqui Wood.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- Hello, Jacqui. - Hello. Nice to meet you.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Nice to meet you. What a place.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09She's built her very own Iron Age village.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12We're going to do a bit of, cook a bit of bread.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15We're going to bake in there.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20That's our oven. It's called a bank oven because it's cut into
0:06:20 > 0:06:23the banks so you've got a nice bit of insulation around the outside.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- While that's heating you might - as- well put something on the top.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- So you've got a hob and an oven? - That's right.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30It's like a dual purpose cooker.
0:06:30 > 0:06:36In pre-history you get really mean about wood, because you use so much of it when you're cooking.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40This was made out of dried elderberries.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43How long ago did you make that? Does it take a while to rise?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- Yesterday.- OK, so, kind of a day.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51About a day to get the yeast going. This was quite tiny when I started.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- So it's doubled in size?- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58You can use fresh elderberries, straight off the tree, put them into some flour and water,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and the wild yeast on the outside of the elderberries will ferment it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06It's just mixed in with a bit of salt and honey.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Put that in.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10It's really hot.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Let this go quite flush.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- Like that?- Yeah. We've got some turf to seal it up, really.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Keep the heat in.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I want to build one in my garden.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32You've got to make sure it's granite or igneous stone, because if you use slate
0:07:32 > 0:07:36or sedimentary stone, the first fire you put in it, it'll blow up.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- So Cotswold limestone...- Seriously.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Really? Will it blow it up?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It'll explode.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- And maybe kill or maim. - It's rather dangerous.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51The stones absorb heat from the fire and keep the oven at the right temperature.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The dark wholemeal loaf will take about an hour to bake.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Smells good.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Smells baked.- Shall we have a look?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Careful there.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Oh, yes. Look at that.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The knife is coming out clean so it's baked in the middle.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It's really worked, hasn't it? It's good.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33You can see how the yeast has sealed the holes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- Yeah, those air bubbles. - You can see right through.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's really good for you, the elderberries are really good for you.
0:08:42 > 0:08:48Baking with Jacqui has given Tom an idea for his first attempt at a competition-winning loaf.
0:09:08 > 0:09:14Borrowing from the Iron Age bakers, I'm going to use natural yeast to rise my dough.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18This smell certainly gets me up in the morning.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's a really strong, fruity smell.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26This is sourdough, when you take flour, water, mix them together
0:09:26 > 0:09:30to attract airborne yeasts who then feed off the sugars in the flour.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32This will make my bread rise.
0:09:34 > 0:09:42This goes right back to ancient times, to the Egyptians that took us from flat breads to leavened breads.
0:09:42 > 0:09:49This is at least 40 years old, brought over from Ireland by a baker who worked with my dad in Bath.
0:09:49 > 0:09:56We've taken it and we've nurtured it and on a daily basis we feed it flour and water, and we take out
0:09:56 > 0:10:03what we need from this to leaven our doughs and whatever we take we replenish with more flour and water.
0:10:05 > 0:10:12I feel I'm running a risk using sourdough, because its tangy, sour flavour isn't to everybody's liking.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14But I believe it's the right thing to do.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21All the entrants to Organic Loaf Of The Year
0:10:21 > 0:10:27starts with the same basic ingredients - flour, salt and water.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30But these can be used to make an enormous range of breads, and
0:10:30 > 0:10:35it's the bakers' skill in varying them that will decide the winner.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41The quality of the loaf is all determined by the quality of the flour.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45So I've got a really nice, wholemeal flour that has a lovely nutty flavour.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52'I then need some salt to season the flour, to really bring out the flavour.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Hot water. It binds the flour together.
0:10:59 > 0:11:05There's a science to baking, where every aspect of what's happening can be understood,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09but to create something beautiful it also has to be an art as well.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23The kind of baking that I do, or...
0:11:23 > 0:11:28people do at home, if you're fixing it around a busy life, you've got plenty of other things to do,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33you don't really have to be patient, you just have to go back to it when it's ready. Easy as.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Entering a
0:11:47 > 0:11:51loaf into a competition that we've
0:11:51 > 0:11:53won so many times before
0:11:54 > 0:11:57is daunting but exciting.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I need something that has great flavour and great taste.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's got to look great and stand out and be memorable.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11The dough is now stretchy, fully mixed and kneaded.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15We both need a rest.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32If I'm going to create a perfect loaf, there's no better place to do it than in a wood-fired oven.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Little and often is how
0:12:37 > 0:12:41I'm going to rock this oven up to 500 degrees.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Once I've got it fired up and it's clean inside, I'm then able to bake bread
0:12:48 > 0:12:52followed by patisserie, followed by roasting things overnight.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03So the dough has been resting.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It's doubled in size.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10You can see the intricate lattice of bubbles that has been created by
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the sourdough as it's worked. It's time to portion it up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:22This is a really wet dough which is going to be great for giving it a lovely moist crumb inside.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Now I've moulded the dough pieces, I'm going to put them in the prover, where it's warm and humid.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34This'll encourage the yeast to do its thing
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and over the next couple of hours they're going to double in size.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Great. At the front, the oven is 240 degrees.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50The right temperature to make it jump up from the soul of the oven without it burning.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The loaf is baked.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11But how good will it be?
0:14:11 > 0:14:16The thing about baking is that it's not an exact science.
0:14:17 > 0:14:24It's a bit flat, a bit wholemealy and a bit worthy and it's not my perfect loaf.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It certainly leaves plenty of room for improvement so it is back to the drawing board.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35He might be disappointed but this is the kind of bread
0:14:35 > 0:14:39that most people in Britain ate before the Industrial Revolution.
0:14:51 > 0:14:59Until then, most country estates and manors like Stanway House in Gloucestershire had a water mill.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05They ground their own corn and produced their own stone-ground, wholemeal flour.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Tom wants to know why the bread that mills like this produced, went out of fashion.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24He's meeting one of Britain's leading authorities on the history of bread, Professor Brian Reuben.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29- Professor Reuben. - Hello, pleased to meet you. - So this is the mill.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40After centuries of neglect, this mill is being restored by David Empringham.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Today, the team is putting in the millstones.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50That's good.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54This has been quite exciting seeing this one put together.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Like other mills in medieval times, Stanway started life as
0:16:01 > 0:16:05a 'fulling' mill, for washing the fleeces of sheep.
0:16:05 > 0:16:11They made a great deal of money out of it, of course, because everything came together in this area.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14They had the sheep with the short fleece
0:16:14 > 0:16:17which was ideal for broad cloth which is what they were making.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22They had the water supply of which I have never seen it fail yet in seven years.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- So you have a big pond up there?- A big pond, constant supply of water.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37A huge wheel like this, you could practically get enough electricity to run the estate on.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40How big is it?
0:16:40 > 0:16:4324 feet diameter.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But the invention of steam-driven mills during
0:16:46 > 0:16:50the Industrial Revolution made water mills obsolete.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01The new technology allowed the millers to grind the wheat more finely and sieve out the bran.
0:17:01 > 0:17:08For the first time, white flour became relatively easy to produce and white bread soon took off.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11This looks like a good spot for lunch.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15According to Professor Reuben, it wasn't just because people liked eating it.
0:17:15 > 0:17:23The movement towards white bread was successful because the employers wanted their workers to have white
0:17:23 > 0:17:27bread, If you were eating wholemeal bread all the time or bread that was
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- bran rich, you had to go to the loo all the time.- Really?
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Yes. If you have these chaps working in your factory
0:17:35 > 0:17:41and they had to go off every hour, or every half hour to the loo, it interrupted production.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48It wasn't long before the baking of bread itself began to be mechanized.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53At the 1924
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Empire Exhibition, Queen Mary, who was the country's
0:17:58 > 0:18:02premier housewife, came and accepted a loaf of bread which had
0:18:02 > 0:18:07virtually not been touched from the moment the flour had been
0:18:07 > 0:18:11poured in at one end, to the moment it had been taken out at the other.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Mechanisation transformed baking.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34By the 1970s, most bread was being made in large industrial plants.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41The impact on smaller bakeries was dramatic.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Thousands went out of business.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Many of those that survived did so by offering something unique.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03One of them is Brackman's Jewish bakery in Salford.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09It's run by third generation baker, Andrew Adelman.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Andrew, hi, how you doing?
0:19:11 > 0:19:18- Good to see you.- He specialises in making a Jewish loaf called Challah.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- I hear you make a good Challah here. - Yes, we do.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- Is that it over there?- Yes, that is.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32We find we have to keep a very high standard.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Our customers come from a very orthodox community.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39We do have a large customer base of secular Jews as well.
0:19:39 > 0:19:45A Rabbi inspects each Jewish baker every single day to make sure that
0:19:45 > 0:19:50the baking methods and ingredients conform to Jewish religious law.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55This is from London.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It is a supervised product.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01This is the logo. This is what you are looking out for.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03So you come in every day.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05How long does that take?
0:20:05 > 0:20:1040, 45 minutes, depending on what is needed.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11It is quite routine?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Definitely.- You get used to each other hanging around?
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- Yes.- Do you make him a coffee and give him a cake? Keep him sweet?
0:20:22 > 0:20:27But the Rabbi doesn't just check the ingredients and baking methods.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29He prays over the bread.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32We take a small piece about this size
0:20:32 > 0:20:37from each batch of each individual recipe that we make.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40We put them into here and then
0:20:40 > 0:20:42the Rabbi comes and he
0:20:42 > 0:20:46separates them and takes a bit of each one
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and makes a blessing over it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58The bakers here make a plaited white Challah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Is there any significance of them being six strands?
0:21:01 > 0:21:05A lot of people do five strands, seven strands, it is just that we have always done six.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07That is how it is.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Starting on the top left, imagine there is a V in the middle.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17That is top one down and this is the second one on the other side across.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Top one down to the middle and second across.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Second one-down, second one across.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Repeat that all the way down.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- Top one down.- Second one across.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Top one down, second one across.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Right across, right across.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- See?- Thank you.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- You used to plait your sister's hair, no?- Yes.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40I've got three daughters.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- They you are you see.- One is a baby though and can't plait her hair yet.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47And then poppy seeds.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Very good.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58I wonder who made that handsome looking loaf.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02I think it was you, wasn't it? I think the large might just need a little bit longer.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05You can see it is still quite soft underneath.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It should be quite hollow. I'm telling you, you're the baker.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Well, I'll be all for taking them out now but whatever.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Do you won't get them out now?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I think they'll start collapsing if I take them out now. They are not quite there.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28People will put two of these on a table tonight and they will look very nice.
0:22:38 > 0:22:45Now he's seen how Challah is baked, Tom want to find out just what place it has at the Jewish table.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Hello, Isabel.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Good to meet you.
0:22:51 > 0:22:59- Come in.- Rabbi's wife Dr Isabel Braidman bakes her own Challah, not as a plait but as a spiral.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04That is a good sign coming away nice and cleanly from the bowl.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10Why do you have a choice of a plait and a spiral when everything else is so pinned down?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Well, the spiral has the significance.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It is spiralling up to heaven.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Right up there.
0:23:19 > 0:23:26Also because it is so easy to do, bakers like to do it for a festival.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Midweek, they are in a rush in the bakery and a spiral is dead easy
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and you can get that done quickly and have them in time.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36It is a pleasing shape.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41So that's as even a snake as one can get it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Around and around like that.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Spiralling up and we tuck it underneath there.
0:23:54 > 0:24:01- That holds it all together.- Holds it all together, just spiral it from above and it will get sat there.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03OK, so that's definitely the quickest way?
0:24:03 > 0:24:04It's definitely quick.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13How do you feel your family's story of making bread and sharing it weekly?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Can you imagine life without it?
0:24:15 > 0:24:21It's so much part of you, it's part of the way you do things.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It would be one of the things that
0:24:23 > 0:24:25was part of you that you didn't do.
0:24:25 > 0:24:32And I think that would be sort of a hole in one's life.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34You do feel a sense of achievement.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39OK, so, let's come into the dining room and have
0:24:39 > 0:24:41a cup of tea.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I've laid it all out.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Here's the Challah underneath the white cloth.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Very traditional, symbolic of the manna
0:24:52 > 0:24:59they found and used to sustain themselves when they were wandering
0:24:59 > 0:25:07in the wilderness for 40 years in the wilderness, they had this manna to sustain themselves.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Which they probably got rather fed up with, I think.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16It might have been quite nice to begin with, but there are records they grumbled against.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Let's get on to this land of milk and honey, let's move along, guys.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24And so, the bread has pride of place in the centre of the table?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Absolutely pride of place in the centre of the table.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Does it go well with tea?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I think so. Would you like to try some?
0:25:30 > 0:25:34- Yes, please!- OK, let's have a go and see what happens.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36It's so easy to cut.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Have a go at that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41They would sprinkle, but you don't have to have salt on there.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Go on, I want to do it, do it the proper way. Thank you.
0:25:48 > 0:25:54It's got a very subtle sweetness, a delicious nutty flavour.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57So you typically make this on a Thursday evening?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Thursday evening, yes.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03You have that wonderful smell and you save it until Friday?
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Until Friday, yes. That tradition is, the woman
0:26:07 > 0:26:11of the house lights the candles and says a blessing over them.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17Then you have the blessing over the wine and then whoever is going to cut the bread, washes their hands.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22The tradition is you don't say anything between washing your hands
0:26:22 > 0:26:27and actually cutting the Challah, so there is this great silence and the
0:26:27 > 0:26:30cover is lifted off. The bread is cut and the blessing said.
0:26:30 > 0:26:40And then it's shared round and it's sort of a mixture of warm family and sort of quite a, almost
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- theatrical event. - A bit of reverence as well?
0:26:43 > 0:26:44Yes, yes.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The visit to Manchester has fired Tom's imagination.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01The Challah is a thing of beauty.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07What I'm really impressed about is the way it plays a central role in people's daily lives,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and the way it so handsomely sits in the centre of the table.
0:27:16 > 0:27:23And seeing Isabel and Andrew's baking has given him new ideas for the Organic Loaf Awards.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33For my next attempt at a competition-winning loaf,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I'm going to use white flour, just like Andrew does in his Challah.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Not only will I have a more attractive loaf, but I'll get a much better rise.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50The bit that gives bread and dough
0:27:50 > 0:27:57its stretchiness, is all part of the protein content of the flour.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02That's to be found in the white part of the wheat.
0:28:02 > 0:28:10So, the less bran there is in here, the more I'm going to be able to make a stretchier dough that
0:28:10 > 0:28:13holds in the carbon dioxide, that the sourdough is giving off.
0:28:19 > 0:28:25'Other than changing the flour, I'm using the same basic ingredients,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28salt, wholemeal sourdough and water.'
0:28:31 > 0:28:35This dough is much wetter than the one I made last time
0:28:35 > 0:28:40and that will give me a moister loaf with a more open texture to it.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58So, time to set the dough.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02This has been in here a good few hours.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06I'm going to hedge my bets, going 50/50,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10mix some flour into it, firm up one and see how that comes out and go sloppy with the other one.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15We'll play spot the difference later, see which one comes out best.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Stick the whole lot upside-down.
0:29:23 > 0:29:30Look at that, it's got great body to it, it looks vital, pert, virile.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Can't wait to see how that looks in the morning.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Get it baked off and it won't be long before it's sandwiches and soldiers.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43I'm going to put the loaves in the prover, this time I'm going to leave
0:29:43 > 0:29:47them overnight to really allow the sourdough flavour to punch through.
0:30:15 > 0:30:21But a night in the prover doesn't guarantee success when the loaf is baked.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28My two loaves, the one made with
0:30:28 > 0:30:32the really wet dough, and the second one I added flour to.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It may look ancient, but this would have been a disaster in any era
0:30:36 > 0:30:41to end up with a loaf that has spewed out like that.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44This one, I'm feeling really positive about.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It just smells divine.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50And when I squeeze it, it crackles.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52There's a really great crust,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56a massive improvement on my first attempt.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00All of this is as good as nothing if it doesn't pass the family test,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02I need to take this home and try it on the kids.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10OK, I want to know what you think.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Because this is the hardest test for the bread
0:31:13 > 0:31:16is to see whether it passes your test.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Do you like it?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Yes? Do you? What do you think it looks like?
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Do you think that looks good enough to win?
0:31:26 > 0:31:32If you gave it to a child they might play with it and throw it like a Frisbee.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34What d'you think it looks like?
0:31:34 > 0:31:37A cowpat.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43I feel a Mamma Mia soundtrack coming on.
0:31:43 > 0:31:49Things aren't going well - two attempts and two failures.
0:31:51 > 0:31:57The competition is looming, but Tom is a long way from creating an award-winning loaf.
0:31:59 > 0:32:05He needs inspiration from somewhere and goes in search of it, in Bristol.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Here in St Nicholas's Market in Bristol
0:32:08 > 0:32:12there's a market trader, Trethowan's Dairy, who claims to make the best cheese toastie in the world.
0:32:12 > 0:32:18To make it, he's importing bread from Paris, so I've got to
0:32:18 > 0:32:23find out what's involved in making this legendary cheese toastie.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27And Todd Trethowan isn't just any old cheese monger.
0:32:27 > 0:32:34He owns a substantial award-winning business whose customers include leading supermarkets.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36- Todd, good to meet you.- And you.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39I've heard a lot about your infamous cheese toasties.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43So you are importing bread from France?
0:32:43 > 0:32:48That's right, it's really nice, it's got proper flavour.
0:32:48 > 0:32:54And also quite an acidic flavour, which really goes well with the cheese.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58It's slightly drier than a lot of breads and I
0:32:58 > 0:33:04like to hang on to it for a couple of days to make it slightly drier still, because I reckon it tastes better.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10OK. If I'm to try to make something for you that stands in its shoes,
0:33:10 > 0:33:16I'm going to have to see it, taste it and understand more about what's involved.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Could you show me the where you keep it and I'll have a sniff and a prod?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Sure, let's go to the shop.
0:33:23 > 0:33:24So these came in yesterday.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30So you've got rice, Quinoa, wheat, maize corn and then
0:33:30 > 0:33:32it's sliced already? OK, it's heavy.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Yeah.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Really is something to get your teeth into.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43You have made some with fresh bread, and some with, when you say older?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46That is five days old.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Really?
0:33:47 > 0:33:51It concentrates the flavours slightly being slightly older, I feel like it does.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53So it's more intense.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58I try and fit them together, but because it in two pieces, I make
0:33:58 > 0:34:02sure they are quite big so people get an extra good deal, because it in two bits.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08Actually, would a loaf that was slightly more square in profile be better?
0:34:08 > 0:34:10That's interesting. I have thought about that.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- It could be. - So, is this one ready to cook?
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Yes.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16If I take an older one...
0:34:24 > 0:34:26So, that's the one you put in first.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29That's the young one.
0:34:31 > 0:34:38You've got this juicy, massively flavoursome middle bit going on.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42- And then this really teeth gripping chewy bit.- That's the older one.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48It certainly feels firmer.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It makes sense to do it this way with a drier loaf.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I can see that we've got
0:34:58 > 0:35:01a toastie here that you can carry around.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03People buying this are busy, you know. Whizzing through.
0:35:03 > 0:35:11You want them to be able to grab something that's not only really, really tasty but convenient to eat.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14And keeping the bread for a week obviously helps achieve that.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21Todd's cheese toastie is just the inspiration Tom needed.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Thanks a lot. Cheers.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26I love this Poilane bread.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29And it would be an honour to make something that sits equal for you.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32I've got...
0:35:32 > 0:35:34a head full of ideas. If you'll allow me, I'll have a go
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and, heck, I might even be able to make something better.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- Yes, I look forward to it. - OK. See you very soon. Cheers.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51'I think I can do something really special here, make
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'a big loaf for Todd and one I can enter into the competition.'
0:35:54 > 0:36:00I'll do it by matching the Poilane, foreign loaf for size but using the best local ingredients.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03A big, bold local organic loaf.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- Spelt has been used for thatching, is that right?- It has been.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16It's a very, very old crop.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We believe it was brought to us by the Romans.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Tom's on the hunt for the very best local organic flour he can find.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29He's come to Somerset to meet Pete Tincknell, the miller at Sharpham Park.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34Pete grows a rare variety of wheat called spelt.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39The Romans used spelt because it was very, very high energy content.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41They marched on spelt, because it gave them a lot of energy.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44It is the best flour without doubt you could use.
0:36:47 > 0:36:54Spelt is a distant cousin to wheat and one of the oldest cultivated grains in Britain.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59It's been overtaken by varieties of high yield, easy harvest wheat.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04But, for Pete, spelt remains better to eat.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08There should be more people go into spelt, wheat does tend to have this bloating effect.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10It's horrible, wheat intolerance.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13If you're using spelt, you're not going to get problems with this intolerance.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16It's a more difficult grain to process.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20So there's a lot more work goes into getting it into flour.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27What you've got is very clean spelt here.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30We're slicing the grain, a piece at a time.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33We've gently ground it into flour. We haven't been aggressive with it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36We haven't damaged the proteins and the oils and things.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And we haven't put any additives with it in any way whatsoever.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44That is your wholegrain flour.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48You can see all the little grains, little specks of brown.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50- If you feel that, that's quite gritty.- Yeah.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Once we've ground it into that consistency,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58then by a sieving process, we can sieve out some of the bran and get you back to a purer, whiter flour.
0:37:58 > 0:38:04What you've got here is exactly the same flour but I've removed the majority of the bran.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09As you can see, it's a much purer, whiter flour and to touch it, it's like silk.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Isn't that beautiful.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Tom's decided on his flour.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16He now needs to find the rest of his ingredients.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Next on the list is water.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Water's a key ingredient, it binds the other ingredients together.
0:38:28 > 0:38:34I've come to this spring, just above my bakery, to see if using this makes a difference.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43It could be that this water's softer or harder than what comes out of the tap
0:38:43 > 0:38:47and given that it's just one of three ingredients, that may have a bearing on the end result.
0:38:49 > 0:38:57Water straight out of the hill isn't going to have chlorine and chemicals that you get in tap water.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59And with a sourdough,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02it's important to give that a good chance.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07It may be that I'd get a better sourdough from just using spring water.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11That should be enough for a couple of batches.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28Tom needs just one more ingredient before he's ready to bake his competition entry. Salt.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35I've come right down to the bottom of England in Cornwall where, for
0:39:35 > 0:39:40the first time in hundreds of years, they're making sea salt.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Salt is such a key part of my recipe.
0:39:42 > 0:39:50If like good sea salt, it has a great flavour and high mineral content, it would build my dough up.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55I want to find out where they're making it, how they're making it and whether it's up to the job.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- Good morning, Tony. - Hello, Tom. Good to see you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Tony Fraser has set up the salt harvesting plant.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10What you've got here is a monster pump which can pump 24 hours, seven
0:40:10 > 0:40:17days a week and is pumping the water underground and along here towards the harvesting plant.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27The salt is crystallised, as you can see. It's lovely and dry.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31What we've got is a small flaky sea salt.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35So you can see the different sizes of the crystals.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38But it's soft enough to actually crush between the finger and thumb.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41And will it dissolve in my dough?
0:40:41 > 0:40:42- It will dissolve very easily. - Really?
0:40:42 > 0:40:47- Yes.- That's quite key. I don't want lumpy, salty...- Have a taste.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51It's like the bottom of the crisp packet but better.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58It has a really, really good, fresh taste straight from the ocean.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02It has a sweetness as well. That's going to come through in your bread.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- And will it keep? - It keeps for ever.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Forever? OK. So, there's no caking agent?
0:41:08 > 0:41:11No anti-caking agents, nothing is added.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16'Our salt is very, very salty and it means that you can actually use less.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21'So we reckon, in your perfect loaf, that you can use 15% less salt.'
0:41:21 > 0:41:26I'm really happy, because I've got my key secret ingredient.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- Best of luck.- Thanks very much. That's great.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This has sown up and completed the process of finding ingredients.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44'I've got a great quality spelt flour I'm really happy and excited to be using.
0:41:44 > 0:41:50'And sea salt that will flavour, season and enhance my dough.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52'Everything's in place.'
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I've just got to make this perfect loaf and I'm ready.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Sea salt all the way from Cornwall.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17And then, last but not least, some spring water to bring the whole lot together.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24There's a limit to how much I can physically mix on the table so this time I'm going to use the mixer.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45Just testing it to see if what Tony from the Cornish Sea Salt Company said is true that
0:42:45 > 0:42:49good, proper sea salt is more saltier than table salt
0:42:49 > 0:42:52and therefore doesn't require so much in the dough.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55This tastes great. The sourdough really comes through.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58He's right, it doesn't need so much salt.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Just a touch more flour so that it doesn't flow out too much.
0:43:08 > 0:43:09'I need to get this right.'
0:43:15 > 0:43:21It's been mixing for 10 minutes and I just want to see how elastic this dough is.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23It's pretty good. This is going to be
0:43:23 > 0:43:26stretchy enough to hold
0:43:26 > 0:43:31those precious yeast exhalations in.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35And rise my dough nicely. I'm really impressed with this spelt flour.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Right, time to get intimate with this dough.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45It's a beaute. It feels lush.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48It's warm, it's friendly.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50It's got this beautiful golden colour.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54It looks and feels like the morning on a great day.
0:44:16 > 0:44:24This new dough has allowed me to make a big two kilogram loaf that will stand out from the competition.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28I'm going to make it square which will be perfect for Todd.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Its thick crust will seal the moisture in, keeping it fresh for up
0:44:31 > 0:44:34to a week which will be ideal for families.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37It's the kind of loaf that will be perfect at the centre of any table.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Perfect.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Wow.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52I've moulded a whole load of kilogram loaves in my life but
0:44:52 > 0:44:55getting my hands around the these two puppies is a new experience.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Beautiful.
0:45:02 > 0:45:08'This loaf, for me, is not just good enough to make something that I enjoy eating.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11'I've got to find a way of sharing with as many people as possible.'
0:45:14 > 0:45:18I dreamt up and conceived the idea of this loaf but it needs a name.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22What's it called? I don't think it's a James or a Stephen.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28I'm going with... shepherd loaf.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33How we slash a loaf
0:45:33 > 0:45:36is how we give it our signature.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39And this is a tradition borne out of necessity when people were
0:45:39 > 0:45:44making loaves at home and taking them to the village baker to be baked.
0:45:44 > 0:45:49It's necessary to mark it and sign it in such a way
0:45:49 > 0:45:53that the loaf is distinguishable from your neighbour's.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58It would be quite fun to have a sheep.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03But the problem with this motif is that it would be very tricky
0:46:03 > 0:46:05to cut with a knife without the whole thing collapsing.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07So that idea is out.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12What I'm really going with and what feels really strong to me is to do the shepherd's crook.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16It's a loose S but it's a tight idea and it's going to work.
0:46:18 > 0:46:24With the crook that's on top, I want to be shepherding more people over to good bread.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Fingers crossed that this absolutely doesn't collapse when I turn it upside down.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40There she is. It's like a nice big fluffy pillow.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49In she goes. So excited to make such a big loaf.
0:46:49 > 0:46:58It's just massive. I know size isn't everything but, boy, this ought to really make a difference.
0:47:00 > 0:47:01I really need this to work.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05This is ground-breaking stuff for me.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08I'm completely off script.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11I've never made such a big loaf.
0:47:11 > 0:47:12I've never done a square loaf.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17I've never risen and proofed a loaf in a cake tin before.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19I've never made a spelt sourdough before.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24I'm looking for something that's pillowy.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28The kind of loaf you'd want to spend some time with.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Oh, boy.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36There she is.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41We've got a foxy red crust.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44That's going to make a heck of a sandwich.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48I'm really pleased. I really feel like I'm on to a winner.
0:47:52 > 0:47:57It's the day of the National Organic Food Awards competition.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03The bread judging panel will be made up of a miller, a baker and food writers.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08Tom doesn't trust anyone else to deliver his loaf.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12I'm nervous and excited.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17I feel, for sourdoughs, I've taken it as far as I can.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20What I've got here is the best of what can be made locally.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24But it would just be the icing on the cake if it was to win the award.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I've got some bread to enter.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32So, we've got our four entrants...
0:48:32 > 0:48:36There are more than 30 entries from bakers across the country.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41While the judges assemble, Tom heads back to the Cotswolds.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50Taste is the most important thing. But nobody can deny that
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- the- appearance of a loaf of - bread is massively important.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57And appealing. And there are some gorgeously appealing loaves here.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00They're going to be looking for the correct crumb and crust.
0:49:00 > 0:49:05And how open it is as a loaf often will be a factor.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09Whether the holes in there are big or little.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13Whether it works as a loaf, whether it's a good idea or a silly idea.
0:49:15 > 0:49:16So, you wouldn't put pineapple...
0:49:16 > 0:49:18We had a pineapple loaf
0:49:18 > 0:49:21once, it really didn't work, you know?
0:49:22 > 0:49:24We want loaves of bread
0:49:24 > 0:49:27that are benchmarked for quality
0:49:27 > 0:49:31and that kind of artisan look and feel.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33It's a tremendously reassuring product,
0:49:33 > 0:49:38really good bread is, especially in these times,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40we need good bakers.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45White flour, stoneground, spring water, pitted olives, sea salt, rye flour.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49The judging begins.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Can we judge on name? I think that's a misnomer.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Olives don't come from countries where there are cottages,
0:50:03 > 0:50:03so I think to call it a cottage olive bread his kind of an off putter.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08- I think that's...- Very special.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11- Yes.- That shows promise.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18That's a no-no, isn't it?
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Yes.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24A tiny little bit of salt would have made the difference.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26I think that's true of a lot of them.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30It comes pre-sliced?
0:50:30 > 0:50:32They don't know it, but they've reached Tom's loaf.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37You can see this lovely texture.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42This is a loaf that would look great on a trestle table on a Mediterranean island.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45It's already there in the hotel, isn't it?
0:50:45 > 0:50:47It'll keep for ages.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49You could eat that in a week's time.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52It's very difficult though, isn't it?
0:50:52 > 0:50:54I think those two
0:50:54 > 0:51:01that we started with, they look very nice and then you come to this.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Three times the size,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06and it has a greater effect because of it.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11I feel like I have almost got an aftertaste of wood.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14You could have this with fig jam on,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17with a lovely mozzarella toasted.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20It's looking good for Tom.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24But will all the judges like his powerfully flavoured sourdough?
0:51:24 > 0:51:28- So this one?- Appearance I think
0:51:28 > 0:51:31- is nice.- Sour, slightly.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Actually, it's quite sour,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36- isn't it? - The decision is on a knife edge.
0:51:36 > 0:51:42- It's a close call between Tom's loaf and one other.- It's lovely!
0:51:46 > 0:51:48I want to take that one home.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50It's delicious. My money is on this one.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05I've just had the call.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09My shepherd's loaf hasn't won Organic Loaf Of The Year, which is disappointing.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13But, it's come a close second. It's got highly commended.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16This loaf was never about just winning the award.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21It's about winning more people over to a better kind of bread.
0:52:26 > 0:52:33It's disappointing, but undaunted, Tom is returning to Bristol for a verdict from another tough judge.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Back in St Nicholas's Market, with my shepherd's loaf.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40I'm here to see whether it's up to mark for Todd, for his perfect cheese toastie.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Hey, Todd. How are you doing?
0:52:46 > 0:52:48- Very good. You?- Keeping busy?- Yes.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Here it is. I've sliced one up for you.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55I've done it square, so you don't get lose so much from the edges.
0:52:55 > 0:52:59- Two kilos.- It's a brilliant size.
0:52:59 > 0:53:00Let's have a taste.
0:53:01 > 0:53:08Worryingly for Tom, Todd has got top cheesemonger Ben Ticehurst with him to judge the loaf.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12It's nice, because there's some acidity there as well.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15Brilliant. The crust is fantastic, isn't it?
0:53:15 > 0:53:18You need your teeth to really engage with it.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22And that seals the moisture in, so it means that it'll keep really well.
0:53:22 > 0:53:27- Does it?- This was made yesterday, and I know you like your bread three
0:53:27 > 0:53:30days old, you maybe need to give it a couple of days yet.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33Also, I love the texture as well.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36It's not too loose or open, is it? It's a dense texture, isn't it?
0:53:36 > 0:53:39We've tried lots and lots of local sourdoughs,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42but none could quite get the texture right, could they?
0:53:42 > 0:53:47You'll see when you have a toastie, it's the way the cheese melts and goes in,
0:53:47 > 0:53:50needs the bread to have that really good texture.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54That one is the closest I've ever tasted.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Is it a high five moment?
0:53:57 > 0:54:00We'll see when we taste the toastie.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Absolutely gorgeous. And what a nice colour as well.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09- I love it.- Isn't that beautiful?
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Brilliant flavour.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Nice crunch.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18The oils have really come through to the outside of the bread, which is what we look for,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20I'd definitely like to go with that.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Very good.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27Now you can have a real high five moment.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29We've got to do this.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Try our new bread, made by Tom.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:54:41 > 0:54:49So, in the end the shepherd loaf may not have won the Organic Loaf Award, but it's got Todd's vote.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53It's almost the end of Tom's quest to make a perfect loaf.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56He began by asking ordinary people about their ideal bread.
0:54:56 > 0:55:03Now he's going back to find out what they think of his efforts compared to a standard white sliced.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05- I don't eat that kind of bread. - Why don't you eat it?
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Because I don't like it.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Have you eaten this kind of bread?
0:55:10 > 0:55:11- What is it?- Just white bread.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13No, I wouldn't eat
0:55:13 > 0:55:15- white bread.- Why not?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Because it's processed.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20That's like chewing putty.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23I made a loaf. It's got some spelt flour that's grown and milled
0:55:23 > 0:55:27locally, and a bit of sea salt from Cornwall and water, and that's it.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35- It's not as bad as I thought. - No?- I can taste the salt.- Yeah.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47- Would you try some of my spelt sourdough?- So, what's in it?
0:55:47 > 0:55:48Flour, sea salt and water, that's it.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50And that's it?
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- Sea salt and water.- Oh, my God.
0:55:53 > 0:55:54Is that all is in there?
0:55:54 > 0:55:56What do you reckon?
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- It's nice.- Do you like it?- Mmm.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02It's a party in my mouth.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05- You've got a party in your mouth? - Quite tasty.- Quite tasty? Yeah, OK.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Do you want a less crusty bit?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12- It's hard.- Too hard.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15- Too hard for you. Not a fan?- No.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17What about the crust?
0:56:19 > 0:56:21- Does that put you off?- Not really. - That crust is a natural way of
0:56:21 > 0:56:26- keeping the moisture in, so it'll keep for a week or 10 days, easy. - Really?
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- What's that?- Spelt sourdough. Do you want to try some?- Yeah.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32- Let me know what you think. - I'm on camera!
0:56:32 > 0:56:36It's nice. It's nutty.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39- I'd eat that.- Would you? - All day long.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43It's probably special occasion bread rather than day-to-day bread.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45I bet that's gorgeous toasted.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Oh, yeah.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50With lashings of butter.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52It's nice.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55- Do you like it, seriously?- Yeah.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Shepherd's loaf, it's called.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00- It's lovely. That's special. - Bless you.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29It's been a heck of an adventure.
0:57:29 > 0:57:34I've got myself spelt flour from Somerset, Cornish sea salt,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Cotswolds finest water, and I've used my family's ancient sourdough.
0:57:38 > 0:57:43I've drawn on 1,000 years of great baking skill,
0:57:43 > 0:57:47and made a loaf that can take its place at the centre of the table.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08- Here's to the shepherd's loaf!- Yes!
0:58:37 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:39 > 0:58:41Mm! Smells so good!