0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Some of the best British produce is under threat.- It's at the mercy
0:00:04 > 0:00:06of foreign invaders, market forces...
0:00:06 > 0:00:07And food fashion.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Produce that has been around for centuries...
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Could die out within a generation.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14So, together, we're on a mission...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15To save it.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19We're going to be giving you the best tips how to find it, grow it and cook it...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22And, crucially, how to put sensational British produce...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Back on the food map.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I'm Michel Roux and I am passionate about bread.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04This is the kind of bread that I want you to be eating.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08It's proper artisan bread. It has heart and soul.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Never, ever buy another loaf of that white sponge.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I strongly believe that for too long
0:01:15 > 0:01:19we've been sold bread that is lacking in nutrients and flavour.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22The time for change is now,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25before we lose the art of good baking for ever.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29So in my campaign, I want to change the way you think about bread,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31from the wheat that makes your flour...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34You shouldn't be allowed to call yourself a master baker
0:01:34 > 0:01:37- until you've gone through every stage of the process.- I agree with you.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40..to the craft of baking an honest loaf.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42This is amazing.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45- This turns me on something... I tell you.- Brilliant.- This is you.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And I can feel that. It's great.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I'll also be in the Revival kitchen,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51showing you some great ways to get involved,
0:01:51 > 0:01:56including a fantastic alternative to a white sliced loaf...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Mmm. So simple to make.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01..as well as some other mouth-watering recipes
0:02:01 > 0:02:04which bring out the best of true artisan bread.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09If anything is going to make you join our bread revival,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11it should be this.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19A massive nine million loaves of bread are sold in the UK every day,
0:02:19 > 0:02:24but only 3% of those are baked by a traditional craft baker.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27I consider myself a Frenchman,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32and the smell of a boulangerie makes me feel alive.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Sadly, the art of baking in this country is under threat.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44More often than not, bread in this country is seen as a fast food.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47There is another way.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51This beautiful white bread, it's real bread,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53cooked by professionals.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58I want the tables of Britain to enjoy this bread.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01In Britain, 80% of all bread is made
0:03:01 > 0:03:04using the Chorleywood bread-making process,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07an industrialised method of baking bread
0:03:07 > 0:03:10that allows factories to churn out loaves on a vast scale
0:03:10 > 0:03:15and nothing like the artisan bread that I want you to be eating.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Chris, tell me... I've heard a bit about the Chorleywood Bread Process
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and, as far as I can understand, it's actually cutting corners.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It's making bread very, very quickly
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- and therefore reducing the price. Is that about right?- Absolutely.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's about, "How can we get the cheapest loaf possible
0:03:31 > 0:03:33"with the basic ingredients?"
0:03:33 > 0:03:36So you basically whip it full of air, pump it full of carbon dioxide
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and then you bake it off. And in the process you have to add
0:03:39 > 0:03:41a load of additives to make sure it goes through the machine.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45So instead of adapting the machine to work with the dough,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- you adapt the dough to work with the machine.- It's wrong, isn't it?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52And then it's baked off from start to finish in something like an hour...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- That's crazy.- ..90 minutes. - That's crazy.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Because, for me, a real loaf, it takes hours and hours of love
0:03:59 > 0:04:02to make it have that taste and the flavour
0:04:02 > 0:04:06and that beautiful crust that you don't get on a loaf like that one,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07an industrial loaf.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Take these two things. OK, they look a bit different. But what's that?
0:04:10 > 0:04:14That's bread, real bread - flour, water, yeast, salt. What's that?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18What do you think has gone into that? So let's have a look.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21We've got flour, water, yeast, salt... Fine, that's bread so far.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- A good start.- OK, let's go on.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Spirit vinegar, soya flour, emulsifier,
0:04:26 > 0:04:32mono and diacetyl tartaric esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35rapeseed oil - that makes it a bit softer - sunflower oil, palm oil.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So what's that, 14 things? As opposed to four.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Is this bread?- No.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42For me, no.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Most definitely not.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Talking to Chris was fantastic because he is passionate -
0:04:48 > 0:04:52as passionate as I am - about bread. I was quite surprised.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56I knew there were a lot of additives in these white loaves,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00industrial loaves, but I didn't realise to what extent.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'For my campaign for a revival of artisan bread to succeed,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'I'll need to convince the bread-making industry
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'that there is an alternative to the Chorleywood loaf.'
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Hello, yes, it's Michel here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'I'm meeting Gordon Polson, the director of the Bakers' Federation,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20'the voice of the industrial bakers of Britain.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- Morning, Gordon.- Morning. - Good to meet you.- And you.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27My utopia, my dream,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32is to have an artisan baker on every street corner,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35like we used to have, and like we have in the rest of Europe,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37in France, especially, where I come from.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41And I feel that these mass bakers, by very definition,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- they are hindering that process. - I don't think we're hindering it at all.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I think all we're doing is responding to the consumer demand
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and the consumer need.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And why have the British got this infatuation
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- with this spongy white cotton-wool bread?- Well...
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I mean, I don't think we should criticise the consumer.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01The British consumer is the British consumer
0:06:01 > 0:06:06and it gets the product, value product, that it requires.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11For good or bad, bread in the UK is the cheapest in Europe.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It's meeting the consumer needs and the consumer demand.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18At times, I felt I was hitting a brick wall with Gordon,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20but I do agree on one thing with him,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and that is the only people that can change this are you,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26by demanding an artisan bread
0:06:26 > 0:06:29or even cooking bread yourselves at home.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34So the first step on the road to revival is showing you
0:06:34 > 0:06:37how easy bread-making can be.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40For my first recipe, I'm going to prove to you how simple it is
0:06:40 > 0:06:44to make just an ordinary white loaf.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52First, put the milk onto a gentle heat.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Then slowly melt some butter,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59before adding a tablespoonful of golden syrup.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02The golden syrup is in there to give it just a touch of sweetness,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06but also it helps to give that lovely moist crumb.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So whilst this is melting...
0:07:12 > 0:07:15..we put our fresh yeast in our bowl.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Every bread needs some form of leavening
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and this yeast is the leaven.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23It's the life.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Pour the warm milk onto the yeast and stir until it is dissolved.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32We buy more white bread in Britain than any other variety.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I want to prove to you that it is possible to make a really delicious white loaf.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38That's why I'm using white flour.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Then add two pinches of salt to complete the dough.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Then we're going to leave it for a while
0:07:45 > 0:07:49so that all the moisture is absorbed in the flour. And that's it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53After just five minutes resting in a warm place,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55you can start to knead the dough.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I'm just keeping it in the bowl
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and I'm not really working it very hard,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I'm just stretching, stretching the gluten in there.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04And if it does stick to your hands a bit,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06you can just put a little bit of flour...
0:08:07 > 0:08:13..and rub that on your fingers and your fingers come clean.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17There are no shortcuts to making a great loaf of bread.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20So after the dough has been kneaded for around ten minutes,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24leave it to rise for half an hour to give the yeast time to do its work.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And, again, as soon you take the clingfilm off,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38you can smell those yeasts working. It has a lovely aroma.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Beautiful aroma. And it's smooth and it's glistening.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Quite beautiful.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46So I then turn this out onto the board.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50I remember these smells, these aromas, as a child,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53of waking up to freshly baked bread.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I want every house in Britain to be baking,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58or at least supporting your local baker.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Form the dough into two balls, place them in a baking tin
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and allow to rise for a second time.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07A bread that's only risen once
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and has been pushed through the whole process
0:09:09 > 0:09:13is bland and it hasn't had a life.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17A further 30 minutes in a warm place is all it should need.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Wow. That looks beautiful.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24It's got that lovely shape, beautiful sheen,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and it's ready to go in the oven.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30First off, we need to slash the bread.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36So we take a very sharp knife and just go over there like that.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39That will help the bread develop and open up.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40And into the oven.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Now, the oven is at 200 degrees.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49We do that for about ten minutes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52That helps to really push and make the bread develop
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and then we turn it down to about 180
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and it should take 30 minutes to cook.
0:09:56 > 0:09:5830 minutes to wait for heaven.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Here we go. That looks beautiful.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And the smell is great.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13This is what I love about cooking bread.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16You never know exactly how a loaf will turn out.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23This is beautiful.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25It's white bread but it actually has got a crust
0:10:25 > 0:10:27so it's crunchy on the outside
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and it's got that lovely delicate texture on the inside.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31It's got the perfect crumb.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And you can smell all the ingredients in there.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37That golden syrup gives it just a hint of sweetness
0:10:37 > 0:10:41but it is also helping the yeast to grow
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and to give that lovely texture.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Good...bread needs butter.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Mmm. Mmm.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59So simple to make,
0:10:59 > 0:11:04but the pleasure you get out of that is indescribable. Mmm.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Just as bread baking has become industrialised,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16so has the farming of its chief ingredient, wheat.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Our heritage wheat that may be higher in nutrients and protein
0:11:20 > 0:11:23has been sacrificed for high-yielding modern wheat.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25But I'm a perfectionist
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and I only use the finest ingredients in my kitchen.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So my revival journey continues in South Leigh in Oxfordshire,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35where I'm going to be getting back to the roots of wheat.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- Hi, John.- Hello, Michel.- Great to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42John, what are the fundamental differences between the wheat that is grown,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46the bulk wheat that's grown in this country, and your heritage wheat?
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Well, I'd say modern wheat varieties are kind of drug-addicted,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54cosseted little plants that need fungicides and herbicides
0:11:54 > 0:11:58and pesticides in order to produce these monstrous yields,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00but it doesn't necessarily produce good-quality flour.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Whereas my heritage wheats, they have very low input,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05you don't have to put any sprays,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07they outcompete weeds and produce really good-quality flour.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The most striking thing you'd first see is height.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Modern wheat plans are, you know, down to there -
0:12:12 > 0:12:14a foot and a half, two foot tall, if that.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Unless you have good weed control, they get swamped out by tall weeds.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Whereas my heritage wheats, they can grow six foot tall.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24They blow in the wind, they're very beautiful and coloured,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27they look completely different from a modern wheat field.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30I'm going to have to come back in the summer to see that.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37So I suppose growing it really is just the first step
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and then we have to process it. This is your old machine here?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This is the old threshing machine, that's right.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46So before all these machines, it was literally done by hand?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49You would bash it to get the grains out.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- Very hard labour. - Very, very laborious.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57So you would bring it in from the field, fill up the barn,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and then bring it out as and when you needed it.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So the grain was always nice and fresh.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Because it's kept like this, it will keep for a long time.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- It's in its own little capsule there and it's protected.- Absolutely.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12And there are actually antifungal compounds in the husks around those grains.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14This is part of the reason why bread, for me,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17has such a great history and a value.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Yeah, it's incredibly important because you can store it. It really is the stuff of life.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23You can store vast quantities to feed people.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Right, I want a go at this.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Whoa!
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Michel, I think that you shouldn't be allowed
0:13:30 > 0:13:32to call yourself a master baker
0:13:32 > 0:13:34until you've gone through every stage of the process.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I agree with you, yeah!
0:13:36 > 0:13:39'The wheat is fed into the top of the thresher
0:13:39 > 0:13:44'and produces straw for thatching and grain for John's artisan bread.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I'm really, really loving this. This is what it's all about.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Back to nature.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53'I never imagined threshing wheat would be so exhausting,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56'but I can't wait to taste the end product.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59'And what will the thatchers think of John's heritage wheat loaves?'
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Right, guys, this is it. Moment of truth.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08- All your hard work and that is the result. Fantastic.- That's all right.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- It looks great.- Yeah. It smells nice.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13So this is with the wheat that you have grown,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17you guys have worked hard to put through that ancient machine.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Fantastic. Let's hope it's worthwhile, eh?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23It's great to see the final product after a year of growing in the field.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It tastes as if it's good for you.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27- Mmm.- Mmm.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30There's something nice and rural and rustic about it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Being a thatcher, it's kind of sitting there with a loaf of bread
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and a lump of cheese and you're kind of, like, a happy man. You know?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I can relate to that. Good bread, good cheese, you know, I'm happy.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42All I need now is a glass of wine.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50As much as I love John's bread, it's not suitable for my next recipe.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53In fact, I need the bread that I made earlier,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and the recipe I'm going to cook is a duck pie.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58But instead of using pastry I'm going to be using bread,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01just to show how versatile bread can be.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07This recipe, I think, is ideal.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It can be made hours in advance
0:15:09 > 0:15:11and it can sit there in a warm oven
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and you just have to bring it to the table,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and I guarantee people will be ecstatic.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22It's one of these recipes that is a Roux household favourite.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It is, in fact, one of my Christmas specials.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Cut thick slices of bread and then trim off the crusts.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33These rectangular slabs will form the case of the pie
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and need to be thick to help it maintain its shape.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39This is a really wholesome dish
0:15:39 > 0:15:41and a vital component is the sauce
0:15:41 > 0:15:44that will bind the flavours of the pie's filling.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Start by sweating some shallots in duck fat.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50To which we add our port.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Then add veal stock and let that reduce
0:15:57 > 0:16:00before turning your attention to the main ingredient.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Now, I make it with confit duck -
0:16:03 > 0:16:06duck that's been cooked very, very slowly
0:16:06 > 0:16:08and for a long time in duck fat.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12I need to take the duck legs and the gizzards out of the fat.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Then I need the basin,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21to which I shred the duck into.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Shred it into little bite-sized pieces.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27So we then chop up these gizzards.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Chop these up.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So the gizzard is so tender and flavoursome.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37You get a real, real kick of duck.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39There we go.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Wild mushrooms are a great complement for duck
0:16:43 > 0:16:45so I'm going to fry some in some duck fat
0:16:45 > 0:16:48with garlic and fresh parsley.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Whilst they're cooking, I can start dipping the bread.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56So basically just in and out of the duck fat.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Not drenched, cos otherwise it will be too oily.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02We're lining the whole of this pudding basin
0:17:02 > 0:17:05with these little soldiers of bread.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11There's a fair bit of duck fat in there and the bread, but,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13as I said, I normally do this at Christmas time and....
0:17:15 > 0:17:16..it's Christmas.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18With the pudding case ready,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21mix together the duck, mushrooms and reduced sauce
0:17:21 > 0:17:24to create the sumptuous filling.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26That goes into there.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36All of these flavours will melt beautifully into the bread base.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Pack that in really tight.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And what's left is to cover the top
0:17:42 > 0:17:44with the little bits of bread that are left over.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45So we dunk them again.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48There we go.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53Cover the pie in foil and put in a medium oven for 45 minutes.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Right, the pie must be cooked now.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Wow. That smells lovely.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Oh.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Moment of truth.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Ha-ha! That is beautiful.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I mean, this is just heavenly.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17It just goes to show how versatile, how great, bread is.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I like to put a little bit of sauce on the top,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22just the sauce we had earlier.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Right. I can't wait any longer.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Oh, gosh, look at that.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Now, you need to get a bit of the bread and the duck.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Mmm.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36HE CHUCKLES
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The flavours are just so intense.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42The bread has soaked up all that fat
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and all the lovely duck and mushroom juices
0:18:45 > 0:18:46and become one.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50It's a little bit crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51It's fantastic.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56So here you have it - the duck bread pie, made with...
0:18:56 > 0:18:57my bread.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06In the 1950s, there were close to 30,000 local bakeries
0:19:06 > 0:19:08on our high streets.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Today, there are fewer than 4,000.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I'm on my way to Hackney to meet a guy
0:19:15 > 0:19:18who is as passionate as I am about bread.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22He is bringing baking to the community.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24And if we are going to win this campaign
0:19:24 > 0:19:26that is what we need to do.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31'Ben Mackinnon has only been making bread for sale for just over a year
0:19:31 > 0:19:34'but already his bakery under a railway arch in Hackney,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38'East London, has become a thriving business.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42'I'm hoping that he will inspire you to support your local baker.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Right, Ben, I'm here for a reason and that is to make bread. So let's do it.- OK.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50First thing, in the fridge here, we've got the sourdough starter.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54'The starter is the lifeblood of any good sourdough.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'It gives the bread texture and flavour.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01'As a living leaven, if looked after properly,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05'it can give life to bread across generations.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:08This sourdough starter has got a bit of a story behind it, actually.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Somebody came in to visit somebody in the kitchen.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14They said, "Oh, we use this culture which we were given from Lapland.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17"It's over 200 years old." And she brought some in for me.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20- That is unbelievable. From Lapland to Hackney.- Yeah.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- And 200 years old. - It's been constantly fed.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24To keep a sourdough starter going,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27you have to feed it sort of about one week at least,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31just with flour and water, and kept in a cool place, like the fridge.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33For me, this is what baking is all about.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I mean, this is a million miles away from Chorleywood. It's great.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Well, enough talk, now's the time to go and make some.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- So come on, let's go. - OK, let's do it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- Do you think that making bread is an art form?- I think it is.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I think the whole process... I think...
0:20:49 > 0:20:51One thing that I've really found with making bread,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54one of the reasons I think it's so good for other people to do it,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56is it kind of generates more creativity.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'You've certainly got time to be creative,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'as this dough will not be ready for the oven for another ten hours.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07'So is it possible to marry art and business and still make a profit?'
0:21:08 > 0:21:10So how much do you sell your bread for?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So this bread I sell for £3.50 a loaf,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16which is about 800 grams when it's cooked.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Obviously, you're not doing this for a charity.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- You have to see a return on that. - Yeah, well, I've kind of jumped in.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I'm just giving it as much of a go as I can. So far, so good.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28As far as I can see, I'm not losing money.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33'Ben's sourdough might be three times more expensive than a mass-produced loaf,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35'but considering the time and effort involved
0:21:35 > 0:21:38'I think it's worth every penny.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'The dough is placed in floured bannetons to mould the loaves,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44'ready for the oven.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- Come on, darling.- You have to tease it out.- Tease it out.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Here she comes.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51'This is where the skill of the master baker is evident.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54'Each loaf is crafted with care and attention.'
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- You sell out of this stuff, don't you?- Oh, every day, we sell out.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59You obviously can't make enough of it,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02so there's a definite market for it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yeah, well, people want to eat good food
0:22:04 > 0:22:08and they want to eat food that has been prepared without chemicals.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12I mean, there's only four ingredients in this. Three, really.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13There's salt, flour and water,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and the wild yeasts and bacteria that are in there.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19'Like works of art, each loaf is given its own signature
0:22:19 > 0:22:24'before going into the oven, where it bakes for just half an hour.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'Ben's 200-year-old starter has done its job
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'and combined the ingredients to create something quite special.'
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- Isn't that beautiful? - MICHEL CHUCKLES
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Oh, I tell you, this is amazing.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- This turns me on something... I tell you.- Brilliant. I'm really happy to hear that.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44The smell and this signature, your lovely signature here,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48it's personal, it's you, you know, it's not a machine.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53This is you, and I can feel that. It is great.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58'If Ben's story has touched you, why not take a course in bread-making?
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'Like this one in Nottinghamshire.'
0:23:01 > 0:23:04It gives me a lot of satisfaction to come on the course
0:23:04 > 0:23:07because we learn everything about bread production,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10from it growing in the field right through to it being baked
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and then sold on, so we're learning the whole journey of bread
0:23:14 > 0:23:16and being artisan bread producers in this country.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The students here have come from all walks of life.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22They've found the experience life-changing.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Bread does need a revival in this country.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Anyone can learn to make bread. It's not difficult.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31So long as you have the fundamental building blocks to begin with,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33you can do anything.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36For my final recipe,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I'm going to be using some of Ben's Hackney Wild bread
0:23:39 > 0:23:40and my bread as well.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42It's a diplomat pudding.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It's very, very close to my heart. It's a special recipe.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51It's the very first recipe that I learnt as a pastry apprentice in 1976.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58This is a French version of a bread and butter pudding
0:23:58 > 0:23:59but with a difference.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03What's great is you can actually use bread that isn't the freshest,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05bread that's stale, that would otherwise end up in the bin.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08So to start off we need to remove the crust.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16There we go.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19You can use almost any combination of breads,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22as they'll all add flavour and texture.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Slice them into cubes and scatter them on a baking tray.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30So here we are with our bread.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33We need to dust it a little bit with icing sugar.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So here we go.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And this is just to give it a lovely coating, a crunchy coating,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42that will caramelise in the oven.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45We're making sweet croutons, in effect.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48While the croutons are crisping up,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53start to make the custard filling, with egg, sugar and single cream.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I'd rather use single cream than double.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Double cream tends to be a little bit too heavy, a bit too rich.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I remember as a young apprentice, 16 years old,
0:25:07 > 0:25:08being shown how to make this,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and I remember the very first day
0:25:10 > 0:25:14that I walked past the pastry shop after work
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and I saw my puddings good enough to be sold in the pastry shop
0:25:18 > 0:25:19and that filled me with pride.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24The secret ingredient for this dish is vanilla.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Vanilla is very expensive, but it's very worthwhile.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I think you get so much flavour out of it, so much satisfaction.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36And I love the idea of putting a very expensive ingredient like vanilla
0:25:36 > 0:25:40with such a humble and cheap ingredient as bread.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Put a handful of raisins and sultanas in a pan.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Cover them in water and put them onto a gentle heat to rehydrate.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53They'll plump up and become succulent.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Then drain them and cover them in dark rum.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01These little packets of sweetness will be the bridging texture
0:26:01 > 0:26:03between the custard and the bread.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Run and raisin and vanilla. I mean, is there a better combination?
0:26:08 > 0:26:09I don't think so.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15And there they are. Lightly toasted.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17That smells gorgeous.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Smell the yeast, the wild yeast, in there,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23and an almost brioche-like smell from my bread. It's beautiful.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Then it's time to put the ingredients together.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Into some buttered ramekins layer the croutons and the raisins.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's as simple as that. It really is very simple.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37We ladle them into here.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42You can make them individual like this, in individual ramekins,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45or you could put it in a tureen and then take slices off it.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50I think these little individual moulds look really cute.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Unlike a classic British bread and butter pudding,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58don't put these straight in the oven.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Instead, steam them in a bain-marie.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Cover them with buttered foil and they're ready for the oven.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08On a medium heat, they'll take half an hour.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Right, I think these puddings must be ready by now.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16You can't take them out of the mould whilst they're still piping hot.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19You need to leave them to rest, just for five or ten minutes.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Because if you were to take them out of the mould now, they would crack.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It wouldn't look nice.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28While they cool, make an apricot glaze for the top of the puddings.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Melt a large spoonful of jam in a dash of water
0:27:31 > 0:27:33until it turns into a sticky liquid.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The jam's nearly melted.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42At last it's time to reveal the diplomat puddings.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Wow.
0:27:45 > 0:27:51All it needs now is just a little brush of the apricot jam on top.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55I find that these are at their best when they're just warm,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58not cold, definitely not fridge cold.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Diplomat pudding.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06Made with the best artisan bread you can find.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Oh, this looks beautiful.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Mmm.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's totally, totally delicious.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19You can taste the bread, you can taste the egg and the rum,
0:28:19 > 0:28:20the vanilla. It's beautiful.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25I've been on incredible journey and I've met some passionate people,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28people who are as passionate about bread
0:28:28 > 0:28:32as I am passionate about food, and that, to me, is heart-warming.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36That, to me, means if we all join together on this crusade,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40we can definitely change bread in Britain.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd