Bread

0:00:02 > 0:00:04On our first trip, we're baking bread.

0:00:04 > 0:00:07It's simple and basic and goes well with everything.

0:00:07 > 0:00:11We'll also be doing a Hairy Baker ploughman's and soup.

0:00:11 > 0:00:14- A sort of yin to the bread yang. - We British love our bread -

0:00:14 > 0:00:16we buy 12 million loaves a day!

0:00:16 > 0:00:20That's 12 million loaves we could be baking ourselves!

0:00:20 > 0:00:24There's a lot of choice in those supermarkets - what happens if people don't decide to bake?

0:00:24 > 0:00:26People are missing out on this.

0:00:26 > 0:00:29That's a tragedy - we've got to do something about it.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49Even today, most bread - white or brown -

0:00:49 > 0:00:52is made from the humble grain of wheat, crushed to become flour.

0:00:52 > 0:00:56At the end of the 12th century, an ingenious method of turning wheat

0:00:56 > 0:00:59into flour arrived in the England - the windmill!

0:00:59 > 0:01:01This one, at Kirton-in-Lindsey near Lincoln,

0:01:01 > 0:01:04is 400 years old and still going strong.

0:01:04 > 0:01:08This is Merv the Miller. How does he separate the wheat from the chaff?

0:01:08 > 0:01:12- I see you're dressed for it, so we'll get to action straightaway.- Right-o.

0:01:12 > 0:01:17- OK, we are going to attach this bag of wheat...- Make a loop.

0:01:17 > 0:01:19..and you, Dave, get upstairs quick,

0:01:19 > 0:01:23- cos if you don't get up there, this thing is going to beat you. - Oh, you can see right up his smock.

0:01:23 > 0:01:25Are you there, Dave?

0:01:27 > 0:01:29Try it, mate!

0:01:29 > 0:01:32You need to pull it quite hard, don't you?

0:01:32 > 0:01:36You do. Yeah, no-one said the life of a miller was easy.

0:01:36 > 0:01:39- No. What happens here? - It keeps going.

0:01:42 > 0:01:44Ah, I get it - you've got to hang onto this?

0:01:44 > 0:01:47- Yes.- Dear me.- One more bang, and she's up there.

0:01:49 > 0:01:54- Oh!- Let go.- Let go?- Let go, quick. It's there.- It's there?

0:01:54 > 0:01:56'So whilst I pour in the whole grain,

0:01:56 > 0:01:58'the wind turns the grinding stones.

0:01:58 > 0:02:00'As the grain is ground into wholemeal flour,

0:02:00 > 0:02:06'it drops into a giant sieve which separates out the different grades.'

0:02:06 > 0:02:08This end, tiny particles.

0:02:08 > 0:02:12- That end...- Not so tiny.- Not so tiny.

0:02:12 > 0:02:18- Ah, OK.- Right, so white flour, because that's the tiny particles.

0:02:18 > 0:02:23- Look at that lovely, creamy... - That's fine, fantastic.- Fine flour.

0:02:23 > 0:02:27- So the next one would be...? - The next one is our light brown flour.- Look at that,

0:02:27 > 0:02:30- different texture. - Different texture again.- More grainy.

0:02:30 > 0:02:32Much more grainy. What bread's that, then?

0:02:32 > 0:02:35Well, we make a sort of medium brown loaf with that.

0:02:35 > 0:02:38- Right, OK. - Now, this one is semolina.

0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Semolina.- Semolina. Semi - half.

0:02:41 > 0:02:45- Half.- Molina - milled. - Semi-milled, of course!

0:02:48 > 0:02:54'OK, time to make a classic brown loaf and a ploughman's lunch to go with it.'

0:02:54 > 0:02:58Cutting and a grinding, scritching and scratching, and out it comes, flour in its various forms.

0:02:58 > 0:03:01We are gonna make good bread - brown bread, you know -

0:03:01 > 0:03:06but not brown bread that's like a hippy's clog or that stuff that people make that's like cake.

0:03:06 > 0:03:09It shall have bounce, it shall have spring, texture, flavour,

0:03:09 > 0:03:13the lot - be the most perfect thing for a ploughman's lunch you've ever seen.

0:03:13 > 0:03:18Right, we start our lovely, fantastic creation...

0:03:18 > 0:03:24By making a ferment - it's what gives the bread lift, it's like Viagra of the bread world.

0:03:24 > 0:03:28Eh! I tell you what, though, a bit of a warning at home -

0:03:28 > 0:03:32don't eat it too quick or it'll give you a stiff neck! Anyway, on with the recipe.

0:03:34 > 0:03:38To that, we add wholemeal flour and rye flour for a bit of crunch.

0:03:38 > 0:03:41A tiny amount of yeast and a lot of warm water.

0:03:41 > 0:03:43So, when you've got a big bowl of gloop,

0:03:43 > 0:03:44all you do is put something...

0:03:44 > 0:03:47cover it over, cos you don't want dust to get in.

0:03:47 > 0:03:51We've nicked these shower caps from the hotel - look at that, eh!

0:03:51 > 0:03:52Hey, see!

0:03:52 > 0:03:57Just put that somewhere kind of draught-free, it doesn't have to be super hot, for about six hours.

0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Eh?- Aye.- Six hours?!

0:04:00 > 0:04:02Slow food moment.

0:04:02 > 0:04:04I'm starving, me.

0:04:04 > 0:04:08Oh, look at that - it's bubbling away like a rabid pig.

0:04:08 > 0:04:12Hey, man, lovely. Six hours, that, dude. I'm starving. I could eat my own feet.

0:04:12 > 0:04:17But look at it - it's a lovely honeycomb, you can see the fermentation has taken place,

0:04:17 > 0:04:21you've got bubbles, that's what's giving it taste and good texture.

0:04:21 > 0:04:27To the ferment, we are adding half white and half wholemeal flour, some salt and water.

0:04:27 > 0:04:30Wholemeal flour because it's better for us, as it is made using

0:04:30 > 0:04:34the whole-wheat grain - nothing is removed in the milling process.

0:04:38 > 0:04:40You gonna do the kneading?

0:04:40 > 0:04:44Oh, smashing(!) I'll do the kneading, so not only have I not eaten for six hours,

0:04:44 > 0:04:47now I do some low-impact aerobics - what are YOU gonna do?

0:04:47 > 0:04:49You've got youth on your side.

0:04:49 > 0:04:52- I'm starving, dude, me, man! - It'll build up an appetite.

0:04:59 > 0:05:01Kneading bread, there's no rules,

0:05:01 > 0:05:04and when it becomes elastic, it's done.

0:05:04 > 0:05:09Now we've got to leave the dough for another couple of hours, until it's doubled in size.

0:05:09 > 0:05:13- Good things come to those who wait. - I am going to kill you.

0:05:13 > 0:05:15Come on, let go get our bits for our ploughman's.

0:05:15 > 0:05:20A traditional ploughman's lunch can be boring, but not when the Hairy Bakers are involved.

0:05:20 > 0:05:24We're going to create two different picnics to go with our bread -

0:05:24 > 0:05:27a lunch any ploughman would flog his tractor for.

0:05:27 > 0:05:33For my ploughman's, I'm going to Cote Hill dairy to get some local Lincolnshire cheese.

0:05:33 > 0:05:34Me, I could eat a scabby horse.

0:05:34 > 0:05:40But instead, I'm off to the Pink Pig farm where these little piggies will do nicely.

0:05:40 > 0:05:44This Mellow Yellow cheese will go beautifully with our brown loaf.

0:05:46 > 0:05:52How gorgeous are they? They make the most fantastic, um...

0:05:52 > 0:05:58Cover your ears, ladies... (LOWERS VOICE) ..bacon - whole joint fantastic. The crackling! Whoo!

0:05:58 > 0:06:02Unbelievable. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude there.

0:06:03 > 0:06:08Look at that ham! You can tell it's had a good life - good fat content, gelatinous meat.

0:06:08 > 0:06:10'Hey! I'm talking about the ham, not me!'

0:06:10 > 0:06:13And are they from you-know-who?

0:06:13 > 0:06:15- I'm afraid they are.- Are they really?

0:06:15 > 0:06:17Yes!

0:06:17 > 0:06:21Back to our bread, and it's risen beautifully!

0:06:21 > 0:06:26Ah, yes, magic has happened, alchemy has taken place - it's doubled in size.

0:06:26 > 0:06:28And it only remains for us to...

0:06:28 > 0:06:30Wash with egg.

0:06:30 > 0:06:33Oatmeal on the top, little bit of sea salt.

0:06:33 > 0:06:39- Bob's your uncle.- Get it in the oven.- Oh, and we'll be eating in about an hour.- Eh?!

0:06:40 > 0:06:44And now we're ready to assemble our ploughman's spread!

0:06:44 > 0:06:49But whose lunch would the weary ploughman prefer? Mine?

0:06:49 > 0:06:51Or mine?

0:06:51 > 0:06:56Some say the ploughman's lunch was invented by advertising men in the '60s to get us to eat in pubs.

0:06:56 > 0:07:02I think it's open to interpretation, imagination! Go on, blow the budget!

0:07:03 > 0:07:06So what have you got there, then, my frugal friend?

0:07:06 > 0:07:10Now, then, this is not frugality, this is simply a perfect taste

0:07:10 > 0:07:15on the palate - fab ham, fantastic blue cheese and for the crunch...

0:07:15 > 0:07:17What have you got?

0:07:17 > 0:07:22If you're doing it, do it properly. Some rare roasted fillet of beef with cracked peppercorns,

0:07:22 > 0:07:25some Yellow Belly cheese from Lincolnshire from the dairy.

0:07:25 > 0:07:31- Aye, that's good that, mind.- But this perfect ploughman's is merely a garnish for our fabulous bread.

0:07:31 > 0:07:36- Look at this baby! Ho-ho-ho! - That's a perfect country loaf.

0:07:36 > 0:07:40Look at that, and THIS is the vehicle to get all this into your mouth.

0:07:40 > 0:07:42We need... some good English ale.

0:07:42 > 0:07:44Hey, Dave.

0:07:44 > 0:07:47This just cuts fantastically well. Look at that.

0:07:47 > 0:07:51- It's beautiful. Nice foaming beer. - There you are.

0:07:51 > 0:07:53Wow, that's gorgeous!

0:07:55 > 0:08:00Eight hours of nurturing care, we've certainly worked up an appetite, and was it worth the wait?

0:08:00 > 0:08:01Oh, aye.

0:08:01 > 0:08:02Cheers.

0:08:02 > 0:08:07# ..I'm on the road again... #

0:08:07 > 0:08:08And let's head back to mine.

0:08:08 > 0:08:10I've got hungry mouths to feed tonight.

0:08:10 > 0:08:13That means more baking for you, my friend.

0:08:18 > 0:08:23Ah, yes, our famous brown ale and cheese bread. Can't go wrong with that.

0:08:23 > 0:08:27And a nice onion soup to go with it.

0:08:30 > 0:08:32Good grief, dude!

0:08:32 > 0:08:35I like the new kitchen - when did you get this done?

0:08:35 > 0:08:37I know - it's lovely! But don't mess it up!

0:08:43 > 0:08:50First, for our brown ale and cheese loaf, we've got some warm brown ale - not too hot, not too cold.

0:08:50 > 0:08:54I'm adding sugar to feed the yeast and then I'll leave it

0:08:54 > 0:08:58for five minutes whilst Dave gets on with his onion soup.

0:08:59 > 0:09:03First off, what I need to do is... some butter, splash of olive oil -

0:09:03 > 0:09:08that stops the butter burning. Now, it's got a lot, a lot of onions.

0:09:08 > 0:09:10That's a northern portion, dude, that is.

0:09:10 > 0:09:15And with that, we're going to wilt some leek and some apples -

0:09:15 > 0:09:19good, English, sweet, eating apples - and the sweetness does come through in the soup.

0:09:19 > 0:09:25It'll take about 15 minutes to sweat down, and the onion mustn't go brown.

0:09:25 > 0:09:30- This is what you call a white soup, and a burnt onion is an unhappy onion.- It's not happy.

0:09:30 > 0:09:35On that note, we're going to put all our dry ingredients together.

0:09:35 > 0:09:40What we have some strong, strong plain flour, we have some wholemeal flour,

0:09:40 > 0:09:47mature Cheddar - a big cheese for this bread, big flavours, just to complement the soup perfectly well.

0:09:47 > 0:09:54So that goes in, and also we've got some Parmesan just to come under that lovely Cheddar, it's fab.

0:09:54 > 0:09:59To that, I'm adding mustard powder, salt and some fennel seeds.

0:09:59 > 0:10:04All you do now is get your hands in it and mix all those dry ingredients together.

0:10:07 > 0:10:11Right, lovely. Now, the leeks and the onions have wilted to a point

0:10:11 > 0:10:16of absolute apathy, so into that we put some chopped potatoes

0:10:16 > 0:10:20and get them nicely coated.

0:10:24 > 0:10:27We are now going to add the wet goods, two eggs...

0:10:29 > 0:10:36And now, look, this warm beer with the sugar and the yeast, pour that in...

0:10:36 > 0:10:38it's like home brew.

0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Dunno, you smell like a brewery. - It reeks, don't it? It's dead good!

0:10:41 > 0:10:47- Yeah.- And now get your hands in it. - Get stuck in, love it, enjoy it,

0:10:47 > 0:10:51you know, it's safe, it's legal, you can even do it naked!

0:10:55 > 0:10:57And what you do is you just keep working it

0:10:58 > 0:11:04until your hands become clean. I love this bit.

0:11:04 > 0:11:06It's the only exercise he gets.

0:11:06 > 0:11:08Now it's time to make the soup.

0:11:08 > 0:11:13I got some good cider here, so a nice big glug of that. Ooh.

0:11:13 > 0:11:15Oh, blimey, 'eck.

0:11:17 > 0:11:21To this, more flavours of the field, a little bouquet garni of thyme,

0:11:21 > 0:11:25three bay leaves...

0:11:26 > 0:11:32I'm now adding chicken stock, salt and white pepper.

0:11:32 > 0:11:36Then I'll let it simmer for 20 minutes.

0:11:36 > 0:11:40I've split the dough into two loaves and I'm slashing the tops for a rustic effect.

0:11:40 > 0:11:44What we're going to do is, we are going to tent this

0:11:44 > 0:11:50with a white plastic bag and now we are going to leave it to rise slowly at room temperature.

0:11:50 > 0:11:54The reason we've made the tents rather than putting a tea towel over the dough

0:11:54 > 0:12:00is to give it lots of space to rise. An hour later, the loaves have doubled in size.

0:12:00 > 0:12:01Smells lovely - yeasty and lovely.

0:12:01 > 0:12:04It does - beery and mustard... it's got everything.

0:12:04 > 0:12:10The egg white's like varnish - it gives an egg-shell finish for that boulangerie chic look.

0:12:10 > 0:12:13SIMON LAUGHS

0:12:15 > 0:12:23Now, pre-heated oven, 200 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, OK?

0:12:23 > 0:12:30Meanwhile, I'm liquidising half the soup so it's both smooth and chunky at the same time.

0:12:32 > 0:12:33Hot!

0:12:35 > 0:12:40Come on, talk to me... Hollow - that means it's cooked.

0:12:40 > 0:12:43- I'll go get on with the soup, mate. - All right, mate.

0:12:43 > 0:12:49The moment we've been waiting for - the breaking

0:12:49 > 0:12:52of this lovely brown ale and cheesy loaf. Oh, Yes!

0:12:52 > 0:12:56It's soft, with great texture and smells fantastic!

0:12:56 > 0:12:58It'll go perfectly with our onion soup.

0:12:58 > 0:13:06To which we've added grated nutmeg, Gruyere cheese and some fresh chives. Ah, it's delicious.

0:13:09 > 0:13:12There's nothing like the taste of home.

0:13:12 > 0:13:17The best thing since sliced bread. Good soup, good bread,

0:13:17 > 0:13:19good company. What more could you want?

0:13:19 > 0:13:23- Nothing, absolutely nothing. - You know, it's been a great trip -

0:13:23 > 0:13:30baking in Britain is thriving, and it's exciting to be a part of it, it's a revolution.

0:13:30 > 0:13:34It's fantastic, mate, and as well, there are great people caring about what they do.

0:13:34 > 0:13:37There are fabulous artisan producers, great millers,

0:13:37 > 0:13:40and it's brilliant to be part of, fabulous - I love it.

0:13:40 > 0:13:44Aye, so go on, folks, use your loaf, go out there and get your oats.

0:13:44 > 0:13:47THEY PLAY DVORAK'S SYMPHONY No 9, OPUS 95 (THE HOVIS ADVERT)

0:13:47 > 0:13:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:13:49 > 0:13:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk